News

The Australian Energy Market Commission (AEMC) has released a discussion paper toward a blueprint for the coordination of generation and transmission investment. The draft proposal seeks to overhaul wholesale pricing and transmission access toward lowering electricity costs and the ever-increasing risks inherent in getting new renewable energy generation into the network.

Solar infrastructure developer Lyon Group has strengthened its ties in the Asian markets through a significant joint-venture with two of Asia’s largest energy generators. The agreement will see integrated battery storage systems utilised to reduce the risk of curtailment and increase the flexibility of renewable energy plants.

Scientists at Singapore’s Agency for Science, Technology and Research have developed a new method to produce lithium-sulfur based cathodes which exhibit stable performance and high storage capacity over 200 cycles. According to the agency, this represents “a promising step towards the commercialization of lithium-sulfur batteries.”

A global supplier of electrical cabling for utility scale PV projects has warned that some Australian EPCs are not adopting international solar-industry norms on projects, potentially leading to “massive risk.” Swiss supplier Leoni reports that considering the vast scale of some solar projects in Australia that potential failures could be particularly costly.

A new partnership is seeking to build a world-first off-grid greenhouse which will use solar glass to maintain optimal temperature and regulate irrigation by condensation inside the facility.

ARENA’s round of funding for renewable-energy forecasting technologies, initiated in early 2018, is coming to fruition, with wide-ranging benefits for solar farm earnings and the stability of a low- to no-carbon NEM. 

With sun the common component of solar energy production and agriculture, a new company in northern NSW is set to combine the benefits of sowing PV and forage crops in the same soil.

Shared grid connections, complimentary resource availability, and more grid-friendly power are among the key advantages of pairing wind farms with solar arrays – and developers are quickly moving into the emerging space.

Following significant changes to the regulations, all participants in the upcoming Bridgestone World Solar Challenge will need to go an extra mile to reach one of only two recharging stops on their way from the Top End to Adelaide. Following final scrutineering to ensure the vehicles are built to the regulations, the UNSW Sunswift solar car team is feeling extra confident for the race in its upgraded four-seater VIolet.

Two years after scrapping a draft that threatened to effectively ban the installation of lithium-ion batteries in Australian homes and garages, a new standard for battery storage sector has been released. While billed as a necessary safety measure for consumers, the new standard may make business and installation more complex for the battery storage sector.