Installations

Japan’s second-largest utility KEPCO has extended a demonstration project with Australia’s pioneer in P2P energy trading Power Ledger to create and track renewable energy certificates and trade PV-generated electricity.

The Australian Renewable Energy Agency (ARENA) is set to aid small businesses become more sustainable with the announcement of expanded funding for the Sustainable Australia Fund (SAF). The funding will help to provide more access to renewable energies and other low-cost energy-efficient upgrades for local businesses.

Swinburne PhD candidate Suneeti Purohit’s remarkable double innovation utilises solar power to decarbonise the steel industry and save iron ore miners money.

The second stage of the Greenough River Solar Farm is set for completion in the second quarter of 2020. Its developer has reported that module installation is well underway at the site.

Labelled as a state significant development, the Maryvale Solar Farm has received a regulatory nod, opening the way for construction work to begin. The project is owned by Photon Energy, Canadian Solar and Polpo Investments.

Australian Energy Market Operator (AEMO) CEO Audrey Zibelman has turned heads at the Smart Energy Council’s National Smart Energy Summit in Sydney, saying that by 2040, 25% of Australia’s electricity will be produced by rooftop solar PV.

Two years after announcing its market entry, the India-based EPC heavyweight has commenced construction of its first Australian project.

The Malaysia Automotive, Robotics and IoT Institute is planning a huge solar power project which will integrate agriculture and livestock farming in the Sabah region. The research institute claims to have already secured $50 million for the project’s first, 200 MW phase. The 25,000ha required for the projects will host up to 150,000 cattle as well as cultivation of forage crops such as kenaf, corn, wheat and hay.

With all the benefits of its power optimization and smart monitoring system, SolarEdge’s new Smart Panels allows for quick installation, with the array’s key components all covered “under the same umbrella.” For installer Joe Harvey from SEA Solutions on the NSW Central Coast, the new integrated module offering has reduced costs for both him and his customers: “We’ve found that everyone wins.”

With its high wholesale power prices, attractiveness to capital, wide open spaces and abundant sunshine, there is every reason to believe Australia is a PV project developer’s nirvana. However, as the wreckage at the 55 MW Oakey 2 site in Queensland reveals, challenges under the Australian sun should not be taken lightly.