Grids & Integration

Australian renewables developer Windlab has announced further delays on its landmark energy park in north Queensland after its EPC contractor failed to secure a fully functioning connection agreement.

The Australian utility-scale PV and wind industries have just gone through a record two years of construction and commissioning. More specifically, writes Rystad Energy’s David Dixon, utility-scale PV has transformed from a megawatt-scale market to one measured in gigawatts. The resultant boom in utility-scale PV in the country has attracted developers, EPCs and OEMs, from at home and across the globe.

Welcome to Australia’s largest national showcase of renewable energy at the Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre. Follow pv magazine live to keep updated on the latest Aussie solar PV and storage developments and trends from this year’s event, as they happen. Stay tuned!

The Australian Energy Market Operator (AEMO) has undertaken a review on how Australia compares with other international power systems and suggested that the theoretical limits on wind and solar penetration may need to be defined with an eye on the power system stability.

Visitors at the All-Energy event will have the opportunity to find out about the German inverter maker’s latest PV system technology and comprehensive solutions for home, business and large-scale applications.

Uralla-based Meralli Solar has completed the installation of another solar farm in just eight weeks, thanks to Belectric PEG frame system. The 8.9 MW project sits at Baroota, South Australia.

On Sunday, South Australia set a new record for minimum operational demand at 475 MW. Rooftop solar led the way covering 64% of the total demand in the state.

Downer has been contracted by Alinta Energy to turn Fortescue Metals Group’s Chichester Hub iron ore operations in the Pilbara region into a solar-powered hub.

Although the International Energy Agency’s latest renewables report forecasts impressive solar growth there is still a nagging feeling it has produced conservative estimates and the emphasis on sharing costs with grid operators is predictable.

Pacific Hydro’s Haughton Solar Farm in Queensland has signed an innovative network support agreement with Stanwell Corporation (Stanwell), a QLD government-owned corporation and the largest electricity generator in the state.