Utility Scale PV

The Clean Energy Regulator has confirmed it has approved enough capacity to meet the Large-scale Renewable Energy Target (LRET). While this is a great achievement for the renewables industry, the question remains what comes beyond 2020. Although analysts expect a slow down, ANU researchers find the record installation rates will see Australia surpass the scrapped target of 41,000 GWh of renewable energy generation around the end of 2020.

Mathematicians at Canada’s University of Waterloo who turned their attention to solar power have developed an algorithm they say offers better control over PV plant output. The researchers estimate the algorithm could improve the output of a 100 MW power plant by almost a million kilowatt-hours per year.

Despite what Rystad Energy analysts describe as “a few teething issues” caused by the rapid uptake of solar PV, and renewables in general, in Australia and Vietnam, the flow of proposed utility-scale solar projects in both countries looks set to continue over the coming few years.

The Andrews Government has approved three new solar farms in the Shepparton region with a combined generative power of 175 MW. However, some residents are upset at the loss of prime agricultural land and the now redundant irrigation equipment which had been upgraded through government grants.

The two nations are due to sign an MoU today to set up the capacity in the north of Bangladesh along with 50 MW of wind power facilities in the south, near the port of Payra. China will supply an estimated $500m with the host nation freeing up land for the projects.

A mix of higher operating costs and ageing coal assets – plus historically generous solar tariffs – meant the utility banked more profit from the 1.53 TWh of solar electricity it sold in the first half than it did from 25.9 TWh of coal-fired power.

In an effort to replace two aging power plants, Hawaiian Electric Industries has launched a roughly 900 MW procurement, the largest in the utility’s history, across the islands of Oahu, Maui and Hawaii.

CQSola, the startup company of Australian energy innovators Ian and Tony Schirmer, will soon begin manufacturing a DC optimiser that promises to solve many of the inherent problems of solar farming, increase energy output, and drive greater insights into large-scale solar energy production.

Two reports have described how the world’s largest renewable energy market is moving towards maturity. According to the Brookings Institution, the Chinese clean energy market could become more open to Western investors and tech. A report by Fitch claims projects are moving back to inland provinces from coastal regions.

The Chinese-Canadian solar giant’s Operations & Maintenance (O&M) portfolio in Australia is now over 875 MWp after the company announced it had sealed deals with three solar PV plants coming in at a combined capacity of 300 MWp.