SMA Sunny Boy Storage now compatible with BYD’s Battery-Box
The German PV inverter manufacturer’s multi-string storage solution is now in sync with BYD’s latest battery system.
Enphase Q2 micro-inverter revenue falls despite demand ‘rebound’
Coming off a strong, profitable first quarter, Enphase sees the second-quarter results of Covid-19 in compressed revenue and a swing to a loss. Gross margins remain strong.
Sungrow signs 150 MW distribution agreement with Solar Juice
The new deal with one of the leading solar wholesalers in Australia will make Sungrow’s suite of products available to a greater number of residential and commercial customers.
Monash University gets ARENA funding to investigate renewables integration into weak grids
Researchers at Monash University will conduct a desktop study to explore issues and strategies associated with connecting inverter-based generation such as batteries, solar, and wind into weaker parts of the National Electricity Market.
Long read: Shadow boxing
The amount of non-uniform shading an array will experience determines the technology choices that can be made. However, it can be complicated to formulate more general rules for when to use what type of technology. Most would agree that module-level power electronics are better at handling non-uniform shading, but how do they handle the sun? A recently promoted study brought the discussion into sharp relief.
Limondale solar farm registered in West Murray
The Australian Energy Market Operator (AEMO) has announced a major step forward in the West Murray Zone after it granted registration to the biggest solar farm in that troubled part of the grid.
CER reports significant decline in potentially unsafe PV systems
A very small number of PV systems installed on Australian rooftops are considered to be potentially unsafe, the Clean Energy Regulator’s new report finds. Water entering DC isolators is identified as the greatest risk and the most common cause of PV system failures.
Premature inverter failure – 4.2 GW of capacity will be affected this year, says analyst
U.S.-owned business intelligence firm Wood Mackenzie has attempted to evaluate the market opportunities offered by the repowering of solar projects around the world which feature inverters which are 10 years old – as well as those which will expire ahead of time.
Long read: Collaborative digital fixes for the energy transition
Straddling two state borders, the West Murray region in southeastern Australia has become a microcosm of technical challenges that can plague the energy transition. Faced with serious curtailment of solar farms in this electrically remote region, a remarkable inverter-based technical feat may have changed the game.
South Australia’s rooftop solar could be switched off on the way to 100% renewables
Under a new plan to stabilize its grid, the South Australian State Government is providing $10 million to upgrade its voltage management and giving the green light to the Australian Energy Market Operator to stop its rooftop solar from feeding in when needed. The plan also highlights the importance “smart” PV and stronger network interconnection, primarily the new SA-NSW line a.k.a. Project EnergyConnect.
