Technology

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.

A U.S. research group has developed a new solar cell, based on six active photoactive layers, to capture light from a specific part of the solar spectrum. The scientists claim that they could potentially reach a 50% efficiency rate with the new cell.

Australia’s energy regulators say their COVID-19 power plan released last week is designed to ease regulatory pressure on the industry and strike a balance on reforms and changes: some must continue at pace while others will be slowed or deferred.

It’s no secret that Australia’s surge in utility-scale solar and wind – some 4.4 GW commissioned in 2018-19, and a further 3.5 GW expected in 2020 – has overwhelmed sections of the grid. An array of actions and innovations spurred by a recent curtailment crisis in the West Murray region of New South Wales will help crack the code to successful energy transition in Australia and beyond.

Following the official declaration of a system strength shortfall in northern Queensland, transmission network service provider Powerlink will need to address the issue and ease the situation for three severely impacted renewable energy generators.

Researchers in Australia and China used intensity-modulated photoluminescence to map the series resistance of perovskite solar cells with a technique which could further understanding of the causes of instability issues in such devices.

The Dubai-headquartered Ecolog has inked a memorandum of understanding with the Centre for Organic Electronics at the University of Newcastle to commercialize its low-cost, lightweight and portable solar energy technology.