Technology

BlackRock-owned Victorian battery storage developer Akaysha Energy’s 300 MWh Stage 1 Ulinda Park battery energy storage system is ready to enter the commissioning and testing phase.

Independent testing laboratory Kiwa-PVEL has published the 11th edition of its PV Module Reliability Scorecard, having extensively tested PV modules from 50 different manufacturers. The scorecard reveals improvements in energy yield per watt-peak and resistance to potential-induced degradation, but an increase in breakage under mechanical stress and hail simulations, and an overall higher failure rate are cause for concern to many.

Australian renewable energy market intelligence and mapping tool provder RenewMap has partnered with aerial imagery platform Nearmap in a move that provides users with access to the tech company’s high-resolution digitised content.

Another big battery in South Australia has moved into the commissioning phase with energy infrastructure company Epic Energy announcing that the 200 MWh Mannum project is on track for full energisation in Q3 2025.

An international research team has observed a significant increase in series resistance in LECO-treated TOPCon solar cells after temperature and bias treatment. The scientists said they now need to conduct further investigations into its impact on cell efficiency, reliability, and bankability.

Queensland battery solutions provider RedEarth Energy Storage has announced an international partnership that will see it jointly develop a ‘world first’ integrated hardware and energy management system that combines solar, storage, and bidirectional electric vehicle charging capabilities in a single unit.

The George Town Council, Tasmania, has granted planning approval to the ib vogt 288 MW Cimitiere Plains Solar Farm north of Launceston, featuring two solar arrays made up of approximately 613,000 panels.

Two New South Wales community batteries have been switched on in outer western Sydney suburbs, to enable 140 local residents access to renewable energy, whether they have solar or not, are home owners, renters or live in an apartment.

Researchers in Netherlands and Belgium have created a numerical model to simulate the moisture ingress in PV modules. Their research work showed that climate in which a PV module is installed has a much higher impact on the moisture ingress than the choice of materials for the encapsulant of the backsheet.

A new report predicts that electricity will become the country’s largest infrastructure investment sector from 2026, driven by a boom in renewable energy construction, with solar construction projected to also peak around $5.7 billion in 2027/28.