News

With electricity prices surging to previously unimaginable levels, state and federal energy ministers met on Wednesday to consider how to respond to Australia’s energy crisis.

Resource sector heavyweight Rio Tinto has called for proposals to develop an estimated 4GW of large-scale wind and solar farms and firming capacity in central and southern Queensland as it progresses plans to power its aluminium operations in the state with renewable energy.

Scientists in Sweden have developed a wide-gap ACIGS solar cell with hydrogen-doped indium oxide (IOH) transparent back contacts and silver alloying to increase the absorber bandgap energy. The device achieved an efficiency of 12.0%, an open-circuit voltage of 835 mV, a short-circuit current of 22.1 mA cm2, and a fill factor of 65.2%.

Australian federal and state governments have agreed to a suite of reforms designed to tackle soaring energy prices, including creating a national transition plan to phase out fossil fuels, financing projects to boost the nation’s electricity grid, and progressing designs for a new capacity mechanism.

Penfolds owner Treasure Wine Estates will install more than 9,500 solar panels across its Barossa and Karadoc wineries as the company seeks to become 100% renewable by 2024. To achieve that goal the company says it is preparing to install 29,000 solar panels across its vineyards worldwide, while also purchasing offsite renewables.

United States-based manufacturer Briggs & Stratton offers the storage solution with a 6kW inverter, a 4.9kWh battery, and a proprietary monitoring system.

About 1 million New South Wales households will be able to apply for an upfront payment of almost $3,000 to put towards a solar system or energy-saving upgrades to home appliances as part of a new state government program designed to reduce energy bills as power prices soar.

The International Renewable Energy Agency’s latest annual report on the progress towards the United Nation’s sustainable development goal seven estimates 670 million people will still lack electricity in 2030, and more than 2 billion will be reliant on unhealthy, polluting cooking methods.

The chief of the Australian Energy Market Operator has declared the need to integrate greater levels of cheap, clean, renewable generation, and the right firming capacity into the national electricity market to ensure Australia’s energy system stays functional through a “once in a generation energy transition”.

Long-overdue safety and compliance regulation increases came into effect in May. US-based Enphase Energy claims its technology’s exemption from much of nation-wide regulations means installers across the country are opting for its products exclusively.