Australia

Australia has cemented its place at the vanguard of the solar energy industry with a new International Energy Agency (IEA) report confirming the nation has the highest installed solar PV capacity per capita in the world.

The Central West Orana Renewable Energy Zone (REZ) Transmission Project has been declared a ‘Critical State Significant Infrastructure’ project, with the New South Wales Government granting it priority status throughout the approvals process.

Construction is set to commence on one of the largest behind-the-meter solar power installations in Australia with Beon Energy Solutions to begin work next month on a 19 MW solar farm at Melbourne Water’s Eastern Treatment Plant (ETP).

It’s 2020, and there has been a shift in the balance of power. Not in the Senate, but between the federal government and the states. All last summer during the bushfires – while the Prime Minister was infamously not holding a hose – it was the premiers and chief ministers who were right beside emergency services leaders, working to keep people safe and informed.

Australian scientists have demonstrated two loss-mitigation techniques that could improve solar‐to‐hydrogen (STH) conversion efficiencies and may lay the ground for cheaper PV-powered hydrogen generation. By combining the two techniques, they were able to achieve an STH efficiency of around 19.4% at realistic operating temperatures.

The farming community of Scaddan, 50km off Western Australia’s southern coast, has kicked off the state’s Solar Schools Program with the first of 30 planned systems installed.

South Australia could generate five times more renewable energy than the state currently demands by 2050, positioning itself as a national and even international exporter of clean energy. The SA government today released its climate Action Plan, adding to the chorus of state announcements.

How Australia deals with its solar grid integration, for industry veteran Wilf Johnston, 2021’s most consequential issue. Revamping the way the industry proposes battery storage to Aussie customers and safety are also key areas to watch, he says.

Vena Australia has reached financial close on its 100 MW and 150 MWh Wandoan South Big Battery thanks to ING Australia. The international bank is increasingly financing green energy projects but this is the first standalone battery project it has financed in the Asia Pacific. Vena Energy Australia says this phase is just the beginning of a project that is to feature 650 MW of solar PV and 450 MW of battery storage.

New electricity linkages will be created between Tasmania and the mainland after the state became the latest to have its renewables projects fast tracked and given funding by the federal government.