Technology

Beny Electric unveiled a micro-inverter series with efficiency of up to 97.5% and a European efficiency of up to 97%. The micro-inverters are available in three different versions with a rated power output of 550 VA, 700 VA, and 2,800 VA, respectively.

New research from Ireland shows that depleted oil and gas reservoirs may be used to store hydrogen at a cost of US$1.29/kg (AU$1.9/kg). According to the researchers, underground hydrogen storage may benefit from the technological maturity of the geologic storage of natural gas and CO2, which are associated with decades of established knowledge.

University of Queensland researchers will seek to develop and test a new platform designed to help streamline the process of connecting large-scale renewable projects to the grid after landing a $498,000 grant from the Australian Renewable Energy Agency.

Scientists in Belgium have developed a way to assess elevated agrivoltaic projects, by calculating key performance indicators such as energy yield and levelized cost of energy (LCOE). They have found that shade-tolerant crops such as potatoes could potentially be paired with around 1,290 GW of PV capacity in Europe.

Project Symphony provides a glimpse into Western Australia’s energy future, argues the project’s communications lead, Megan Allan. With a large, islanded network featuring high levels of rooftop PV penetration, the pilot on Western Australia’s grid is aggregating residential PV into a virtual power plant (VPP) to participate in a simulated bidirectional wholesale electricity market.

GlobalData has predicted that the global electrolyser market will hit 8.52 GW by 2026. BP and Thyssenkrupp have agreed to cooperate on the use of hydrogen in the steel sector, while electrolyser supplier Nel Hydrogen has secured orders in Australia and Denmark

An international research team has developed a new way to evaluate the economic value of energy storage technologies. They went beyond pure cost assumptions to consider the benefits that such technologies could bring to energy systems.

Researchers from the Australian National University have declared a major roadblock to the electrification of the nation’s transport sector has been removed with a new study showing electric vehicles can handle the long distances required to travel to essential services in Australia’s remote and regional areas.

Enel and Vulcan Energy are looking at the potential for lithium mining at a site near Rome.

Interest and investment in heat pumps has surged in Europe, but in Australia the technology has struggled to find a serious foothold. Industrial heat pumps could reduce ‘hard to abate’ emissions here by 15 million tonnes per annum by 2050, according to new modelling from the Australian Alliance for Energy Productivity though. Despite the potential, dodgy technology suppliers and schemes gone awry have left a bad taste in Australia’s mouth, CEO Jarrod Leak tells pv magazine Australia.