Markets & Policy

Not just a haven for shoals, Shoalhaven is rapidly becoming a haven for solar PV too as the region pushes ahead to its renewable energy goals with a large rooftop installation on the Shoalhaven Entertainment Centre.

The building-sized trucks run on diesel and prompt logistical complications as large amounts of diesel must be shipped to remote mining sites. Attempts to decarbonize the mining sector will have to consider the heavy-duty vehicles.

The first rows of solar panels have been laid on the roof of the Main Assembly Building at Tonsley Innovation District. The 2.34 MW solar array will ultimately work in conjunction with on-site battery storage and smart technologies as part of South Australia’s first district energy scheme.

The Norwegian solar manufacturer is planning to debut its Alpha Series heterojunction (HJT) modules at next week’s All-Energy event in Melbourne. Touted as the world’s highest power 60-cell solar panels, the new series promises over 20% more energy production than other modules with the same footprint and added value for home owners.

The Australian Energy Market Commission (AEMC) has released a discussion paper toward a blueprint for the coordination of generation and transmission investment. The draft proposal seeks to overhaul wholesale pricing and transmission access toward lowering electricity costs and the ever-increasing risks inherent in getting new renewable energy generation into the network.

Solar infrastructure developer Lyon Group has strengthened its ties in the Asian markets through a significant joint-venture with two of Asia’s largest energy generators. The agreement will see integrated battery storage systems utilised to reduce the risk of curtailment and increase the flexibility of renewable energy plants.

Scientists at Singapore’s Agency for Science, Technology and Research have developed a new method to produce lithium-sulfur based cathodes which exhibit stable performance and high storage capacity over 200 cycles. According to the agency, this represents “a promising step towards the commercialization of lithium-sulfur batteries.”

A new partnership is seeking to build a world-first off-grid greenhouse which will use solar glass to maintain optimal temperature and regulate irrigation by condensation inside the facility.

ARENA’s round of funding for renewable-energy forecasting technologies, initiated in early 2018, is coming to fruition, with wide-ranging benefits for solar farm earnings and the stability of a low- to no-carbon NEM. 

Up to $20 million of grants will be awarded for microgrid feasibility studies across Australia through the first round of the Federal Government’s Regional and Remote Communities Reliability Fund. The fund aims to provide more secure, affordable and reliable power to regional communities and save “hundreds of millions of dollars” on network upgrades.