Research

New research from the University of New South Wales (UNSW) predicts cumulative polysilicon demand of 46-87 Mt will be required to achieve 63.4 TW of PV installed by 2050.

Melbourne’s Monash University will conduct a $1.18 million study into alternative market designs which better support energy storage technologies and drive clearer investment signals.

Energy efficient homes, like those with solar panels, fetch, on average, a premium of over 17% in Australia – though that figure grows to 28.9% in Queensland and 24% in Victoria, according to a report from real estate company Domain.

Scientists in Russia have developed a new wide-band optical absorber called ‘black silicide’ which they claim is more adjusted to match AM-1.5 solar spectrum with theoretically higher photogenerated current density. It could be used for tandem operation in photovoltaic devices.

US scientist have developed a new electrolyte design for sodium-ion batteries to improve their long cycling performance. The low-solvation electrolyte was designed for high-voltage sodium-ion batteries, which retained 90% of their capacity after 300 cycles.

Researchers at Melbourne’s Deakin University have discovered a novel way to separate, store and transport large amounts of gas. The method, they say, is efficient, affordable and creates no waste – carrying huge implications for the burgeoning green hydrogen industry and for the energy transition at large.

New research from Ireland shows that depleted oil and gas reservoirs may be used to store hydrogen at a cost of US$1.29/kg (AU$1.9/kg). According to the researchers, underground hydrogen storage may benefit from the technological maturity of the geologic storage of natural gas and CO2, which are associated with decades of established knowledge.

University of Queensland researchers will seek to develop and test a new platform designed to help streamline the process of connecting large-scale renewable projects to the grid after landing a $498,000 grant from the Australian Renewable Energy Agency.

An international research team has developed a new way to evaluate the economic value of energy storage technologies. They went beyond pure cost assumptions to consider the benefits that such technologies could bring to energy systems.

Researchers from the Australian National University have declared a major roadblock to the electrification of the nation’s transport sector has been removed with a new study showing electric vehicles can handle the long distances required to travel to essential services in Australia’s remote and regional areas.