Markets & Policy

The solar industry typically sees itself as being supportive of the environment, humanity, and human rights. Even large Chinese PV manufacturers publish statements to this effect, particularly if they are listed on Western stock exchanges. But what do human rights have to do with the solar industry? What connections exist, asks Martin Schachinger of pvXchange, and how are they important to the future success of the European PV market?

Concentrated solar thermal technology developed with input from CSIRO, the Australian National University and the University of Adelaide, has been funded for a commercial-scale test by the United States Department of Energy.

Insurance premiums for renewable energy projects are likely to increase again this year, as a joint report from insurance specialists finds the sector continues to underperform from an insurance perspective.

Perth-based Province Resources has tapped on ERM to steer its 1 GW co-located solar and wind green hydrogen project in the Gascoyne region of Western Australia through the raft of approvals required for development. The project is ideally positioned for domestic and export supply of green hydrogen and ammonia.

Australia’s first renewables brokering service, Teho, aims to tie together the disparate industry threads of solar, batteries, EVs and renewable energy retailers and simplify the path towards renewables for everyday people. Pv magazine Australia spoke to the two brothers behind the business, Jonathan and David Green (yes, that really is their surname), about the gap in the market they seek to tap.

The Australian Energy Market Commission, Australia’s energy rule maker, today released its draft determination on how to integrate energy technologies like solar and batteries into the electricity grid. In the draft, the Commission revived its proposal for a solar tax, immediately stirring backlash.

Queensland’s government will install five community batteries at regional substations across the state in a bid to time-shift its abundant solar resources.

AGL’s nose pushes in front in the race that stores the nation with the announcement that construction on its 250 MW one-hour-duration battery at the site of its Torrens Island power station in South Australia is now underway. The announcement follows directly on from AGL having lodged a planning application for a 200 MW battery at its Loy Yang power station in Victoria.

Energy market analyst Cornwall Insights Australia has suggested states and territories should work together to manage the rollout of renewable energy projects with new research indicating that within 10 years the National Energy Market (NEM) could at peak times on an average day be swamped with excess generation.

Dutch research institute TNO has released a series of guidelines to reduce fire hazards in rooftop PV installations. The study follows a series of fire accidents that occurred between 2018 and 2020 in the Netherlands, for which the main causes were identified.