Australia

Risen Australia and distributer One Stop Warehouse signed an expanded 150 MW distribution agreement last week, marking the Chinese module maker’s attempt to further expand its share of the rooftop market segment. With Risen’s new heterojunction (HJT) module, the 415-435 W Sieger, moving into mass production, One Stop Warehouse’s Leo Ye says that the “new, fresh” technology will be a welcome addition to the Australian rooftop market segment.

Energy storage is in high demand, to help manage a growing proportion of renewable energy in global electricity grids, to free off-grid communities from the tyranny of diesel, and to enable the aspirations of people not yet connected to a power supply. These two promising technologies have reached important milestones…

The Commonwealth Government has OK’d the first phase of 600-1000 MW worth of developments that will feed into Tasmania’s 200% renewables by 2040 target; as well as the Marinus Link project; and the state’s ambitions to attract high-energy industries to its shores.

In its annual State of the Energy Market report, the Australian Energy Market Regulator has suggested that solar households should be asked to pay a network fee to be allowed to export energy to the grid.

As the global renewables transition accelerates, the future for coal regions has become a big worry. This raises an important question: can renewables create the right jobs in the right places to employ former coal workers?

Every crisis is a crossroads, and Australia is certainly at a crossroads. This week, a host of climate, development and investment leaders are backing Beyond Zero Emission’s green scaffolded Million Jobs Plan of Covid-19 economic recovery.

The Australian Energy Market Operator (AEMO) has announced a major step forward in the West Murray Zone after it granted registration to one of the biggest solar farm in that troubled part of the grid.

The Swedish furniture giant has said it will turn one of its Australian superstores into its first 100% renewables-powered solar+storage retail project. Australia is also home to the company’s first expansion of its retail solar offering, Solstråle.

Adelaide-based renewable and microgrid energy solutions firm AZZO is taking advantage of its strong Australian root system to expand into the U.S. market. 

Despite unprecedented economy-wide impacts brought on by the Covid-19 pandemic, SA Water’s planned $300 million solar and energy splash in 2020 has managed to stay on track. Not only do the utility’s ambitions for a zero energy cost future remain within reach, but the utility is already planning more solar.