Sustainability

A team of engineers at the University of New South Wales say they have developed a new, more effective method for recycling end-of-life solar panels that allows them to quickly and efficiently separate 99% of PV cell component materials.

The traditional owners of Yindjibarndi lands in Western Australia have struck a deal with Philippines-based energy giant ACEN Corporation to develop more than 3 GW of wind, solar and battery storage in the state’s Pilbara region.

Discount supermarket giant Aldi plans to add another 34 MWp of PV to its rooftop solar network in Australia within the next 18 months after announcing that its transition to 100% renewable electricity has received the stamp of approval from the federal government’s Clean Energy Regulator.

The global transition to carbon-free energy has fallen behind pace to limit global warming to 1.5 degrees Celsius, a key threshold set forth by the Paris Agreement.

A new study proposes blockchain-based solar passports to address the PV waste management challenge in India. It says such a framework would enable transparent tracking and verification of PV panels throughout their life cycle.

Popular toilet paper company Who Gives A Crap has installed a rooftop solar system on its Melbourne warehouse spelling out the words ‘we give a crap.’

A panel of experts debated how plausible it is for Australia to enter the battery manufacturing space, and acting-CEO of one of the only companies to produce lithium hydroxide in Australia, IGO, discussed the acute challenges of setting up a refinery onshore during the WA Renewables and Critical Minerals Superpower Summit on Monday.

Historic meteorological data is typically used to assess solar farm yield and secure project finance, but with climate change beginning to affect every aspect of society, past weather data may no longer be a reliable guide. Everoze Partner Nastasia Pacaut looks at how PV projects can be future-proofed in a changing climate.

Australian retailing major Officeworks has flicked the switch on its first behind-the-meter rooftop solar and battery energy storage system as it works towards using only renewable electricity to power operations by 2025 as part of its ambition to achieve net-zero emissions by 2030.

Scientists in Belgium are exploring the potential of recycled silicon in solar modules at the end of their life cycle for reuse in low-cost, higher-energy-density storage technologies. They claim EV batteries using this silicon may allow faster recharging and travel longer distances on a single charge.