SA batteries paid to charge as solar sends electricity prices negative
Batteries in South Australia have been paid to charge throughout September and October 2021 due to a record number of negative price intervals. Wholesale electricity prices were negative almost 40% of the time.
Partnership formed for molten salt long duration energy storage
Malta announced a partnership with Betchel to deploy electro-thermal energy storage systems that are capable of durations of 10-150+ hours.
Record solar numbers expected this year but IEA highlights pricing concern
The Paris-based body expects the world will have installed almost 160 GW of solar this year, a record number, but still not enough to keep the prospect of a net zero global economy by mid century in sight.
Sunday read: New consensus in cybersecurity
As power systems integrate more digital and inverter-based devices, the guidelines and technical standards for these resources are evolving, and none as quickly and urgently as cybersecurity standards. New approaches to cyber defence are now needed to protect more interconnected systems with diverse owners, manufacturers, and system architectures. However, current cybersecurity standards for energy devices are still patchy. Upcoming efforts are aimed at changing that, reports NREL’s Connor O’Neil.
Saturday read: Getting smart about solar
As solar PV increases its share in the world’s energy mix, it is becoming increasingly clear how valuable the data gathered from renewable energy generators is in informing important decisions about operation, maintenance and grid integration. Yazeed Al Mousa examines the latest applications for artificial intelligence in PV project development and operation.
Renewables to rise as Labor targets 43% emissions reduction
Federal Labor plans to increase the share of cheap renewable energy in the National Electricity Market to 82% by 2030 as part of its pledge to cut greenhouse gas emissions by 43% by the end of the decade if it wins power at the next election.
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.
