Markets & Policy

Members of both the upper and lower houses of Parliament are moving to ban the importation of goods made with forced labour by introducing a bill which, if passed, would have profound repercussions for Australia’s solar industry.

Brisbane’s eleXsys Energy has won a government grant which will allow the company behind Australia’s largest grid-connected microgrid to build its manufacturing base here in Australia.

Following years of lobbying, the Standards Australia Committee has removed the requirement for rooftop solar installations to include a DC isolator.

Rooftop solar drove two negative demand events in South Australia on Sunday, November 21, events which analysts are describing as a world-first for a gigawatt-scale power system.

International oil giant Shell is set to acquire Australian energy retailer Powershop after partnering with Sydney-headquartered investment manager Infrastructure Capital Group in a $729 million deal which will see the consortium purchase all of Meridian Energy’s Australian assets.

The owner of the 100 MW Merredin Solar Farm in Western Australia has confirmed it will look to accelerate its roll out of renewable energy projects in the Asia-Pacific region after raising more than $34 million in Series A financing.

The International Energy Agency predicts that India will record the world’s fastest growth in energy consumption from buildings through 2040. The energy demand could create a big market for solar installers and equipment providers, particularly in the commercial and industrial sector. While building codes now include provisions for renewable energy integration, effective implementation will be key to ensuring compliance, reports Uma Gupta.

While the adoption of large-format wafers has driven a wave of capacity expansion for PERC, existing manufacturers and new entrants continue to evaluate TOPCon and HJT. An increasing number of HJT pilot lines and gigawatt-scale capacity expansion projects are appearing, as manufacturers see the advantages of fewer process steps, higher efficiency ratings, and better yield rates. The localisation of equipment is also a driving factor. PV InfoLink’s Derek Zhao offers an update on the latest developments and process routes for HJT.

Kallis Energy Investments is proposing a whopping 6 GW renewable hydrogen project in South Australia, with founder Terry Kallis telling pv magazine Australia the project will not seek to connect its 3 GW of planned solar and wind assets to the already congested grid.

Brisbane-based startup Evos has unveiled its first electric vehicle charger, boasting simple installation and transportability as well as the company’s own energy management software. The charger will be available from next month.