Australian Capital Territory

Australian National University researchers will put their heads together with Queensland tech company CQSola to find ways to accelerate commercialisation of a direct solar-to-hydrogen system as part of a newly funded project.

The federal government’s plan to deploy 400 community batteries across the nation to soak up excess solar generated on neighbourhood rooftops has reached the Australian Capital Territory with sites for three new battery energy storage systems unveiled.

Australian electric vehicles could earn up to $12,000 in a single year using vehicle-to-grid technology to provide frequency regulation services to the National Electricity Market according to a report published by the Australian Renewable Energy Agency.

The severe heatwave that moved across Australia in recent weeks, initially in Western Australia, Queensland and then New South Wales, highlights that it is only going to get tougher to maintain a secure, reliable electricity system as our climate warms and demand for energy continues to increase.

Neoen’s Capital battery project in Canberra is facing significant delays due to connection compliance testing, with the company flagging potential for it to pursue damages from EPC contractor Doosan GridTech. The completed battery was expected to be operational in early 2023.

The Australian Energy Market Commission (AEMC) has proposed increasing price caps on the country’s main electricity market. This is meant to allow investors to respond to fill gaps created by ageing coal generation.

Data shows a sharp increase in the number of fires caused by the DC isolators that separate the grid from solar panels. ABC News gathered state-by-state data revealing a dramatic increase in fire incidents in the last 12 months. 

The ACT government has awarded over a million dollars to support the commercialisation of technologies from six upcoming renewable companies. Round three of the territory’s $12 million innovation fund includes support for a startup which has developed a 3D printer capable of printing electronics.

Venture capital fund Macquarie Group’s new battery storage platform Eku Energy has been tapped by the Australian Capital Territory government to deliver the next stage of the Big Canberra Battery ‘ecosystem’ which will support the ongoing rollout of large-scale renewables and rooftop solar.

A research team at the Australian National University have claimed an efficiency of 30.3% for a tandem solar cell made by mechanically stacking a perovskite cell and a silicon cell. The achievement meets the first of three 2030 “stretch goals” set by the Australian government.