Oceania

New Zealand’s transition to renewable energy has received a boost with German investment manager Aquila Capital teaming with renewable energy asset developer Far North Solar Farm to announce they will commence construction on a 1GW portfolio of large-scale solar PV projects.

The software, called HOMER Front, is designed for standalone or hybrid solar or wind-plus-storage applications, aimed at maximising revenue streams.

The largest product of the series is a solar module with an efficiency of up to 22.5% and a power output of up to 700 W. For all the panels of the series, the temperature coefficient is -0.26% per degree Celsius and the manufacturer offers a 12-year product guarantee and a 30-year power output guarantee.

Origin Energy has secured planning approval for a 700MW/2,800MWh grid-connected battery to be developed at the site of its coal-fired Eraring power station in the New South Wales Hunter Valley.

With global demand for both large scale and distributed battery energy storage on the rise, Australian battery manufacturer Energy Renaissance has reaffirmed its commitment to produce a lithium-ion storage solution using Australian suppliers and components.

The University of New South Wales and the University of Newcastle will join forces to develop and commercialise “world-leading” technology in solar, renewable hydrogen, storage and green metals after securing $50 million in Federal Government funding through the Trailblazer program.

The Australian clean energy arm of the world’s largest zinc, lead, and silver producer has completed its acquisition of utility scale wind and solar energy developer Epuron Holdings after the sale agreement received regulatory approvals earlier this week.

The southern tip of Western Australia will soon be the focus of an ocean energy project which is hoping to match end-users to ocean energy solutions and eventually build a “physical marketplace using an integrated microgrid approach” – though exactly what this involves remains somewhat vague.

As part of the Smart Energy Conference held in Sydney last week, the Smart Energy Council’s Scott Hamilton ran a session on Australia’s hypothetical energy landscape in 2030. This is how panelists Simon Holmes á Court, Jane Caro, Richard Denniss, Karrina Nolan and Professor Iain MacGill think we’ll be living at the decade’s close.

From today, Western Australians will be able to claim a $3,500 rebate to buy a new electric or hydrogen fuel cell vehicle. The announcement comes as part of the state government’s $60 million Clean Energy Car Fund.