Markets

Australia’s laggardly uptake of electric vehicles is set for a boost after Origin Energy announced a partnership with Custom Fleet to provide a holistic solution to EV fleet transition. Fleet cars make up almost half of all new car sales in Australia and upgrading Australia’s commercial vehicles to electric is seen as key to reducing transport emissions.

The facility is expected to be located in the state of Ceará and to be powered by around 3.6 GW of wind and solar facilities located in the region. The project developer is Australia-based Enegix Energy.

Australia’s infrastructure advisory body has added a number of renewable energy-related projects to its priority list, recognising the need for investment in the “once-in-a-lifetime transition from thermal generation to intermittent renewables.”

Iron ore giant Fortescue Metals Group’s ambitious Fortescue Future Industries wants to build a renewable energy portfolio of more than 235 GW. The ambition, combined with the apparently bullish effort of Fortescue executives in recent months, has garnered headlines, and now Fortescue has announced former Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull and former National Intelligence chief Nick Warner as part of its team.

Scientists in the Netherlands have identified five different profiles of homeowners that have installed or could install rooftop PV systems. According to their findings, substantial differences characterise the five segmentation groups. The research is intended to help policymakers and solar companies to better promote PV technology among potential new adopters.

A global research group has developed a perovskite PV cell with titanium dioxide nanotubes doped with cesium. It purportedly offers better short-circuit current and power conversion efficiency than cells without cesium nanoparticles. They say it has optimal thermal stability under temperatures up to 800 C.

The delicate balancing act between incentivising rooftop solar uptake, versus moderating its effects on the grid and electricity markets continues, with the Victorian energy regulator reducing the state’s minimum solar feed-in tariff from 1 July.

Smart metering services provider Intellihub cracked the million meter mark this week as the smart meter market in Australia and New Zealand surges off the back of continuing solar uptake.

Australia’s largest energy retailer, AGL, is working towards net-zero emissions by 2050 but it can not come soon enough for some with new government data revealing the energy giant is the nation’s biggest polluter, emitting more than 42 million tonnes of carbon emissions in the past year.

On the same day as Bluescope Steel announced massive profits and the creation of a new Chief Executive Climate Change, the steel giant also conceded that it was not fully committed to investing in ‘green steel’ solutions in the near future.