Technology

Queensland-based transport group SeaLink Marine & Tourism has won state government backing to build a “world-first” internationally compliant renewable hydrogen-powered passenger ferry.

Maxeon Solar Technologies has released an integrated home energy management system to engage with solar PV, batteries, heating, cooling, and appliances.

A trio of Victorian electricity distributors are turning to new, smarter technologies including more battery energy storage systems and demand management programs as they seek to meet changing customer needs and improve grid reliability in areas where the low-voltage distribution network is constrained.

Japanese industrial heavyweight Sumitomo Corporation has declared a green hydrogen pilot plant to be built at resources giant Rio Tinto’s Yarwun alumina refinery near Gladstone in Queensland has the potential to shape the future of the heavy industry sector in Australia.

Lift Energy Storage Technology is a proposed long-term storage solution that relies on elevators to bring solid masses to the tops of buildings in charging mode. It then lowers the same mass to produce electricity in discharge mode.

Portuguese startup Solarud has developed a way to eliminate soiling around the frames of PV panels with low inclination slopes. The device drains water that would otherwise stay stagnant on the surface of modules.

Three groups of companies remain in the race to serve as network operator for Australia’s first coordinated renewable energy zone with the New South Wales government revealing its shortlist of candidates.

The Greens are proposing to electrify an entire Australian town and a suburb in a major city, including providing electric vehicles for households, the party’s leader Adam Bandt has revealed. The proposed pilot, which would be enabled by a $235 million fund, was inspired by Australian Saul Griffith’s ‘electrify everything’ campaign.

Renac Power’s new plug-and-play battery has a storage capacity of 3.74 kWh, but it can be enhanced in series with up to five batteries to 18.7 kWh. It has a nominal voltage of 96 V and a voltage range of 81 V to 108 V.

Enray Solutions has developed an autonomous, water-free cleaning robot for ground-mount solar installations that draws its power from an on-board PV panel and battery. The robot is designed to withstand the harsh environmental conditions of all kinds of terrain.