SunPower to supply Australia’s largest solar farm
The 349 MWp Limondale Solar Park located near Balranald, New South Wales, will feature solar modules produced by U.S.-based PV maker SunPower.
Origin to advance Shoalhaven expansion to full feasibility study
Origin Energy has won federal government funding for a feasibility assessment on plans to double the capacity of its Shoalhaven pumped hydro scheme in New South Wales and thus allow for greater storage of renewable energy.
South Australia launches battery subsidy scheme
The South Australian government has inaugurated its landmark $100 million Home Battery Scheme, which will subsidize the cost of buying a home energy storage system for up to 40,000 South Australian households. A nine-week priority period has been given to locally made battery systems, with Germany’s sonnen as the first provider to enjoy this benefit.
First Solar’s big format brings big bookings
The PV maker’s quarterly results show not only the ramping of its Series 6 production at a third location, but also bookings that continuing to climb, with 11.3 GW of modules now under contract.
Australia’s first ultra-rapid charging station unveiled
The Victorian government has allocated another $2 million in funding for Australia’s renewables-powered electric vehicle ultrafast charging stations, as the first charging site was unveiled at Euroa.
Sodium-ion batteries get commercial rollout as li-ion alternative
Sydney Water’s Bondi sewage pumping station will soon be storing solar energy through the use of 30 kWh of sodium-ion batteries, a cheaper alternative to the traditional lithium-ion batteries.
COAG Energy Council: Emissions reduction obligation taken off energy policy agenda
While there has been no concrete result of the COAG Energy Council meeting on Friday, a clear message was sent that climate change will not be considered as part of the country’s energy policy. The energy ministers remain locked in stalemate until December, when decisions will be made on a reliability obligation and national default offer for power.
Coca-Cola goes solar in Australia
The bottler of the iconic beverage brand in Australia, Coca-Cola Amatil, is set to roll out 3.5 MW of rooftop solar across its operations in Queensland, New South Wales and Western Australia. The solar arrays are forecast to cut the company’s annual energy costs by up to $1.3 million.
Asian-Pacific market to see 355 GW of solar over five years, despite policy challenges
Despite political hurdles in key markets including China, India and Japan, Asia-Pacific remains highly active. This year, 59 GW of solar is expected to be installed and due to further system price declines, a phase-out of subsidy schemes can be offset.
Decentralized energy exchange opens for business
Melbourne-based energy tech startup GreenSync has officially launched the Decentralized Energy Exchange (deX), a digital marketplace for grid services provided by rooftop solar arrays, battery storage and EVs owned by Australian homes and businesses.
