Markets

Adelaide-based PV manufacturer Tindo Solar is expected to be among the first applicants for a grant from the Australian government’s $1 billion Solar Sunshot program as it looks to scale up its production capacity to compete in a growing domestic market dominated by imports.

Singapore-headquartered renewable energy infrastructure developer Metis Energy has locked in a renewables supply contract for its first major Australian project – the 94 MW Gunsynd Solar Farm being built in southwest Queensland.

New Zealand renewables developer Lightyears Solar has announced it will roll out three new community-scale PV farms with a combined capacity of 18 MW after completing a $5.51 million (NZD 6 million) capital raise.

Renewable energy developer and independent power producer Neoen is reportedly considering selling a large portion of its Australian portfolio of clean energy projects that exceeds 3.75 GW of assets currently under construction or in operation.

The need for long-duration energy storage in a net-zero world is undeniable but with conventional battery prices tumbling, can anything dislodge the mainstream grip of lithium ion? S&P Global’s Susan Taylor provides an update on non-lithium storage technologies.

Solar panel manufacturing in Australia has reached a new zenith with a commitment by two industry leaders to explore the possibilities of establishing a commercial-scale advanced solar panel manufacturing facility in the heart of New South Wales coal country.

Solar access will be expanded throughout regional Western Australia with state-owned energy provider Horizon Power announcing plans to roll out “state-of-the-art” internet-connected technology that will help balance energy on regional microgrids.

A new report has called for large PV waste and recycling facilities to be established in major Australian cities as a matter of priority with solar waste predicted to reach 100,000 tonnes annually, equivalent to 1.2 GW per year, by the end of the decade.

The Australian government will commit $1 billion to help build a domestic solar panel manufacturing industry that it anticipates will underpin the nation’s future as a renewable energy superpower.

Network operator Transgrid has shuffled the proposed route for the Victoria-New South Wales Interconnector West transmission project, acknowledging that community concerns, including potential impacts on agriculture and visual amenity have had a significant influence.