News

Okra Solar, the Aussie startup we last saw delivering solar mini-grids to remote communities via a shared ping-pong table, is emerging from Covid-19 lockdown with new investors and two new pieces of tech that will better enable solar energy access to the 900 million people around the world still lacking power.

An additional $2.9 million from the Australian Government’s Outer Islands Renewable Energy Project (OIREP) is making its way across the sea to the kingdom of Tonga in the form of solar power plants and energy storage. The project is helping Tonga to achieve its target of generating 50% of its electricity from renewable sources by 2020 and 70% by 2030. 

The International Energy Agency has acknowledged dramatic falls in energy investment caused by the Covid-19 crisis but said renewables, including PV, offered an attractive proposition to investors as the dust settled, given their enticing economics and short turnaround times.

A new 100 MWp solar power plant supplied with Kyocera solar modules has begun operation in Japan’s Kagoshima Prefecture. Operated by the Kyocera-backed Kanoya Osaki Solar Hills LLC joint venture, the plant is one of the largest PV facilities on the island of Kyushu. Venture partner Tokyo Century arranged financing for the project with 17 regional banks.

Accurate self-forecasting of yield from renewable energy generators is set to help AEMO manage incoming resources. PVMaster, brings a unique experience to the field of foreseeing the next five minutes in solar production.

No emissions, low-cost regional flights with just eight other sanitised folk and a disinfected pilot… Yes, Covid-19 is warping our view of the future, but the successful electrically powered maiden flight last week of a Cessna Caravan aircraft, offers the potential for new models of travel supporting wider distribution of commerce in Australia.

New research by digital services company, Accenture, finds global energy-utility executives feeling underprepared for the increasing frequency of extreme weather events caused by climate change. It’s time to expand the definition of reliability.

Australia’s latest greenhouse gas figures released on Friday show national emissions fell slightly last year. This was by no means an economy-wide effort – solar and wind energy did most of the heavy lifting.

Sunday will herald the largest PV procurement exercise ever held in Malaysia. Half the available capacity will be directed to 10-30 MW facilities with the balance reserved for plants with capacities of up to 50 MW.

The two solar plants with a combined capacity of 14 MWp will represent the first Australian utility-scale PV projects in Photon Energy’s independent power producer (IPP) portfolio.