Goldfields-Esperance gets its first community battery
Kalgoorlie-Boulder, in the Goldfields-Esperance region of Western Australia (WA), is set to receive the region’s first community battery. The WA Government-owned utility Western Power is looking to smooth out peak load periods by integrating the Tesla battery into the network.
Australia’s technology roadmap to lower emissions: Gas, CCS, coal and nuclear on the cards
A national Technology Investment Roadmap, which is intended to drive a successful shift to secure, more affordable energy and lower emissions, has flagged support for new gas investments, carbon capture and storage, and “emerging nuclear technologies”. The long-awaited document has prompted a flurry of reactions.
New method for life cycle assessment of PV technologies
Researchers from Charles Darwin University have conducted a ‘cradle to grave’ life cycle assessment (LCA) of the four most widely used PV technologies. The academics say that cadmium telluride solar modules have the lowest life cycle impact, followed by amorphous, multi and monocrystalline silicon products.
Queensland fast-tracks new transmission line to unlock renewables, battery industry investment
The Palaszczuk Government is providing funding to accelerate a $1.5 billion transmission link stretching from Townsville to Mount Isa in North Queensland in a bid to stimulate large-scale solar and wind investment and underpin the creation of local battery industry.
56 MW hybrid microgrid powers up at Western Australian gold mine
The unique solar, wind, and battery project has been completed at Gold Fields’ Agnew Gold Mine, marking Australia’s largest hybrid microgrid of its kind.
UQ’s Tesla battery is paying for itself
The University of Queensland has released a performance report on the Tesla Powerpack it installed in December 2019. Across a range of revenue streams, the Powerpack is already earning the university some serious cash.
Historic NSW town leaps into a clean-energy future
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.
Yes, carbon emissions fell during Covid-19. But it’s the shift away from coal that really matters
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 scientist nabs top gong
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.
AEMC investigates proposed five-minute settlement delay
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.
