Markets & Policy

Manufacturing capacity has been ramping up so quickly that even impressive installation growth cannot keep pace. Molly Morgan, senior research analyst at UK-based research firm Exawatt, explores the relationship between PV supply and demand and assesses the likelihood of overproduction.

British-headquartered oil and gas major bp will look at deploying a 100 MW electrolyser to produce renewable hydrogen for domestic and export markets as it seeks to transform its former Kwinana oil refinery site in Western Australia into a green fuels hub.

Electric vehicle and battery energy storage manufacturing giant Tesla is aiming to “disrupt the traditional incumbents” in Australia’s electricity retail sector with its application for an electricity retailer licence having been accepted by the market regulator.

The Western Australian government has introduced a new environmental assessment exemption order in a bid to facilitate smoother and faster approvals for major renewable energy projects and support the state’s decarbonisation efforts.

Japan-headquartered renewables developer Bison Energy has signed a supply agreement with tracker manufacturer GameChange Solar that is to underpin the development of five Australian solar projects totaling more than 125 MW.

Amid predictions Australia’s energy system faces a summer of extreme demand, the market operator has forecast that renewables, including 2 GW of generation capacity from new wind and solar projects, will counter the risk of power outages.

The managing director of Omers Infrastructure, a Canadian infrastructure fund with stakes in FRV Australia and Transgrid, has said the company is “well short” of its investment hopes for Australian renewables.

The NSW government has published a suite of draft guidelines for renewable projects, most notably proposing community benefit sharing fees of $850/MW per annum for solar, and $1050/MW for wind. While the guidelines are an attempt to level the playing field between communities, local councils, and big developers, some fear the proposed rules could undercut ongoing negotiations.

South Korean technology giant Samsung is reportedly looking to develop a ‘mega scale’ renewable generation, storage, and green manufacturing hub in the Northern Territory, its government has announced. However, no actual details on the size, nor any real specifics, appear to be known.

A Dutch-German research team has tested how a series of framed messages may be used to boost PV system sales, addressing both self-interest and environmental concerns, and has found that all the proposed messages are effective at promoting the purchase of solar panel installations.