Commercial returns on VPPs ‘proven’ as expanded program adds more sophisticated features
Simply Energy on Thursday announced it will be extending its Virtual Power Plant program across the eastern seaboard and opening it up to five different battery brands. Simply Energy will continue its technology partnership with SwitchDin to do so, with Ryan Wavish, Simply’s General Manager, and Andrew Mears, CEO and founder of SwitchDin, telling pv magazine Australia they plan to introduce a whole range of new, more advanced features into the VPP as the relationship between the two companies evolves.
Western Australia launches $35 million ‘symphony’ of residential renewable assets
Western Australia has today announced the launch of its $35.5 million Virtual Power Plant trial, Project Symphony, which will examine the ways in which residents, utilities, and network operators can join forces to centrally orchestrate the output of rooftop solar, batteries and other distributed resources to best serve both customers and the grid at large.
WA introduces remote solar switch off, following SA model
Western Australia has become the second state to give network operators the capacity to remotely switch off residential solar systems as an emergency grid stability mechanism.
Germany’s new coalition wants to deploy 143.5 GW of solar this decade
The new plan would require the deployment of around 15 GW of new PV capacity each year to 2030. The agreement also includes the gradual phasing out of all coal power plants by the end of the decade.
Consistency shines bright in battery storage testing
Independent battery performance and reliability tester ITP Renewables has been running its trial of solar storage batteries since 2016. Over the years one of the broad conclusions to be drawn is that home storage systems are by no means reliable across the board. However, some few systems stand out, including Fimer’s hybrid solar inverter and storage solution, the React 2.
‘Inexpensive line of supply no longer acceptable’: federal politicians move on consequential ban for solar industries
Members of both the upper and lower houses of Parliament are moving to ban the importation of goods made with forced labour by introducing a bill which, if passed, would have profound repercussions for Australia’s solar industry.
Australia removes much-criticised DC isolator mandate
Following years of lobbying, the Standards Australia Committee has removed the requirement for rooftop solar installations to include a DC isolator.
“Crickey!” Rooftop solar makes South Australia the world’s first gigawatt-scale system to hit negative demand
Rooftop solar drove two negative demand events in South Australia on Sunday, November 21, events which analysts are describing as a world-first for a gigawatt-scale power system.
Victorian Solar Homes program reaches 1 GW of energy capacity
After a controversial beginning, the Victorian Solar Homes Program recovered and is now setting new records. From the early days when solar installers were forced to protest due to the unintended effects of the policy’s first iteration, to today when more than 165,000 homes have solar as a result of the program, it is fair to say that Victoria is headed into a bright summer.
Australia welcomes first energy data ‘one stop shop’
Energy data provider C4NET has now opened its services up to any party with a query, streamlining data access in the interest of accelerating Australia’s transition.“First thing we’re trying to do is be a one stop shop,” James Seymour, CEO of C4NET, told pv magazine Australia.
