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While long commissioning delays and approval processes continue to hamper Australia’s utility scale market segment, smaller projects are surging ahead. And given the shift in the market, argues Fimer Australia’s Aaron Zadeh, inverter selection requires a rethink.

The Western Australian Government has invited Expressions of Interest from around the world into its potentially 1.5 GW wind and solar hydrogen hub at Okajee Strategic Industrial Area. WA’s Mid-West region has some of the world’s best solar and wind resources which could feed the development of WA’s green hydrogen economy.

As one of the most rapidly growing inverter manufacturers, Ginlong Solis went public and became listed on the Shenzhen Stock Exchange (SZSE) early last year. With the support from the capital market, Ginlong Solis continued its rapid growth. According to Wood Mackenzie, the company ranked among the top ten inverter manufacturers in terms of global product shipments in 2019. How has Ginlong Solis developed its market strategy? What new products and solutions is Ginlong Solis showcasing at SNEC 2020 in Shanghai? And how is the company dealing with the impact from the COVID-19 pandemic? These issues are addressed in the following interview with Wang Yiming, the founder and CEO of Ginlong Solis.

German tech company Tube Solar AG has secured €10.8 million to develop its cylindrical agrivoltaic modules. The lightweight devices could also be used on roofs until now considered unsuitable for PV.

Increasing transformer reliability and performance has the potential to better control voltages in the grid, and enable greater connection of renewables. With its first major launch since Hitachi finalised its US$11 billion acquisition of ABB Power Grids in July, the company shows how digitalisation of transformers can help smooth the energy transition.

Solar panels are growing to produce higher output, racking needs to evolve in tandem. Industry participants have contributed to a new Australian-manufactured rail that is engineered to ensure safety, longevity and the needs of installers working on residential and commercial rooftop projects.

“We’ve put together the best components to make a unique Australian-designed solution that is compliant to the new battery standards,” says EVO Power’s Jamie Allen. Off grid or upmarket, just add solar.

There’s nothing new under the sun, and this is ever so in PV. So it should come as no surprise that the hottest new cell technology has actually been in mass production for decades. But is now the time for heterojunction to move into the mainstream? There are serious challenges to overcome if so, but momentum is undoubtedly building.

The Australian Government has finally announced new long term funding and an expanded remit for the Australian Renewable Energy Agency (ARENA) beyond 2022. The funding package, which looks more like a cut than anything else, pushes investment away from solar and wind and toward fossil fuel enabling technologies like carbon capture and storage. 

With new solar coming online or joining the queue at the back of the grid bottleneck, WePower’s Marketplace acts as a connective tissue between renewable energy generators and the coal intensive steel manufacturing industry. WePower then, is helping to build Australia’s green steel industry of the future. WePower’s Harley Tempest sat down with pv magazine to discuss.