News

Queensland company Green Day Energy has begun trialling its proposition to convert the invasive weeds species, prickly acacia, to biomass for the purpose of generating electricity, biochar and hydrogen.

Tesla has increased the price of its Powerwall solar battery system by almost a grand, taking the total – before installation – to $13,700.

Queensland-based company Line Hydrogen is launching its inaugural $100 million green hydrogen project in the growing hub of Bell Bay in Tasmania’s north. With a solar offtake agreement in place, the startup is aiming to be in production within a year.

Australia is vying to become a major green hydrogen export industry, particularly in the Asia Pacific, but new research from the Australian National University suggests the opportunity may be overstated.

The Berlin Energy Transition Dialogue 2022 event has shown the centrality of renewables and green hydrogen in the world’s future energy landscape. pv magazine spoke with the General Director of the International Renewable Energy Agency, Francesco La Camera, about the difficulties of creating a hydrogen economy in the absence of demand. According to him, public support and policies will be crucial to overcoming this challenge.

French chemical company Axcentive and solar module manufacturer Photowatt have developed a PV panel coating based on photoactive nanotechnology. The coating relies on a super-hydrophilic surface that makes the water spread out on the module surface immediately, thus avoiding light scattering effects upon rain.

Last year was a disappointing period for China’s PV industry, as high module prices restrained domestic demand and the ongoing pandemic continued to cause upheaval. This year looks more promising, even though the pieces of China’s PV puzzle have yet to fall into place. But sorting through them allows for a better understanding of the world’s largest PV market, reports Vincent Shaw, pv magazine’s China correspondent.

Tuesday night’s federal budget confirmed the Morrison government will spend $50.3 million on gas projects in the Northern Territory, South Australia and the east coast.

Global renewables contracting giant Sterling and Wilson Solar has warned Australia’s large-scale solar PV industry faces a significant workforce shortage as the nation shifts away from fossil fuels towards renewable power.

Australia’s march towards a renewable energy future has reached another milestone with AGL Energy announcing the closure of the first of four turbines at the 1,680MW coal-fired Liddell Power Station, signalling the beginning of the end for the ageing plant.