New South Wales

The Beryl Solar Farm, under development in New South Wales, has been purchased by PV asset fund New Energy Solar. 87 MW Beryl is the second Australian First Solar project to be purchased by New, with its 15-year PPA in place attractive to the asset owner.

Installer Natural Solar is equipping 12 homes in Sydney with rooftop PV and sonnen batteries, and will utilize blockchain technology to facilitate P2P trading of electricity between households. The mini virtual power plant (VPP) project will allow the homes to reduce their electricity demand from the grid by 90%.

The City of Sydney has installed the first large scale battery storage system to be located within the Sydney metropolitan are. Transgrid and the City collaborated on the project, which sees 500 kWh of batteries coupled with around 450 kWp of rooftop PV.

The 87 MW Beryl Solar Farm is set to become one of the first in the world to deploy First Solar’s Series 6 modules. The U.S. module manufacturer is the project developer, with Downer selected to commence construction in July.

Scientists from the University of Wollongong have developed prototype battery cells based on sodium-ion technology, which the university says can achieve excellent cycling stability and easily be scaled up to mass production.

UK-Dutch renewables developer Infinergy has sold the Metz Solar Farm, currently under development. While developer Infinergy Pacifc, a subsidiary of UK-based Infinergy, has not disclosed the buyer, the project’s website now lists it as a Clenergy project.

Commercial and industrial (C&I) PV and energy efficiency provider Verdia says that its deal to supply Stockland shopping centres with rooftop PV is just the beginning of a major wave of new installations in the fast-growing market segment. Verdia reports it is working on 130 MW of projects across 350 sites.

The Newcastle City Council will construct a 5 MW PV array at its Summerhill Waste Management Centre. The $8 million PV system is part of an attempt by the council to reduce its $4 million annual electricity bills, after they doubled over the past two years.

Prospective PV power plant developer Green Switch Australia has proposed a 47 MW solar farm for the outskirts of Wagga Wagga, New South Wales.

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.