Residential PV

Ambitious government targets and commitments by both private and state-owned companies will propel renewable energy installations.

World-beating Australian solar technology company SunDrive has completed a new $21 million (USD 13 million) funding round which will help commercialise its revolutionary solar cell technology that replaces silver with copper to improve solar panel efficiency and reduce costs.

A German startup backed by major European entrepreneurs and brands this week began the first of many strategic acquisitions in Australia, seeking to create a cross-country network and become a ‘one stop shop’ for renewable technologies with a major marketshare. Chris Williams, the founder of Natural Solar and now the CEO of 1komma5’s APAC arm, told pv magazine Australia the goal is to become the “Apple store of energy” – an opportunity he believes is well within reach given the institutional capital and scale behind the German outfit.

A growing number of residential solar projects include energy storage batteries. In the first part of this series, we look at the backup power feature of batteries.

Smart technology that controls energy flow on power grids could soon be the norm in the Northern Territory with a trial launched in the outback town of Alice Springs that will test the economic and energy efficiency of a rooftop solar-driven virtual power plant.

India’s cumulative residential rooftop solar capacity may rise by 60% to reach 3.2 GW by March 31, 2023 driven by rising consumer demand coupled with strong government support.

Multiple factors affect the productive lifespan of a residential solar panel. In the first part of this series, we look at the solar panels themselves.

With Australia’s appetite for solar energy fuelling a projected surge in end-of-life solar panels, the Victorian government has launched a $10 million program to help deal with the more than 180,000 tonnes of PV panels expected to enter the state’s waste stream by 2035.

Australian energy regulators have called for urgent investments in renewable energy capacity and the transmission infrastructure needed to connect new projects to the grid as they look to ensure an orderly transition as coal-fired generation exits the National Electricity Market.

Queensland Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk has launched a $62 billion energy and jobs plan, which includes the biggest pumped hydro scheme in the world. The government is also planning to convert publicly owned coal-fired power stations into clean energy hubs from 2027.