Installations

Japan-headquartered renewables developer Bison Energy has signed a supply agreement with tracker manufacturer GameChange Solar that is to underpin the development of five Australian solar projects totaling more than 125 MW.

Amid predictions Australia’s energy system faces a summer of extreme demand, the market operator has forecast that renewables, including 2 GW of generation capacity from new wind and solar projects, will counter the risk of power outages.

Scientists from South Korea have designed new photovoltaic modules with both rectangular and triangular shapes and solar cells connected in parallel, which they said have higher partial-shading tolerance compared with cells connected in strings. The panels are reportedly less sensitive to partial-shading geometries than shingled modules.

The NSW government has published a suite of draft guidelines for renewable projects, most notably proposing community benefit sharing fees of $850/MW per annum for solar, and $1050/MW for wind. While the guidelines are an attempt to level the playing field between communities, local councils, and big developers, some fear the proposed rules could undercut ongoing negotiations.

South Korean technology giant Samsung is reportedly looking to develop a ‘mega scale’ renewable generation, storage, and green manufacturing hub in the Northern Territory, its government has announced. However, no actual details on the size, nor any real specifics, appear to be known.

A Dutch-German research team has tested how a series of framed messages may be used to boost PV system sales, addressing both self-interest and environmental concerns, and has found that all the proposed messages are effective at promoting the purchase of solar panel installations.

Sri Lanka’s government-owned Ceylon Electricity Board (CEB) is inviting applications for the development of 1 MW to 5 MW ground-mounted solar projects – totaling 70 MW – with 20-year power purchase agreements (PPA).

The commissioning of stage two of Vena Energy’s 180 MW Tailem Bend solar farm in South Australia is now complete, with a 41.5 MWh battery to be coupled shortly. Tailem Bend 2 was first energised in February, but took until now to be fully commissioned.

Fortescue has applied for land tenements spanning 150,000 hectares, an area twice the size of Singapore, to build renewable projects to supply its operations in the Pilbara region of Western Australia.

CS Energy has signed an agreement with United States-headquartered GE Vernova for the supply of key equipment for Queensland’s first “hydrogen-ready” gas peaking power plant which will initially be capable of operating on 35% renewable hydrogen.