Oceania

“Australians should be able to choose the type of car they drive,” said the Federal Minister for Energy and Emissions Reduction, Angus Taylor on Friday when he released a national plan to reduce carbon emissions from Australia’s road transport sector — a plan without a target, without incentives, and with relatively meagre investment in bringing about essential change.

Renewable-hydrogen research at Swinburne University of Technology and CSIRO gets a boost from the Victorian Higher Education State Investment Fund, as the state drives toward a net-zero-emissions future.

Some 2,400 South Australians will soon be fogging up the bathroom mirror without qualms about the cost of heating water, as Solahart implements a trial that controls hot water systems to put in their main effort when the sun is high.

Sydney-based developer Genex Power has secured a $147 million funding package from the Queensland Government to finance a new transmission network link which will connect the proposed 250 MW Kidston pumped hydro storage project in northern Queensland with the main grid.

The rise and rise of rooftop solar PV has established Australia as a renewable energy powerhouse with new figures from the Clean Energy Regulator (CER) revealing the nation achieved a record in renewable capacity in 2020.

The rush to deliver energy storage solutions to support Australia’s electricity grid continues apace with Meridian Energy Australia receiving approval to install a 20 MW battery energy storage system (BESS) alongside the Hume Hydroelectric Power Station in regional New South Wales.

Chinese solar inverter giant Sungrow has taken the first step towards increasing its Australian market share in 2021 with the launch of its second generation three-phase residential inverters.

CEP.Energy has joined the race that stores the nation, the race, that is, for big battery supremacy. Joining giants like AGL, Origin Energy and Neoen, CEP.Energy has announced plans for a 1.2 GW megabattery in the Hunter region of New South Wales. The battery is one of four in a 2 GW battery storage portfolio planned throughout Australia.

Wood Mackenzie has called on policymakers to revise the Renewable Energy Target with more ambitious goals and, concordantly, large-scale investment in grid flexibility to ensure new renewables can join the grid. If we don’t act in this pivotal moment, WoodMac believes we will be left holding stranded assets.

Australia’s largest energy retailer, AGL Energy, has revealed a stunning $2.69 billion write-down to its asset value with plunging power prices taking a toll on its renewable energy operations.