Storage provider Senec acquired by German utility, shipments to Australia begin
The latest arrival to the Australian battery storage market will now have the backing of a major German utility. German storage provider Senec has been acquired by EnBW, one of Germany’s ‘big three’ utilities.
47 MW solar farm proposed for Wagga Wagga
Prospective PV power plant developer Green Switch Australia has proposed a 47 MW solar farm for the outskirts of Wagga Wagga, New South Wales.
Powershop drops Vic rates 5% thanks to new hydro, wind, solar assets
Electricity retailer Powershop is dropping the rates for its Victorian customers by 5%, as it adds “a diverse set of renewable generation” to its portfolio. Powershop is the retail arms of New Zealand-based utility Meridian Energy.
Solar PV now employing 10,000 Australians
Australia’s large-scale and rooftop solar PV sectors now employ over 10,000 people. The findings were published today in Green Energy Market’s Renewable Energy Index for January 2018.
GTM: Australian tracker “exploded” in 2017, 1.4 GW deployed
The use of PV trackers in utility scale solar arrays in Australia broke all records in 2017, with the technology being deployed in more than 90% of plants under construction. GTM Research has revealed the findings to pv magazine Australia, drawn from its Global Solar PV Tracker Market Shares and Shipments 2018 report.
CEC steps up solar suspensions, delistings
As a part of its expanding quality and certification program, the Clean Energy Council has taken action to suspend or delist eight solar suppliers in the first two months of 2018. The action has applied to 156 PV module or inverter models, including Shenzhen Sofarsolar inverter 3000TL, which the CEC announced on Wednesday had failed testing.
Clean Energy Regulator sees healthy surplus of LGCs after final surrender
As the deployment of large scale renewable energy projects picked up the pace in 2017, the 2020 Renewable Energy Target of 33,000 GWh has been put within reach. The Clean Energy Regulator has reported “a healthy surplus” of renewable energy certificates in the Renewable Energy Target market.
Sun Metals, MSF Sugar join Townsville virtual power plant as foundation customers
Tasked with redirecting electricity generated in industry to households in north Queensland, Australia’s first large scale operating virtual power plant at work has welcomed big industrial players as customers.
South Australia Premier promises interest-free loans for solar+storage
In yet another renewable energy related election commitment, South Australia Premier Jay Weatherill has pledged to offer loans to 10,000 households to install rooftop solar and battery storage, which will be made available interest-free for the first seven years.
BNEF: Australia ties with Germany as fastest growing residential storage market
Australia is on the cusp of a residential battery storage boom. The Climate Council published the forecast last week in its Fully Charged: Renewables and Storage Powering Australia report. BNEF confirms with pv magazine Australia that as a result of the rapid growth, Australia is alongside Germany as the fastest growing market for residential battery storage.
