Manufacturing

The Australian government needs to commit up to $138 billion (USD 90 billion) over the next decade to support manufacturing of renewable energy-related equipment or risk the country being left behind in the race to develop the technologies and manufacturing capacities needed to prosper from the global energy transition.

Newcastle-based clean energy company MGA Thermal has secured $8.25 million (USD 5.39 million) from domestic and international investors as it gears up for commercial scale production of its thermal long-duration energy storage solution.

Chinese module manufacturer DAS Solar has launched an Australian subsidiary, an investment the company says reflects its confidence in the region’s solar market.

Brookfield’s bold ambitions for Australia have reached a new level with the global asset manager inking an agreement with India-headquartered multinational Reliance Industries to explore the production of solar panels, long-duration battery storage, and other renewable energy equipment in Australia.

Queensland installer UV Solar has for the first time rolled out a new frameless solar panel that manufacturer GoodWe says is 60% lighter than conventional modules, making it ideal for rooftops that are unable to support traditional PV and racking.

A farmer in the United States has installed vertical bifacial solar, leveraging greenhouse albedo to increase output. The installation demonstrates promising generation during winter months, while maximising limited land space.

A study by TÜV Nord in Malaysia shows that the latest generation of tunnel oxide passivated contact (TOPCon) modules surpass their older rivals on energy yield. The researchers compared n-type TOPCon modules with older p-type PERC modules, both manufactured by JinkoSolar over a three-month period earlier this year. The newer product showed an energy yield 5.69% higher than its PERC counterpart.

Solar modules are evaluated in the Renewable Energy Test Center annual PV Module Index.

Researchers in Canada have found that nearly zero-energy buildings (NZEBs) with on-site solar energy generation should not exceed an energy use intensity (EUI) of 50 kWh/m2a, which they said corresponds to a maximum of 10 floors. They also ascertained that the maximum permitted EUI by net-zero energy status is 17–28 kWh/m2a.

The SeaVolt consortium says it will launch an offshore floating PV demonstrator off the Belgian port of Ostend. The main companies – Tractebel, DEME, Equans and Jan De Nul – say the anchored floating array will collect data for at least a year to scale up the tech.