AEMO reinforces role of rooftop solar in energy transition
The Australian Energy Market Operator’s latest Integrated System Plan has stamped the role rooftop solar will play in the nation’s energy transition, revealing that the total capacity of rooftop PV and other distributed solar in the nation’s main grid is forecast to rise from 21 GW to 86 GW by 2050.
AGL partners with Elecsome on solar panel recycling plan
Power giant AGL Energy has teamed with Melbourne-based solar panel recycling company Elecsome to explore the development of a PV materials recovery facility at the site of the coal-fired Bayswater power plant in the New South Wales Hunter Region.
RETC releases 2024 PV Module Index
The United States-headquartered Renewable Energy Test Center has released its annual PV Module Index, evaluating the reliability, quality, and performance of solar panels.
Court issues $40,000 fines for rooftop solar licence-sharing scheme
Two Western Australian companies and three people have been fined almost $40,000 for an illegal electrical licence-sharing arrangement involving 25 rooftop solar installations at properties in the state’s southwest.
Weekend read: Time to talk curtailment
It’s time to assess curtailment, as rising amounts of excess generation are being wasted in several markets. This can be problematic for the solar industry but Toby Couture and David Jacobs, coordinators of think tank Global Solar PV Brain Trust, argue that curtailment is not always bad.
Batteries on wheels trial gets $3.2 million boost
Over the next three years energy retailer and tech company Amber Electric will trial a software solution for electric vehicle smart charging and bi-directional vehicle-to-grid services to enable consumers using their cars can buy and sell energy to the grid.
Aiko presents ABC solar module with world record efficiency of 25.2%
The Chinese back-contact module maker said its new products rely on the company’s all-back-contact cell technology and feature a temperature coefficient of -0.26% per C.
Virtual power plant connects to community housing
South Australia’s virtual power plant has partnered with community housing provider, Unity Housing, to supply low cost energy to disadvantaged tenants, as part of its fourth phase to connect more than 7,500 households with clean energy.
Sunshine Coast to host Australian first local renewable energy zone
A “nation first” local renewable energy zone will be established on Queensland’s Sunshine Coast as part of a pilot program designed to boost rooftop solar generation, store it and share it locally across the poles and wires infrastructure that already exists.
AEMO calls for sustained investment as WA power supply outlook improves
The Australian Energy Market Operator has eased forecasts of a looming capacity shortfall in Western Australia’s main electricity grid but has warned of the need for “substantial and sustained” investment in renewables to replace coal-fired power stations and meet surging demand from customers electrifying their operations.
