Oceania

With the challenges associated with solar waste becoming increasingly significant, the New South Wales government has released an issues paper seeking to identify new economic value in the renewable energy transition while also ensuring the rollout of clean energy technologies is as environmentally sustainable as possible.

Hanwha Qcells has launched the latest generation of its Q.MAXX solar panel series for the Australian residential market, stating the power class has been increased by up to 15 Wp compared to previous iterations.

Two of Australia’s richest people are expected to be rivals in the bidding process for Sun Cable, the developer of what would be the world’s biggest intercontinental solar and energy storage project, with administrators indicating the sale process could be completed within three months.

Australian energy giant AGL is advancing its exit from coal with Delta Group awarded the contract to demolish the Liddell Power Station as the site is prepared for transformation into a clean energy hub dominated by a 500 MW/2 GWh grid-connected battery energy storage system.

Indonesian PV developer SUN Energy’s 100 MW Merredin Solar Farm in Western Australia has topped international consultancy firm Rystad Energy’s list of Australia’s best performing large-scale solar assets for the second consecutive year.

South Australia has become the first jurisdiction in Australia to approve network connection of vehicle-to-grid technology in a residential setting, providing electric vehicle owners with the opportunity to send energy stored in their car’s on-board battery back into their own homes or the electricity grid.

If Australia is to decarbonise our energy system by 2050, we need to start the transition to electric vehicles very soon. Cars sold in the 2030s will mostly still be on the road in 2050, so we have to make sure most of them are electric. But electric cars (including plug-in hybrids) currently account for only 3.5% of new car sales in Australia.

With global demand for new energy storage soaring and nations and companies racing to secure battery metals supply chains, a series of major investments in Australia and Australian lithium mining companies is expected to accelerate the nation’s transformation into a critical minerals powerhouse.

Aspiring modular solar array manufacturer Green Energy Systems has unveiled a new Australian-made prefabricated modular PV solution for large-scale applications that it says offers significant cost reductions by eliminating all stainless-steel nuts, bolts and other traditional fitments in favour of a slide-together aluminium junction system.

In the last years, warranties on solar panels have ballooned up to 40 years, but far from inspiring trust, these documents can end up eroding it. Described as a “hand grenade,” some installers claim manufacturers’ unrealistic installation manuals and poor claiming processes leave them in the lurch when equipment breaks. “I think its the biggest threat to the longevity of my business,” Mark Cavanagh, owner of Queensland-based MC Electrical tells pv magazine Australia.