COVID-19 vs Renewables: How the pandemic is impacting Australia’s solar curve
With Australians spending more time at home during the day as a result of COVID-induced restrictions, many are questioning the impact of shifting energy demand patterns on the solar curve. Byron Serjeantson, Regional Manager at Flow Power considers the potential outcomes of these changes.
The new standards that underpin our renewable future
As new forms of renewable energy mature, strong standards governing safety, storage, transport and more help to build confidence in each industry sector. Here Daniel Chidgey, Head of Stakeholder Engagement at Standards Australia outlines the latest guidance for hydrogen, energy storage and ocean energy.
Farm to table, the energy way
The emergence of the prosumer has been a feature of the rise of rooftop solar. But it can go far beyond the individual household or business, argues Frédéric Gastaldo, CEO of Tiko Energy Solutions. Gastaldo says that by connecting PV and other renewable arrays, true energy communities can emerge – accelerating clean energy uptake.
A closer look at hydrogen infrastructure
Momentum is building for a new era of the hydrogen economy. Green hydrogen production is decreasing in cost, as greater levels of renewables are being integrated into the grid, and countries are developing hydrogen plans. Shayne Willette from Navigant sets out how, as a result, hydrogen is increasingly recognized as a potentially significant contributor to the decarbonization of the energy sector.
Record shipments push global solar PV inverter market past $9 billion in 2019
The PV inverter market achieved record shipments in 2019, writes IHS Markit’s Miguel de Jesus, driven by booming shipments in key markets such as the United States, Spain, Latin America, Ukraine and Vietnam. Revenue rose rapidly, surpassing the $9 billion mark in 2019 for the first time.
Looking gloomy at Oakey 2 Solar Farm again?
Yesterday I received a call from the people at pv magazine who were preparing for the ‘Virtual Roundtables Europe 2020’ event on this week in Germany – i.e. Tuesday evening (now!) and Wednesday evening ‘NEM time’. I’m told the event will be recorded, with the recording available later to those who have registered, so get your skates on if interested.
Solar panel recycling: Turning ticking time bombs into opportunities
Australia has certainly demonstrated its appetite for solar power. Now, with the average lifespan of a solar panel being approximately 20 years, many installations from the early 2000’s are set to reach end-of-life. Will they end up in landfill or be recycled? The cost of recycling is higher than landfill, and the value of recovered materials is smaller than the original, so there’s limited interest in recycling. But given the presence of heavy metals, such as lead and tin, if waste is managed poorly, we’re on track for another recycling crisis. A potential time bomb could present itself as an opportunity, however, if the global EV industry showed an interest in the recovered solar products.
IEEFA Australia: Investing in CCS and relying on voluntary action on emissions is revisiting the olden days
The government’s Climate Solutions Fund offers little hope for financial-industry backers of a Paris aligned economic recovery writes Tim Buckley, Director of Energy Finance Studies with IEEFA Australasia
Renewables to drive a clean recovery from Covid-19
While covid-19 will cause a lot of short-term pain, it presents us with a unique opportunity to accelerate the clean energy transition.
Zero-emissions solutions are ready to roll, right when the economy needs them most
A major new report finds there is a pathway to zero emissions for every major economic sector in Australia. Over 18 months in the making, Decarbonisation Futures offers fresh ideas for how Australia can embrace the zero-emissions future that is visible on the other side of the pandemic, writes Amandine Denis-Ryan of ClimateWorks Australia.
