Technology

A sharp rise in connection and terminal station charges is stalling storage from coming online, according to an Australian developer. While the price hikes could be attributable to a quagmire of complications the industry currently faces, the developer questioned whether Australia’s TNSP monopoly system is a contributing factor.

A time-motion study by United States Department of Energy’s National Renewable Energy Laboratory shows that retrofitting installations of roof-integrated PV takes 7% less labour time than standard solar installations. For new construction, the installation time drops by 44%.

Australian renewable energy startup Green Gravity has teamed with underground mining contractor RUC to accelerate the commercialisation of its gravitational energy storage technology which rests on moving weighted objects through disused mine shafts.

Australian developer ACEnergy is building an initial portfolio of 10 neighbourhood batteries totalling 50 MW/100 MWh across Victoria and New South Wales. The company is also engaging networks to lobby for reforms to the connection process and tariff structure in light of grid support the technology can offer.

Research carried out by China‘s National Photovoltaic Quality Inspection Center shows that new n-type TOPCon modules are living up to their promise, outperforming the previous generation of p-type PERC products. Data gathered over six months from a fixed-tilt PV system showed that the n-type products produced 3.69% more energy, and also suffered much lower performance losses.

The world’s most efficient energy network, at an Antarctic research base, has had a solar upgrade, reports Tristan Rayner.

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.

Over the next five to 15 years, batteries will undercut the business case for major transmission and interconnector projects. These assets will nonetheless likely be built, decreasing price spreads and eating into the revenues of batteries, solar and storage analyst Warwick Johnston predicts.

New research from Serbia claims air-polluted urban climatic conditions may not only induce maximum power point (MPP) tracking problems in PV systems but also reduce power yield by up to 30%. The scientists also said that soiling may significantly affect the functionality of single-stage inverters operating in grid-forming mode.

Decarbon Venture, a startup cofounded by an outback-living Australian entrepreneur, has launched what it claims to be the world’s first “swappable” solar generator at half the weight and double the power rating of other products on the market.