Lightsource bp finds buyer for 1 GW solar portfolio
Macquarie-backed Aula Energy has supercharged its renewable energy ambitions with the acquisition of five utility-scale solar farms in Australia and a development pipeline of up to 800 MW of co-located battery energy storage projects from British-owned developer Lightsource bp.
AVL partners with Sumitomo for WA’s 500 MWh vanadium battery project
Perth-headquartered resources and technology company Australian Vanadium Limited’s subsidiary VSUN Energy will partner with Japanese manufacturer Sumitomo Electric Industries in its bid to develop Western Australia’s planned 500 MWh Kalgoorlie vanadium battery project.
New method offers low-cost solution for improving PV system performance
An Australian research team has developed a five-step, rule-based method that detects and classifies underperformance in PV systems using only AC-side inverter data. Validated across more than 1,000 systems, the approach offers a low-cost, low-intervention solution for improving reliability, fault response, and PV system performance.
Rooftop solar boom creating documentation crisis
Australia leads the world in rooftop solar penetration. More than four million homes now generate power from their own roofs, and battery uptake continues to accelerate nationally. This is a triumph for clean energy, and a global example.
Victorian orchard project points out long-term trade-offs of agrivoltaics
A four-year study found that overhead solar panels in a Victorian pear orchard reduced sun and hail damage but decreased fruit yield and blush colouration. While energy production and tree stress resilience improved, the findings highlight trade-offs for agrivoltaic systems, with potential applicability to other fruit crops like apples and cherries.
Clean energy harvest in store for New Zealand solar on farms trial
A New Zealand government program subsidising and testing battery storage and solar systems on farms across the country, have announced an inaugural uptake of 32 agricultural businesses have signed on to its Solar on Farms program.
NSW transformer manufacturer lands $22 million expansion grant
A New South Wales-based manufacturer of power and distribution transformers has been granted $22 million from the state government as part of a $52 million outlay to “supercharge” renewable energy manufacturing sectors.
The effects of solar module elevation on ground-mounted solar
Scientists in Hungary found that ground-mounted solar modules at an intermediate elevation of 1.1 metres achieve the highest efficiency and power output due to improved airflow and reduced cell temperature.
Researchers harvest energy using piezo-active nylon
RMIT University researchers have opened the door of possibility for self-powered sensors on roads and other electronic devices by generating piezoelectricity using a flexible nylon-film device.
Residential batteries boom in Victorian regional city
The regional Victorian city of Bendigo has outpaced Melbourne for its uptake of residential batteries under the federal government’s Cheaper Home Batteries program.
