Markets & Policy

Meanwhile, the automaker’s energy storage unit boosted revenues by 40%, according to its Q3 earnings report.

Brisbane-based Vaulta has developed a lighter, smaller battery casing with fewer parts, which makes it easier to assemble modules and repair faulty components. CEO Dominic Spooner argues that the company’s patented technology has the potential to significantly reduce battery waste.

Solar and storage analyst Sunwiz is forecasting 2023 set a new record for small-scale solar in Australia. Despite installations this year lagging Australia’s biggest year to date, 2021, Sunwiz Managing Director, Warwick Johnston, tells pv magazine Australia that multiple signs point to a strong Q4.

An Australian software startup that aims to make it easier for energy providers and solar installers to assess the feasibility of commercial-scale renewable energy projects will now pursue global expansion plans after completing a seed funding round.

If demand picks up again toward the end of the year due to the current price situation, the downward trend for PV module prices could be stopped, according to pvXchange’s Martin Schachinger.

Australian superannuation giant Aware Super has made a large-scale entry into the distributed renewable energy market, teaming with Melbourne-based Birdwood Energy in a venture specialising in smaller-scale solar and battery installations.

Rooftop solar generation continues to achieve record levels across the National Electricity Market but the Australian Energy Regulator has warned of a “pressing need for new investment” in large-scale renewable energy assets to keep pace with the energy transition.

The US Department of Energy has allocated USD 7 billion ($11 billion) for seven Regional Clean Hydrogen Hubs (H2Hubs) to deploy commercial-scale clean hydrogen, while the Mission Possible Partnership, RMI, Systemiq, Power2X, and industry leaders have set up the Transatlantic Clean Hydrogen Trade Coalition (H2TC) to ship US clean hydrogen to Europe by 2026.

Falling ceramic particles less than half a millimetre in size have been used by Australia’s national science agency, the CSIRO, to store energy in a concentrated solar thermal system. The team recently achieved a temperature of 803°C using the process at its pilot plant in NSW.

On September 26, the Bouldercombe battery in Queensland caught fire during its commissioning process. Now, it is being reported the battery facility is already back up and running – which isn’t quite the case, WattClarity’s Paul McArdle explains.