Manufacturing

In a new weekly update for pv magazine, OPIS, a Dow Jones company, offers bite-sized analysis on solar PV module supply and price trends.

SunDrive Solar, a Sydney-based startup working to replace the silver in solar cells with copper, has been allocated $11 million (USD 7 million) by ARENA to expand its metallised cell production to a commercial scale of more than 100 MW per annum. Few details or timeframes for the scaling have been provided, however.

US solar tracker company Array Technologies is ready to expand its Australian presence after successfully delivering locally manufactured solar trackers for the 102 MW Glenrowan solar farm in mid-north Victoria.

Trina has unveiled its new utility-scale battery, the Elementa 2, at Melbourne’s All-Energy conference. The company is offering design engineering services to support uptake of the 2 MW / 4 MWh LFP battery for Australian projects.

Renewables investor Quinbrook Infrastructure Partners has announced plans to develop a green polysilicon manufacturing plant in North Queensland’s Lansdown Eco-Industrial Precinct. Quinbrook has been conditionally allocated a 200-hectare at the site, and is looking for an operational parter to complete the vertical play.

JinkoSolar claims that its new 182 mm n-type monocrystalline silicon solar cell has reached a maximum solar conversion efficiency of 26.89%. It says the achievement has been independently verified by a third party.

Australia’s MPower has inked a supply deal with China-headquartered manufacturing giant Trina Solar that will support the ongoing rollout of the renewables developer’s portfolio of mid-scale solar power and battery energy storage projects.

Applications are open for grants of up to $750,000 (USD 479,000) under a new Victorian government program that aims to support Victorian manufacturers to be part of the growing renewable energy supply chain and boost the production of renewable energy products and components.

Solar glass manufacturer ClearVue Technologies is poised to accelerate its global expansion plans and further the commercialisation of its technology after locking in a $30 million (USD 19 million) funding facility with Australian fund manager Alpha Investment Partners.

Victorian hydrogen company Energys has unveiled its third-generation, locally-manufactured Hydrogen Fuel Cell Generators, five of which are to provide backup power for Telstra’s remote telecommunications towers as part of a Victorian pilot. The company says it is already constructing a green hydrogen generation plant too, supported by funding from the Victorian government.