Markets & Policy

South Australia readies to welcome another grid-scale Tesla battery – 25 MW / 52 MWh energy storage system to be installed at the Lake Bonney Wind Farm.

SIMEC Zen Energy, the Australian energy arm of Sanjeev Gupta’s GFG Alliance, has officially launched its landmark US$1 billion (AU$1.38 billion) renewable energy initiative, announcing the details of its first project – the 280 MW Cultana Solar Farm.

After passing through the Federal Coalition party room, Australian states and territory governments have agreed to the release an ‘exposure draft’ of the legislation that will enable the National Energy Guarantee (NEG). Whether it will pass House of Representatives is another matter.

According to PV Info Link, the price for monocrystalline cells in China fell below that of the usually cheaper multicrystalline products. However analysts expect it to be a blip, with multi prices expected to fall and mono to be supported by the Top Runner Program, now China’s main source of demand for the rest of 2018.

The first batch of solar panels at the 42.5 MW solar project, located next to the idled Collinsville coal-fired power station, have been switched on. The project is slated to reach full commercial operation in September.

Green Investment Group, Macquarie Capital’s global green investment platform, has announced the acquisition of a significant solar development portfolio from German-headquartered EPC Conergy. The acquisition will see 88 solar experts join the GIG team.

The National Energy Guarantee (NEG) has stumbled, battered and bruised, into today’s coalition party room meeting. It’s hard to imagine it surviving many more rounds in the energy policy boxing ring. While it’s received support from a wide range of businesses and industry bodies engaged with the energy sector, including the Clean Energy Council, a ‘better than nothing’ NEG is looking like a right mess.

The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission has briefed the National Party MPs on its recommendation to prematurely wind down taxpayer-funded incentives for sub-100kW solar systems by 2021.

While the global PV market is set to record its weakest Q3 demand since 2015, the Australian market will finish the year strong across all segments. GTM Research made the finding in its latest Global Demand Monitor, noting that oversupply and falling prices will result in a decline of modules, as a percentage of total utility scale developer cost, from 34% to 28% in Australia this year.

A data center, which will be used for crypto and Bitcoin mining, will be powered by a combination of solar power generated at an adjacent 20 MW solar PV farm and coal-fired generator.