Installations

Brazil now has 12  GW of underperforming hydropower capacity, according to U.S. researchers. Large-scale floating PV is an ideal solution to offset this shortfall, due to its high capacity factor, load correlation, and high potential output during periods of high demand.

Iasol has developed a new way to protect solar plants in windy conditions. The Spanish developer said the solution barely has an impact on project costs or output, while preventing expensive damages.

‘The cheapest PV system usually ends up being the most expensive,’ was an adage shared during the Smart Energy Council’s virtual conference yesterday – and it’s true for householders, installers and the industry at large. The session employed the colloquial term ‘crap solar’ for substandard systems and components, with attendees leaving the event with a host of strategies as to how it could be avoided.

The first of three large-scale green hydrogen plants in the pipeline of the Green Hydrogen Australia Group has been given the green light. The Bundaberg Hydrogen Hub, featuring an 80 MW hydrogen electrolyser, will produce clean hydrogen for Australian hydrogen vehicle developer H2X.

International EPC Sterling Wilson has picked up two new utility scale solar projects in Australia, with a combined capacity of 300 MW. The deals see the Indian-based company secure the position of being the dominant solar EPC in the Australian PV market.

It is not surprising that Byron Bay is ahead on its eco-friendly activity, but Byron Shire Council’s latest draft Net Zero Emissions Action Plan is an example of how framing policy can provide the active space for energy transition – an example the Morrison Government would be wise to follow.

Around 4.2 MWh of energy storage capacity will be connected to a solar and diesel micro-grid on Rarotonga, the largest of the islands in the South Pacific nation. Three 40-foot containers with a total power output of 4.8 MVA will be used as a power reserve and for grid support by utility Te Aponga Uira.

The world’s sixth-largest solar player in 2019 has risen to the top spot by securing a contract from Solar Energy Corp. of India to develop 8 GW of PV capacity.

Solar curtailment might become a valuable aspect of future PV deployment, particularly if grid operators start focusing on ‘curtailment management’ instead of ‘curtailment prevention.’ Management would include measures such as flexible generation, storage, load flexibility, and regional coordination.

After being ignored by the Federal Government, Queensland has announced a $500 million Renewable Energy Fund for state-owned energy corporations to invest in commercial renewable project and infrastructure, a particular complement to QLD’s three pending Renewable Energy Zones.