New South Wales

The $164 million Bomen Solar Farm near Wagga Wagga has been approved by the New South Wales Department of Planning and Environment. Construction is scheduled to begin shortly.

In addition to securing debt financing from a consortium of banks, the Australian-Chinese renewables developer has entered into a long-term equity partnership with global infrastructure investor John Laing for the investment and development of the Sunraysia Solar Farm. John Laing confirmed it will invest $108.6 million in the project, taking a 90.1% stake.

With the latest Green Energy Markets’ figures revealing that Victoria’s large scale renewables boom is creating 6000 jobs, pressure in mounting on New South Wales to support solar and wind. With a state election looming, the state government may move.

NSW’s Charles Sturt University has begun its next major solar power installation project, which will see over 2.5 MW of rooftop solar deployed across its campuses. The installation adds to its existing landmark 1.77 MW array.

Germany’s innogy is all set to deliver its first utility-scale solar PV project in Australia. Preparation works and pre-pilling tests are currently underway, and main works are expected to commence this October.

The University of New South Wales has unveiled a 500 kWh Tesla Powerpack battery at its campus as part of a ten-year energy research trial in partnership with NSW’s electricity transmission network operator TransGrid.

Federal Labor leader Bill Shorten has chosen a visit to UNSW’s solar research facility to push for “fair dinkum” negotiations between the Federal Government and the states over the NEG tomorrow. Labor may look to secure a higher NEG emissions reduction target in the Senate, after passing the lower house.

Researchers at UNSW have surpassed 10% efficiency for a cell based on copper zinc tin sulfide – sulfide kesterite. It is the fourth time in two years the group has set a new record for the efficiency of cells based on such materials.

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%.