Low-cost, ‘graphene-enhanced’ perovskite solar cells to be produced in funded Wagga Wagga project
Two Australian companies working in solar R&D have been awarded over $2 million (USD 1.3 million) for a project seeking to commercialise ultra-low-cost, flexible perovskite solar cell fabrication. The solar cells will be “graphene-enhanced” and are to be produced in Halocell’s Wagga Wagga plant in NSW.
New research finds Australia’s lithium deposits likely extend across eastern states
New research from the University of Sydney pinpointing the concentration and distribution of lithium in Australian soils has found elevated levels in Queensland, New South Wales and Victoria.
NSW government starts talks to extend life of Australia’s largest coal plant, Eraring
The New South Wales (NSW) government will now “start the conversation” with Origin Energy, owner of the Eraring power station, to keep the coal plant open beyond its scheduled retirement in August 2025.
Greenpeace notes widespread greenwashing among fossil fuel companies
A new report published by environmental campaign group Greenpeace analyses financial statements from 12 major European headquartered oil companies. The study finds that, despite many public claims to be participating the energy transition, both the current activities and future investment plans of these companies are dominated by fossil fuels.
JA Solar to build 5 GW of cell capacity in Vietnam
GCL Technology Holdings Limited reported strong revenue for the first half of 2023, while JA Solar says it will invest CNY 2.72 billion ($578.7 million) in 5 GW of N-type solar cell capacity in Vietnam.
ClearVue next-gen ‘solar window’ powers through mass production run
Western Australian solar window company ClearVue Technologies says it has confirmed the scalability and “commercial viability” of its second-generation integrated glazing units after a mass production run using a standard manufacturing line at a factory in China.
New funding deal sees focus shift for Marinus Link
The initial capacity of the proposed Marinus Link transmission project, that would connect Tasmania and the Australian mainland via an undersea electricity interconnector, has been reduced by 50% as part of new funding arrangements announced by the federal and state governments.
‘Make it burn’ and other lithium-ion first responder guidance
American Clean Power has published a guide for first responders on lithium-ion battery energy storage system emergencies, offering insights based on the 2023 NFPA 855 code revision.
New control technique for microgrid-connected PV systems
An international research group has applied for the first time integral backstepping control (IBC) as a control strategy for PV systems connected to microgrids. Through a series of simulations, the scientists found the new approach can provide better results than classic backstepping control (BC) and other techniques.
Weekend read: 100% solar offgrid, 100% on wheels
Jason and Kara are Canadian overlanders from the “Everlanders” channel on YouTube. Overlanding is self-reliant travel on the road, driving to remote places across international borders. pv magazine caught up with Jason between legs of their latest road trip.
