Technology

Sun Cable is seeking to develop the world’s biggest intercontinental solar and storage project, and has now inked a deal with the Indonesian government that could unlock more than $170 billion (USD 115 billion) in renewable energy generation and transmission operations in the archipelago.

Chinese manufacturer JinkoSolar’s newest PV module has an efficiency rating of 23.86%. It is based on its TOPCon mono cell technology, which achieved a record efficiency of 26.1% in October, as confirmed by TÜV Rheinland.

Australia’s first hybrid solar and renewable hydrogen microgrid has officially launched as green hydrogen production began at Horizon Power’s demonstration plant in the coastal community of Denham in Western Australia’s Gascoyne region.

A team of scientists from the University of Cambridge have developed lightweight floating photocatalyst devices that produce green hydrogen and syngas. The leaf-like photoelectrochemical devices show potential for scalability.

Residential, commercial and industrial solar generation in South Australia has returned to normal operations following heavy curtailment by authorities working to stabilise the grid after storms caused extensive damage to transmission infrastructure.

New Zealand’s solarZero says it aims to provide fast, sustained reserves with its virtual power plant of 10,000 household battery systems. Meridian Energy, meanwhile, has secured approval for a 100 MW battery energy storage system – the country’s largest such system to date.

Construction has begun on a 50 MW/50 MWh battery near the outback city of Broken Hill which will be equipped with advanced inverter technology designed to improve system strength in regional New South Wales and support increased levels of renewable energy generation in the area.

KU Leuven researchers have developed rooftop panels that capture both solar power and water from the air. Like traditional PV modules, hydrogen panels are also connected, but via gas tubes instead of electric cables. The researchers are now preparing to bring the tech to the mass market via a spinoff company.

Chinese researchers have assessed the impact of residential rooftop PV arrays on energy use and surrounding air temperatures during extreme heatwaves. They found that panels with higher conversion efficiencies achieved the best results.

Researchers led by Germany’s TÜV Rheinland have created a database of technical risks and mitigation measures for PV installations. Their broad overview of quantification methods has shown that further standardization is required.