Governments pump millions in to build ‘new energy’ workforce
The federal and state governments are stepping up their investments as they seek to deliver the army of skilled workers required to build the solar and wind farms, rooftop solar, battery storage and transmission infrastructure needed to achieve Australia’s renewable energy and emissions targets.
South Australia trials energy-smart homes to ease pressure on grid
An ‘Australian first’ demonstration of aggregated flexible demand in residential settings will be rolled out in South Australia with the state’s principle electricity distributor to deliver smart energy upgrades for 500 households as part of a pilot program that aims to coordinate power usage to better support the grid.
Researchers roll out algorithms to target underperforming panels
A team of Australian researchers has developed multi-stage algorithms they say can remotely detect and accurately diagnose underperforming solar panels in residential and commercial PV systems.
Perth contractor lands $160 million contract for Collie battery
State-owned energy utility Synergy has awarded the construction and balance of plant contract for the 500 MW / 2,000 MWh Collie battery energy storage system being built in Western Australia’s southwest.
Rooftop solar install rates tracking 7% up on 2023
New data from market firm SunWiz shows Australian households and businesses installed a further 262 MW of solar on their rooftops during the month of April, pushing the year-to-date total up 7% on the corresponding time last year.
WA pumps $26.4 million into clean energy manufacturing sector
Western Australia’s rollout of solar-based standalone power systems is set to continue with the state government announcing a $26.4 million funding package to drive local manufacturing of components needed for clean energy projects.
Australian researchers reveal new quality monitoring method for rooftop and large-scale PV
An Australian research group has used an SMA inverter to switch the operating point of a PV array and has demonstrated its ability to create photoluminescence images for both rooftop and large-scale solar installations.
Victorian solar installer fined $40,000 for ignoring falls risk
A Victorian solar installation company that “repeatedly” put workers at risk when working at height has been convicted of failing to provide or maintain a safe workplace and fined $40,000.
Trina Solar claims 740 W output for TOPCon PV module
The Chinese manufacturer said Germany’s TÜV SUD has confirmed the results.
Renewables hit record levels as electricity demand rises
A new report published by the Australian Energy Market Operator (AEMO) shows the nation’s clean energy transition is gathering pace with renewables, including large-scale and rooftop solar, accounting for almost 40% of the country’s electricity generation in the first three months of the year.
