News

Queensland installer UV Solar has for the first time rolled out a new frameless solar panel that manufacturer GoodWe says is 60% lighter than conventional modules, making it ideal for rooftops that are unable to support traditional PV and racking.

A farmer in the United States has installed vertical bifacial solar, leveraging greenhouse albedo to increase output. The installation demonstrates promising generation during winter months, while maximising limited land space.

Queensland-based investment platform Clean Energy Transfer Fund intends to circumvent lengthy lead times and major capital outlays associated with grid-scale renewables projects by deploying hundreds of sub 5 MW energy storage units throughout Australia to create coordinated battery ‘hives’ of up to 200 MWh each.

Western Australian renewables company Provaris Energy has advanced its Tiwi H2 green hydrogen export project planned for the Tiwi Islands in the Northern Territory with the design feasibility report for the proposed solar farm and transmission system now complete.

Australia’s shift to zero-emissions vehicles is accelerating with a new report revealing that electric vehicles sales more doubled in the first half of 2023 with battery-powered vehicles accounting for more than 8% of all new car sales.

A study by TÜV Nord in Malaysia shows that the latest generation of tunnel oxide passivated contact (TOPCon) modules surpass their older rivals on energy yield. The researchers compared n-type TOPCon modules with older p-type PERC modules, both manufactured by JinkoSolar over a three-month period earlier this year. The newer product showed an energy yield 5.69% higher than its PERC counterpart.

With its critical-mineral riches, Australia is seeking to process and manufacture materials to capture more of the energy transition value chain. While logical, the path is already proving onerous and is hampered by the nation’s apparent allergy to boldness.

Horizon Power, Western Australia’s regional power provider, will deploy a 78 kW/220 kWh vanadium flow battery in the state’s north as it seeks to increase its understanding of how the Australian-born technology can be best utilised to support long periods of 100% renewable energy supply in regional and remote areas.

The Victorian government has announced a new $10 million (USD 6.7 million) grants program to provide bulk rebates for the installation of solar panels, solar hot water systems and heat pumps as part of plans for all new homes in the state to be 100% electric from 2024.

Mineral Resources has become the latest Australian miner to incorporate solar into its energy strategy after installing a solar-plus-storage system at its Wonmunna iron ore mine in Western Australia. The clean energy system will provide about one-third of the mine’s energy.