Oceania

Embarrassing Australia on the world stage is one of Prime Minister Scott Morrison’s favourite marketing ploys. But while the federal government continues to fail its constituents, particularly those in rural communities, those rural communities themselves are taking the energy transition into their own hands, along with the ownership of their own solar generation.

It all started with Sun Metals 124 MWac solar farm. Once at risk of having its exports curtailed to zero, its owners have now been funded by three Australian government agencies to seed demand for North Queensland’s green hydrogen.

EleXsys Energy’s technology enables the controlled flow of excess energy from distributed rooftop-solar generators — think large C&I organisations and microgrid-united regional townships— to help stabilise global grids as they increasingly transition to renewables. The world could feel the positives of mass transition to solar within five years.

Across Australia businesses understand the many pluses of running on renewable energy. The Sustainable Australia Fund helps them achieve multiple business ambitions by offering flexible finance for solar, battery storage and energy efficiency measures.

The first week of the United Nations climate talks in Glasgow are drawing to a close. While there’s still a way to go, progress so far gives some hope the Paris climate agreement struck six years ago is working.

The Australian Government has set a goal of producing solar electricity for a third of today’s costs, declaring that “ultra low-cost solar” will be critical to achieving its long-term emissions reduction plan.

Australian energy storage company Redback Technologies has unveiled an expanded product range, adding a series of grid-tied solar inverters and new beefed-up battery products to its existing line of modular battery energy storage systems for residential and commercial customers.

Yes, Australia is blessed with an incredible solar resource, but it will be diminished and returns localised by global warming.

Dutch renewables company Photon Energy has announced it will build “the world’s largest” solar-plus-storage project to date, teaming with Australian technology provider and project developer RayGen Resources to develop a facility that will deliver 300 MW of solar generation and 3.6 GWh of energy storage.

South Australia’s plan to establish a world-leading green hydrogen industry has received a major boost with the state government confirming it has received “tens of billions” of dollars of proposed investments from both Australian and international “heavy-hitters” as it looks to transform land at Port Bonython into a multi-user export-focused precinct.