Commercial returns on VPPs ‘proven’ as expanded program adds more sophisticated features
Simply Energy on Thursday announced it will be extending its Virtual Power Plant program across the eastern seaboard and opening it up to five different battery brands. Simply Energy will continue its technology partnership with SwitchDin to do so, with Ryan Wavish, Simply’s General Manager, and Andrew Mears, CEO and founder of SwitchDin, telling pv magazine Australia they plan to introduce a whole range of new, more advanced features into the VPP as the relationship between the two companies evolves.
Australian solar module manufacturer commits to recycling strategy
Reclaim PV has added another partner to its national solar panel recycling and recovery program with South Australian-based manufacturer Tindo Solar committing to a program that will see close to 100% of the solar PV panels that it handles recycled and re-used in the industry.
‘World’s biggest TOPCon solar plant’ begins generating
Solar manufacturer Jolywood, which supplied almost 500 MW of its bifacial tunnel oxide passivated contact panels for Oman’s Ibri II facility, has claimed the power plant is the biggest to date to deploy the high-efficiency technology.
NERA gives gegional hydrogen ‘clusters’ green light
Hydrogen industry developers in Western Australia and Queensland are set to benefit from a federal government-funded initiative with three new regional hydrogen technology clusters identified to further support the growth of Australia’s green hydrogen industry.
$2.4 billion battery minerals complex granted major project status
The way has been smoothed for Australian mining company Sunrise Energy Metals to take advantage of the booming lithium-ion battery industry with the federal government awarding Major Project Status to a $2.4 billion nickel and cobalt mine being developed in New South Wales.
Charges unchanged as AEMC reveals final rule for batteries
The Australian Energy Market Commission has opted not to move “the goal posts on network charges” for energy storage projects, including large-scale batteries and pumped hydro, rejecting a request from the Australian Electricity Market Operator to exempt operators from being charged when drawing power.
Ensuring quality in Australia’s prospering utility-scale segment
Quality assurance and testing of solar farms is vital worldwide, but particularly in Australia where projects tend to be bigger and the climate more severe. Hugo Silva, Global Sales Manager at Enertis Applus+, takes a look at the different stages of testing and why they are an investment that will yield returns.
Acciona signs up to supply solar for 3 GW green hydrogen project
Queensland government-owned generator Stanwell Energy and Spanish renewable energy company Acciona Energia have signed a Memorandum of Understanding which could see energy generated at the proposed 600 MWp Aldoga Solar Farm power a 3 GW green hydrogen project being developed near Gladstone on the central Queensland coast.
Engie begins construction of 150 MW big battery at Hazelwood site
The transformation of the former Hazelwood coal-fired power station in Victoria has commenced with French renewables giant Engie announcing work has begun on a 150 MW/150 MWh battery energy storage system which is being constructed at the site.
Jinko reduced module prices in the third quarter
The Chinese manufacturer appears to have shouldered higher input costs in return for carving out a larger slice of the world’s biggest solar market – although it’s not clear from the company’s third-quarter update that CEO Xiande Li received the memo.
