Installations

Taiwanese manufacturer Winaico has developed new 525 W TOPCon solar panels with a power conversion efficiency of 22.1% and a temperature coefficient of -0.30% per degree Celsius.

Energy giant ACEN Corporation plans to develop a large-scale floating solar project that will add up to 1 GW of power capacity to its renewable energy portfolio after securing access to 800 hectares of water surface area on the Philippines’ Laguna Lake.

As the nation looks to foster the perfect conditions for a successful renewable transition, overwhelming attention is being paid to the number of new energy developments and the viability of transmission infrastructure to deliver it to Australian homes. Far less publicised are the practicalities of how the infrastructure will be developed and by whom.

The Northern Territory’s largest energy retailer is seeking expressions of interest from local, national and international proponents for the supply of up to 100 MW of large-scale solar for the Darwin-Katherine electricity grid.

Singapore-based developer Vena Energy has announced it will investigate opportunities to manufacture solar panel components and battery energy storage systems in Indonesia to support a hybrid megaproject featuring up to 2 GW of solar capacity and more than 8 GWh of energy storage.

The average size of rooftop solar systems installed in Australia has climbed to a new high with data analysis from the Australian Energy Council showing the typical unit size is now averaging more than 9 kW.

Enel says it will work with Italian startup Reiwa to develop a robot for waterless cleaning of PV plants. The innovative device features brushes and can autonomously navigate across panel rows, eliminating the need for human intervention.

The size of Australia’s first coordinated renewable energy zone is set to be increased with the New South Wales government announcing the network capacity of the declared Central-West Orana Renewable Energy Zone will be expanded to better meet the state’s future energy needs as coal-fired power stations progressively retire.

Developers of large-scale PV projects in Australia are being told it is of the utmost importance that they plan for increased frequency of sudden solar power fluctuation events – known as ramps – with new research suggesting that climate change may affect the future stability of grid-connected solar power systems.

Investors have lodged bids for 3.1 GW of wind and solar projects, along with 1.6 GW of long-duration storage projects, in response to the New South Wales government’s latest tender for renewable energy generation and storage capacity as it prepares for the exit of coal-fired power generation from the state’s electricity grid.