EU wants rooftop PV mandate for public, commercial buildings by 2027, residential by 2029
The president of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, has announced a mandate for rooftop solar on commercial and public buildings by 2027, and for residential buildings by 2029. The EU target for renewable energy has been increased from 40% to 45%.
Weekend read: Making tandem cells stack up
Perovskite tandem technology is shaping as the route to PV cell efficiencies well beyond 27%. But building the tandem stack in a way that can be scaled into gigawatt production is not a trivial challenge, says Sebastian Gatz, VP photovoltaics for German equipment supplier Von Ardenne.
Virtual power plant technology on trial in NSW schools
The New South Wales government has announced plans to use part of an estimated eight million square metres of public school roof space to install rooftop solar PV as it seeks to test the most effective ways to generate, store and export renewable energy into the state’s electricity grid.
Cannon-Brooks cements stance ahead of AGL demerger vote
Australian energy major AGL’s plan to split the company in two are in jeopardy with software billionaire and climate activist Mike Cannon-Brookes’ Grok Ventures cementing a more than 11% stake in the power producer in a bid to stop the demerger.
Consumer watchdog sounds warning for LG-branded home batteries
The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission has issued a call for homeowners to urgently check their residential energy storage systems amid a national recall of some LG-branded batteries which may overheat and ignite.
Updated standard means change for rooftop solar installers
Australia’s rooftop solar industry has undergone a significant change with a new national standard that removes the requirement for rooftop PV installations to include a DC isolator now in effect.
$150 million loan scheme delivers 20MW rooftop solar rollout
A $150 million loan scheme introduced by the Australian Capital Territory government has sparked an uptake of rooftop solar in Canberra with more than 20MW of new solar PV rolled out across roofs in the nation’s capital.
Cost comparison between lithium batteries, fuel cells, reversible solid oxide cells as storage for off-grid rooftop PV
Scientists in the United Arab Emirates have looked at how off-grid rooftop PV could be combined with batteries, fuel cells or reversible solid oxide cells for energy storage. The modelling assumed a typical commercial building in Los Angeles.
Amazon invests in novel solar cell production facility
Ambient Photonics will build a fully automated manufacturing facility to produce solar cells for powering consumer electronics.
Legislation increases certainty for $30 billion Sun Cable megaproject
The Northern Territory government has doubled down on its support for the world’s biggest solar PV and storage project with parliament passing legislation that will facilitate the $30 billion-plus Sun Cable Australia-Asia PowerLink project which is expected to transform the region into a green industrial hub and establish a new energy export industry for Australia.
