Technology

More than 100 apartments in Western Australia will get access to blockchain energy trading technology on the back of a three-year deal signed by Power Ledger and developer Nicheliving.

Solar windows have taken a big leap forward on the back of a new partnership between Australian scientists and a major glass manufacturer which will investigate the use of semi-transparent solar cells in commercial applications, potentially revolutionizing building design.

pv magazine’s social media and comments are clamouring for more information on how the West Murray challenge is being won. SMA and AEMO will keep us updated as testing of an inverter-based solution progresses throughout this week, but here’s the latest on the Sunny Central inverter family and the team that makes it play in tune.

This week is crunch time for the testing of an SMA-devised solution to the system-strength issue that has kept five solar farms generating at half capacity for seven months. If successful, the fix has positive implications for connecting more solar in Victoria, Queensland, the Northern Territory and beyond.

About 10 years ago, perovskite solar cells (PSCs) made their entry into the world of PV with a power conversion efficiency of 3.8%. Fast forward to 2020, and PSCs are the talk of the town, with a string of impressive laboratory achievements to their name. Global research efforts have shifted toward PSCs as efficiencies keep on getting thrashed on a regular basis. But is it too soon to say that the technology is ready for commercialization?

The Chinese PV module maker’s 132 MW PV project in Western Australia’s Wheatbelt region has completed all pre-commissioning testing and is now starting the commissioning process.

Monash University researchers, as part of an international team, have managed to develop a solar cell so ultralight and flexible that it could revolutionise the future of wearable tech.

Researchers from Deakin’s Institute for Frontier Materials claim the battery chemistry based on a new class of electrolyte material carries no risk of uncontrolled thermal events and represents a viable alternative to the popular rechargeable lithium-ion batteries.

What makes this contract different is it covers only the high-demand hours when rooftop PV output is low, opening new markets for on-demand energy resources, such as battery storage. This and other standardized hedge contracts designed for clean energy technologies are hosted on Renewable Energy Hub’s digital firming marketplace.

Network connection works have been completed on Neoen’s upgraded Hornsdale Power Reserve in South Australia. The 50MW/64.5 MWh expansion will provide an Australian-first large-scale demonstration of the potential for battery storage to provide the stabilizing inertia services that are critical to the future integration of renewable energy.