News

As the deployment of renewable energy continues to expand around the world, driven by various inputs, such as capital allocation and investment, falling capital costs, competitive LCOE and various policy mechanisms, we are now moving towards a new era for renewable energy. ‘Renewables 2.0’ will have significant, wide-ranging consequences for all market players, as regulators reduce their support and power producers seek new revenue models. In this article, Duncan Ritchie, partner at Apricum – The Cleantech Advisory, will look at the key market developments for renewables, explode the myth of grid parity, highlight the need for flexibility and explain the importance of new financing solutions that are capable of meeting the new complexities brought about by ‘Renewables 2.0’.

Germany’s innogy is all set to deliver its first utility-scale solar PV project in Australia. Preparation works and pre-pilling tests are currently underway, and main works are expected to commence this October.

What problems are being encountered and how to avoid them by learning from past mistakes? With booming installation rates across all segments of the Australian solar market, quality issues have been pushed into the forefront, and quality assurance has become instrumental in shaping further uptake.

While global coal mining companies are enjoying the highest prices in years on the back of strong Asian demand, banks and financiers are increasingly ending their support for coal power. London-based Standard Chartered the latest to stop financing new coal-fired stations.

The University of New South Wales has unveiled a 500 kWh Tesla Powerpack battery at its campus as part of a ten-year energy research trial in partnership with NSW’s electricity transmission network operator TransGrid.

The Chinese-Canadian module manufacturer says its P4-based BiHiKu panel, for large commercial and utility-scale solar projects, is able to provide up to 30 per cent additional output from the rear side.

Researchers at Western Australia’s Curtin University have developed a low-cost and environmentally friendly method to capture solar power and produce clean fuels such as hydrogen.

The Dunsborough Community Energy Project is announced as Australia’s first privately funded virtual power plant.

With its license to sell electricity in Victoria still at risk after failing to provide performance data to the state energy regulator, AGL Energy has been hit with a record penalty for breaching its obligations under Victoria’s energy efficiency scheme.

Four years ago a viral campaign wooed the world with a promise of fighting climate change and jump-starting the economy by replacing tarmac on the world’s roads with solar panels. The bold idea has undergone some road testing since then. The first results from preliminary studies have recently come out, and they’re a bit underwhelming.