Technology

French start-up Solar Cloth has secured a patent for a PV shade screen for solar greenhouses.

New analysis from Rystad Energy and Cornwall Insights Australia demonstrate how the return of spring has once again emphasised the growing supremacy of wind and solar in Australia’s energy makeup. The stats don’t lie, wind and solar are sweeping coal and gas out the door.

Hobsons Bay City Council is accelerating its Large Scale Solar Installation Program with a Virtual Power Plant to enable the sharing of solar generated energy around the Council’s assets. Going forward, Council wants to see its VPP expanded to include the vast array of members in its community.

Australia and Germany have brought their national hydrogen strategies together after signing a new agreement for a joint feasibility study into green hydrogen production and trade. The agreement was welcomed around the country as auspicious of Australia’s potential as a global green hydrogen superpower.

Scientists led by the University of New South Wales have looked into the long-term degradation of silicon-heterojunction. Their findings suggest that illumination at high temperatures could actually improve cell efficiency, but also risks activating multiple light-induced degradation mechanisms if not carefully controlled.

Energy industry incumbents the Australian Energy Council and Energy Networks Australia hired UK firm Cambridge Economic Policy Associates to review the Australian Energy Market Operator’s “governance framework”. In principle, a review of the AEMO’s governance given its widening role in Australia’s energy future is valuable, but this report is about as useful as a toothpick to a pelican.

The Queensland Government has opened the registrations of interest period for its three planned and well-funded Renewable Energy Zones. The Sunshine State is calling on the renewables sector to come forward and lead Queensland’s renewable revolution.

Brazil now has 12  GW of underperforming hydropower capacity, according to U.S. researchers. Large-scale floating PV is an ideal solution to offset this shortfall, due to its high capacity factor, load correlation, and high potential output during periods of high demand.

Iasol has developed a new way to protect solar plants in windy conditions. The Spanish developer said the solution barely has an impact on project costs or output, while preventing expensive damages.

The first of three large-scale green hydrogen plants in the pipeline of the Green Hydrogen Australia Group has been given the green light. The Bundaberg Hydrogen Hub, featuring an 80 MW hydrogen electrolyser, will produce clean hydrogen for Australian hydrogen vehicle developer H2X.