News

Researchers from Deakin University in Victoria have announced a breakthrough in the development of new polymer electrolyte chemistries that they believe could pave the way for a safer and cheaper alternative to current lithium-ion battery energy storage technologies.

The Australian government’s green bank has extended its collaboration with the Australia and New Zealand Banking Group, committing up to $200 million as part of a clean energy asset purchasing program to help Australian businesses invest in energy efficient and renewable technologies to cut costs and reduce emissions.

Australian renewables company Wave Swell Energy says the time has come for wave power to sit alongside wind, solar and energy storage as part of a modern energy mix after a 12-month trial of its technology in the seas of Bass Strait produced an average rate of conversion from ocean energy to electricity of up to 50%.

Construction has commenced on what will be Western Australia’s biggest battery energy storage system with the first of the battery units installed for the 100 MW/200 MWh Kwinana Big Battery being built at the site of the decommissioned Kwinana Power Station near Perth.

The Indian government’s PM KUSUM Scheme supports farmers in installing standalone solar pumps and solarizing existing grid-connected agriculture pumps.

We in the solar industry are used to our share of craziness. For us, business as usual is more the exception than the rule. We are used to coping with all sorts of imponderables – chaos as usual. Companies that have mastered this from years of training will probably be able to navigate their businesses through these troubled times. Martin Schachinger of pvXchange finds that it has been a long time since the PV market has been as crazy as it is now. Prices are rising steadily across the board, but not for solar panels.

Fourth-generation Victorian dairy farmers this week commissioned their 250kW rooftop solar system coupled with 520 kWh of battery storage from Australian company Energy Renaissance. The couple are forecast to save at least $70,000 annually with the system, cutting their grid reliance by 95% and hopefully inspiring neighbouring farms.

Frontier Energy’s plans to produce green hydrogen powered by renewable energy sourced from the potential 500 MW Bristol Springs Solar project it is developing in Western Australia has received a major boost with a study revealing the cost of hydrogen production could be as low as $2.85 per kilogram.

Queensland’s publicly-owned energy generator and retailer CleanCo has inked a long-term deal to supply shopping centre major Scentre Group with 100% renewable electricity for its Westfield centres across the state from 2025.

The story of recent times in Australia’s National Electricity Market has been the significant escalation of wholesale price outcomes in the market.