Technology

A research team at the U.S. Department of Energy’s National Renewable Energy Laboratory has made highly bifacial perovskite cells with a front-side efficiency of 23%.

Australian modular PV array manufacturer 5B’s preassembled and relocatable modular solar technology has been awarded international honours with the United States-based World Future Awards panel naming it the best solar solution in its clean tech category.

Global demand for sodium-ion batteries is expected to grow to just under 70 GWh in 2033, from 10 GWh in 2025, at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 27%, according to UK-based market research company IDTechEx.

Solar data and forecasting provider Solcast, a DNV company, has detailed the solar irradiance data it collected for Australia in June, showing that eastern New South Wales received irradiance about 15% above normal for the month, while central and western Victoria received totals 10-20% lower than normal.

Italian manufacturer Barrel claims that solar kits packed in barrels are ideal for remote areas and conflict zones. Its standard packages consist of 6 kW solar modules, a 5.6 kW single-phase hybrid inverter, and 3.55 kWh of lithium battery energy storage capacity.

The Australian Energy Market Operator has released a report identifying the key engineering and operational activities it plans to undertake in the next 12 months to help prepare the country’s main grid to operate with 100% instantaneous renewables.

Researchers are proposing to use steel zip ties to attach solar modules to fences in animal farms as a low-cost racking solution for agrivoltaic applications. They found the proposed approach is technically and economically viable, provided careful wind load tests are conducted on the fences.

Germany battery manufacturer VoltStorage has unveiled a containerised 50 kWh vanadium redox flow battery that is designed to optimise self-consumption in commercial and industrial PV systems.

Construction activities at renewables developer Neoen’s 200 MW/400 MWh Blyth Battery project site in South Australia’s mid-north will be powered by solar with off-grid power solutions specialist Commodore Australia deploying a hybrid PV and storage system at the remote location.

Resources giant Rio Tinto will team with Japanese industrial heavyweight Sumitomo Corporation to build a green hydrogen production plant on Queensland’s central coast as part of a $111 million (USD 74.64 million) ‘world first’ project which aims to lower carbon emissions from the alumina refining process.