New South Wales

Plans to create hydrogen by burning wood have swollen in New South Wales’ Hunter Valley, after sawmill offshoot, Sweetman Renewables, yesterday announced a $15 million deal with Singapore’s CAC-H₂ to construct the country’s largest wood-fed hydrogen production plant.

For a small infrastructure investment in rooftop solar systems, state governments can make a material difference to the lives of social housing tenants, and further their net-zero ambitions. Western Australia reports another win-win.

Renewable energy developer MPower is progressing plans to establish a portfolio of up to 20 small-scale solar PV farms in Australia, confirming binding purchase agreements have been signed for two 5 MW project sites.

Wollongong council’s administration building is now being powered, at least partially, through a 200 kWp+ solar carpark.

Genex Power’s latest annual report makes inspiring reading, with its plans for repurposing of the Kidston Gold Mine into a renewable energy hub progressing through stages. Its Jemalong solar farm is also delivering to plan — what then of the write down?

AUSTRALIA’S largest planned Renewable Energy Zone has been ‘swamped’ by investors with the New South Wales government revealing that more than 80 new solar, wind and energy storage projects, totalling a massive 34 GW, had been proposed for the New England region.

Two hydrogen platforms have launched in Australia to connect hydrogen producers with consumers, ultimately trying to catalyse projects and the industry more broadly. The first, NERA’s HyCapability, maps hydrogen capability across Australia, while the other focuses on New South Wales and the developments of its hydrogen hubs.

The comparison of two solar cladded roofs in Sydney, one bare beneath its panels and the other adorned with native grasses and plants, has found the panels on the green roof were, on average, 3.63% more efficient, producing an average daily output 13% greater than the conventional roof. The improvements are believed to stem from the lower temperatures on the green roof, thanks to its plants – which also provided a plethora of additional benefits.

Australia’s Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organization plans to use its Newcastle Energy Centre – home to the largest high-concentration solar array in the Southern Hemisphere – as a demonstration site for its newly announced net-zero emissions targets.

The operators of Australia’s largest solar farm have turned to a software-based bidding solution as they seek to optimise dispatch and manage the facility’s market trading and power purchase commitments amid increasingly market volatility.