Oceania

A new report from Commonwealth Bank shows that 76% of Australian farmers would like to invest in solar with battery storage, and more than nine in ten farmers surveyed said they had some level of interest in energy efficiency investment.

As part of its state-wide microgrid funding promise, the Labor Government has allocated a total of $980,000 for the Ovida Community Energy Hub project, which will install shared solar PV and battery systems in three multi-tenanted buildings in Melbourne.

It is unclear whether Angus Taylor is a climate sceptic, but with new PM Scott Morrison having immediately separated the energy and environment ministries – and having in the past professed a curious affection for coal – life could be about to get a whole lot tougher for the Australian PV industry.

Contracts have been inked for the Chinese manufacturer to supply a combined 377.6 MWp of tracking systems for two Australian projects. To ensure its presence in the market, the company is setting up a subsidiary Down Under.

The trademark all-in-one product of the Austrian inverter specialist is now compatible with the LG Chem storage solutions.

In yet another bizarre demonstration of the muddled thinking of coalition parliamentarians and solar, climate skeptic and pro-coal LNP MP, George Christensen, will be launching a major off-grid renewable energy project – executed by local business Linked Group Services in Northern Queensland.

A combination of rooftop solar on campus buildings and a solar car-port will soon provide one-fifth of the electricity needed to power Flinders University.

In its 2018 Electricity Statement of Opportunities (ESOO), the Australian Energy Market Operator (AEMO) has warned of a heightened risk of power failure during summer peak-demand periods, based on refinements in weather forecasting and reduced reliability of ageing fossil fuel generators.  

Following the signing of an assistance agreement between the Queensland Government and international consortium Imperium 3, a $2 billion lithium-ion battery factory is one step closer to reality.

Delays in achieving the full commissioning of Australian PV power plants are beginning to seriously impact project EPCs. Diversified engineering and infrastructure company RCR Tomlinson has postponed its annual financial results, with speculation mounting that delays to the commissioning of a solar project has caused “a material negative impact” on its earnings.