Markets & Policy

According to the International Energy Agency, most of the global reductions in CO2 emissions between now and 2030 would come from technologies available today. In a recent report, the agency sets what it described as a “cost-effective and economically productive” pathway resulting in an energy economy “dominated by renewables like solar and wind.”

Evidence of Australia’s energy transition and the force with which renewables are pushing fossil fuel generators out of the mix are now glaring, with a raft of new reports highlighting different records and trends testament to the seismic shift.

In an interview with pv magazine, Indra Overland, the head of the Centre for Energy Research at the Norwegian Institute for International Affairs, explains how long-distance electricity and hydrogen transport differs from that of fossil fuels. He says strong Europe-North Africa connections could prove the viability of cables to connect continents, and notes that integration between countries and regions will increase.

Poor and piecemeal implementation of net metering policies is a major roadblock for the uptake of rooftop solar system in India, according to a new report by Asian Development Bank.

Chinese giant Huawei has entered Australia’s residential solar battery market with its home energy storage system, the Luna2000. The lithium-iron phosphate 5kWh cells have a modular design and are scalable to 30kWh. Huawei is banking on 10 kWh system capacities being most popular, telling pv magazine Australia they will retail for under AU$10,000.

The Clean Energy Regulator has adopted the whistle-blower platform Whispli to allow Australians to report any potential fraudulent or non-compliant behaviour anonymously online. The move comes just after the Regulator joined forces with the Clean Energy Council to launch a taskforce targeting dodgy installers.

South Australian concession holders can now opt to switch their payments for a brand new solar system as part of the state government’s Switch for Solar pilot program which kicked off on Monday.

Transmission is not the only way, proves network service provider Powercor with its new plan to help Victoria hit its ambitious emissions reduction targets, while considering the needs and sensitivities of regions set to host the state’s Renewable Energy Zones.

Hydrogen is the word on everyone’s lips as the Federal Government champions hubs of no particular colour. Seasoned clean players such as Energy Estate are identifying greenfield opportunities for renewable energy and industry to meet.

Thinking backwards from demand for green hydrogen, the Smart Energy Council identified that investors and customers will have to be able to trust the integrity of the product. Its world-first verification scheme, launched in late 2020 is gaining international traction.