Utility Scale PV

New releases, a confluence of auspicious milestones, and output growing by gigawatts gave Trina Solar in Australia cause to celebrate at All-Energy this week.

Swiss energy storage company Energy Vault has been awarded the contract to supply the in development 330 MW Meadow Creek Solar Farm in Victoria with a 250 MW/500 MWh battery energy storage system.

A new study has calculated that the globalised PV module supply chain has saved billions for PV installers in Germany, the US and China. It also found that if strong nationalistic policies that limit the free flow of talent and capital were implemented going forward, solar panel costs would be 20-25% higher by 2030.

A US research team claims to have demonstrated that increasing the spacing of solar panels between rows improves PV system efficiency and economics by allowing airflow to cool down the modules. The method could improve a project’s LCOE by as much as 2.15% in certain climates.

Director of the Australian Solar Thermal Research Institute, Dominic Zaal, offers a deep dive into the capabilities of concentrated solar thermal technology, including what has been proven by global projects so far and how the all important Power Purchasing Agreements stack up.

Australia’s first utility-scale solar PV project is marking its 10th anniversary, a milestone that also serves to highlight the pace and scale of the country’s transition to a renewables-led future.

The Australian Energy Market Operator plans to launch a world-first ‘connections simulator’ this year after completing pilot testing of the online tool that is designed to help fast-track the evaluation and approval process for new clean energy grid connections.

University of New South Wales researchers have teamed up with Tindo Solar to develop a line of semi-transparent modules, specialised for agrivoltaic cropping, which will use nanoparticles tuned to capture different parts of the light spectrum. “There is evidence you don’t need the full spectrum and some plants will work even better if you provide them with only part of the spectrum,” project lead and UNSW Associate Professor Ziv Hameiri tells pv magazine Australia. Crucially, he says, the project will also open a line between farmers, solar researchers and industry, creating the potential for mutual benefits.

In a big week for Shell, the oil major has announced two joint ventures: the first of which involves the development of one of Australia’s largest batteries at 500 MW / 1,000 MWh alongside partner Ampyr Australia. The second involves the acquisition of a hybrid wind, solar and battery project in Western Australia with the UK’s Foresight Group.

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