Markets & Policy

As the deployment of renewable energy continues to expand around the world, driven by various inputs, such as capital allocation and investment, falling capital costs, competitive LCOE and various policy mechanisms, we are now moving towards a new era for renewable energy. ‘Renewables 2.0’ will have significant, wide-ranging consequences for all market players, as regulators reduce their support and power producers seek new revenue models. In this article, Duncan Ritchie, partner at Apricum – The Cleantech Advisory, will look at the key market developments for renewables, explode the myth of grid parity, highlight the need for flexibility and explain the importance of new financing solutions that are capable of meeting the new complexities brought about by ‘Renewables 2.0’.

While global coal mining companies are enjoying the highest prices in years on the back of strong Asian demand, banks and financiers are increasingly ending their support for coal power. London-based Standard Chartered the latest to stop financing new coal-fired stations.

The Dunsborough Community Energy Project is announced as Australia’s first privately funded virtual power plant.

With its license to sell electricity in Victoria still at risk after failing to provide performance data to the state energy regulator, AGL Energy has been hit with a record penalty for breaching its obligations under Victoria’s energy efficiency scheme.

Despite economic hardship caused by record numbers of solar PV installs that have led to a fall in residential demand, Western Australian state-owned retailer Synergy has posted an after-tax profit of $24.3 million for 2017-18.

U.S. firm SolarReserve is moving on its massive solar thermal plant project in South Australia having signed a memorandum of understanding with local outfit Heliostat SA.

Through the listing on the French stock market, the independent power producer hopes to raise enough capital to increase its renewable energy assets from 2 GW to 5 GW. Impala intends to subscribe to the offering and remain majority shareholder.

Energy Minister Angus Taylor has announced there will be no replacement for the renewables target beyond the 2020 target, casting a long shadow over investment predictability in the Australian renewable energy sector.

Solar battery systems should maintain power supply when the grid goes down. Right? Well, it’s not always that simple. A recent pv magazine Australia webinar, hosted in partnership with SMA, was looking into different homeowner needs and ways to install an emergency power or ‘full home backup’ system. Here are the answers to some of the webinar attendee’s questions.

With enough large-scale projects under construction or already built to meet the 2020 Renewable Energy Target, the Clean Energy Regulator keeps tracking the progress across the market, as the development pipeline nears the 9 GW threshold.