News

Solar companies are reporting widespread staff shortages leading to false price points around the value of installers. Scott Mason, general manager of Platinum Solar Designs, says the shortages aren’t simply part of Australia’s broader skills scarcity, but rather are endemic to the solar industry and linked to a regulatory system which is pushing down the quality of installations.

Australian technology billionaire Mike Cannon-Brookes has become the single largest shareholder in AGL after Grok Ventures, the private investment company he owns with wife Annie, bought an 11.28% stake in the public company last night. The move appears to progress the billionaire’s plan to use the free market to force the decarbonisation of Australia’s biggest emitter from the inside out. In other words, the world’s largest single decarbonisation project is back on.

Advanced Ionics has developed an electrolyser that runs at temperatures below 650 C. It is reportedly able to produce hydrogen for US$0.85/kg (AU$1.2/kg) or less. CEO Chad Mason recently spoke with pv magazine to provide a closer look at the water vapour electrolysis tech.

Shell has signed an agreement to acquire Solenergi Power, an Actis company that owns 100% of Indian developer Sprng Energy. The transaction, valued at US$1.55 billion (AU$2.2 billion), is expected to close later this year.

Business magnate Elon Musk has avoided what would have been the largest judgment in US history on an individual executive.

Australian energy developer Maoneng has unveiled ambitious plans to build an almost 1GW solar PV farm and battery energy storage facility in regional New South Wales.

Switzerland’s Energy Vault will support Indian state-run power producer NTPC by deploying its gravity-based energy storage technology and software solutions.

Australian solar thermal specialist Vast Solar has announced plans to build a 20MW concentrated solar thermal power plant with more than eight hours of energy storage near Port Augusta in South Australia after securing financial backing from the federal government.

New figures reveal Australia’s clean energy transition can be transformative for the nation’s regional communities, not only providing low-cost renewable energy but also generating long-term employment opportunities.

Bearing witness during battery energy storage system manufacturing can reveal potential failure points and is crucial given the industry’s relative immaturity, argues Frédéric Dross, the vice-president of strategic development for quality assurance provider STS. And much can be learned from the early days of solar.