Technology

Lockhart in New South Wales will become the poster child for hybrid renewable generation plus storage, with a new system designed to attract high-energy industries to its low-cost electricity.

Much has been made of the Covid-19 lockdown cutting global carbon emissions. Energy use has fallen over recent months as the pandemic keeps millions of people confined to their homes, and businesses closed in many countries. Projections suggest global emissions could be around 5% lower in 2020 than last year.

UNSW solar researcher Brett Hallam has been awarded the prestigious 2020 IEEE Stuart R Wenham Young Professional Award in recognition of his ongoing work on the hydrogenation of silicon cells.

The Australian Energy Market Commission is hoping to gather evidence from industry on how they would be affected by the potential delay of the five-minute settlement start date by one year.

Scientists from Saudi Arabia have proposed a new PV panel cooling technique which employs an atmospheric water harvester. The device uses waste heat from the PV panel to collect atmospheric water at night and then releases it during the day to cool down the module. The researchers claim the device may also be improved to produce liquid water, which could be used for the cleaning of the modules.

To help achieve its global-leading renewable energy target of 200% by 2040, the Tasmanian government has released the draft Renewable Energy Action Plan.

With the race to find cheap, efficient, non-polluting ways of generating and storing hydrogen, a new study aims to set out a roadmap for navigating the pathway towards the establishment of a large-scale technology and supply chain based on ammonia.

Soluna Australia brings high-quality Chinese-made DLG batteries to the Australian residential, commercial and off-grid markets, but the trade isn’t one way: Australian-developed recycling technology will result in high-grade recycled cathode powders from batteries used in Australia being reincorporated in DLG manufacturing.

Solar research in Australia has “a long history of being generously funded”, says Senior Lecturer at UNSW, Richard Corkish, but the gap in available grant monies emerging as ARENA nears the end of its current remit could jeopardise some of the country’s most important solar research and development as well as the hubs of expertise themselves.

The Australian Renewable Energy Agency has announced $1.1 million of funding for a power-to-gas demonstration plant to be built at APA Group’s Wallumbilla gas hub in Queensland. The project will demonstrate the viability of producing renewable methane from solar power.