Markets

Diversifying its gas-focused portfolio Down Under, the Italian oil group has acquired the Northern Territory’s largest solar project – the 33.7 MWp Katherine Solar Farm.

With li-ion battery supply chains stretched by the rapid EV and energy storage uptake, Western Australia is looking to position itself at the forefront of global battery manufacturing. The state government has launched a strategy to grow WA’s future battery industry, which includes plans for an investment attraction strategy.

PV demand grew 68% year-on-year from the level seen in 2017 as Germany’s cumulative installed solar generation capacity reached 45.92 GW.

Commercial electricity retailer Flow Power has signed an offtake deal with Germany’s BayWa r.e. for 48 MW of clean electricity generated at two of northern Victoria’s largest solar farms – the 112 MW Karadoc Solar Farm and 106 MW Yatpool Solar Farm.

Queensland is in line for its first community-scale battery to be installed on Townsville’s outskirts because of the high number of rooftop solar systems and close proximity to electricity infrastructure. The energy storage system should be operating by the end of the year.

Companies in the United States accounted for more than 60% of the clean energy deals signed by corporations worldwide last year, according to BloombergNEF. A proposed renewable portfolio standard for Chinese business, though, could turn the picture upside down in a year’s time.

Late 2018 saw the Australian Youth Climate Coalition and Community Power Agency publish a comprehensive plan to power New South Wales and Victorian high schools with 100% renewable energy. Tomorrow, Australian high-school students in most states return to their classrooms with extreme summer weather fresh in their memories. Many will have climate change and energy transition on their minds.

The South Australian government has released an update on the energy storage uptake under the nation’s biggest home battery rebate scheme. With a total of 101 batteries already installed and more than 500 households now in line for installation, a further influx of applications is expected as public awareness builds.

According to the Taiwanese analysts, JA Solar was number two, followed by Hanwha Q-Cells and Trina Solar in joint third. The ten largest module makers met around 70% of demand, with 66 GW of shipments.

Japanese industrial giant Sumitomo Corporation has fully acquired Infinite Energy, Western Australia’s solar installer and electricity retailer, thus expanding on its local coal-focused portfolio.