Australia

A new report from IDTechEx shows Australian cities to be on the money and with the citizen-care zeitgeist in transitioning city bus fleets to electric. Despite a slow start to quiet, zero tail-pipe emissions public transport, Australian bus manufacturers are set to take advantage of chassis and battery tech developed in China.

The best laid plans can go awry, as a recent well-intended amendment to laws governing small-scale solar installations in NSW demonstrated. Action by the NSW Department of Planning Industry and Environment, spurred by a determined solar entrepreneur, have saved developers of ground-mounted solar a stack of time and money.

The Western Australia government has installed the state’s sixth grid-connected community PowerBank battery, taking the total number of shared battery storage systems on the Western Power network to 13.

French renewables developer Neoen has announced that final testing of the expanded 150 MW Hornsdale Power Reserve has kicked off. If the tests run smoothly, the extra power will be available to the market within weeks.

Representing virtually every major energy company in the country, the Australian Energy Council has called on the Coalition to set a target of net zero emissions by 2050. The call follows Opposition Leader Anthony Albanese capitating extension of an olive branch in his speech to the National Press Club this week.

Canberra’s first community solar farm, the Majura Valley Community Solar Farm, is a step closer to reality after Epho signed on to design and construct the farm. The solar farm is the development project of SolarShare, a group of local community investors.

The developer of Australia’s first utility-scale industrial solar project will now build North Queensland’s first renewable hydrogen facility at its zinc processing plant with the help of a $5 million Queensland government grant.

A massive solar+storage project nearby Uralla in the New England region of New South Wales has locked in a grid connection agreement with Transgrid.

The Northern Territory’s rollout of solar panel installation at 25 schools is picking up speed, and Victoria is looking to follow suit after announcing the application period open for its Greener Government School Buildings program following the success of a pilot program.

Redflow Batteries’ latest partner is Northern Territory veteran power-related products company Delta Electrics. Andrew Boller, General Manager of Delta Electrics, believes Redflow’s zinc-bromine batteries are ideally suited to the hot, demanding conditions of the Top End.