Installations

Trina Solar’s two new bifacial solar modules are touted as a “game changer,” not only for utility-scale projects, but for commercial and industrial developments as well. PV innovation continues to reduce costs and improve performance, but Australia’s outdated infrastructure is doing its best to slow the transition down.

Powering production of solar and wind infrastructure — panels, trackers, turbines, inverters — seems a gap just waiting to be filled in the clean-energy supply chain. Longi, the Chinese mega-manufacturer of solar wafers, cells and panels, has just joined RE100, a steadily growing list of companies committed to powering their operations with 100% renewable energy.

NSW has reduced its greenhouse gas emissions by 18% from 2005 levels, but mitigation has stabilised. This weekend, NSW Energy and Environment Minister Matthew Kean released the state plan for accelerating emissions reduction to 35% by 2030. It seeks to bring existing and new initiatives; Commonwealth and State funding; the Federal focus on technology and the undeniable benefits of solar and wind generation under a single umbrella.

The COVID-19 outbreak has disrupted the global PV supply chain. China, the largest manufacturing hub for solar products, has postponed factory openings in many regions, as it has been hit by logistical hiccups, staff shortages, and delivery delays. Manufacturers in some Chinese provinces are running under capacity, while those overseas are facing the same situation.

Many solar factories in China are starting to resume production, suggesting that concerns about supplies of PV components could soon begin to ease. Nevertheless, the temporary standstill will have an impact on the global solar market, as the implementation of some projects will probably be postponed until next year.

An ARENA-backed trial run by ACT network operator Evoenergy in partnership with French power electronics specialist Schneider Electric and Melbourne-based energy tech company GreenSync will research and test the effect that the integration of distributed energy resources is having on Canberra’s increasingly decentralized energy grid.

Chinese PV heavyweight Canadian Solar has announced an offtake deal for its Gunnedah solar project in New South Wales signed with e-commerce giant Amazon.

Sydney’s City of Canterbury-Bankstown has opened an expression of interest period as it seeks the development of a single contract urban solar farm to boost its growing solar uptake.

In its world-first application, hydrogen energy storage technology developed at UNSW Sydney will be installed in the regional town Manilla, which is set for one of Australia’s major community-owned solar farms. The storage deployment will be backed by an NSW government grant as part of a funding round that has awarded seven solar and battery community projects across the state.

A massive solar+storage project nearby Uralla in the New England region of New South Wales has been given the tick of approval from the Independent Planning Commission. Project developer UPC/AC Renewables Australia says construction is likely to commence towards the middle of the year.