Oceania

Chinese PV module maker Risen Energy has begun construction on the 121 MW Yarranlea project in Queensland. The company intends to have complete control of the project, from module supply, through to EPC, ownership and operation.

Germany-based PV-storage provider sonnen has closed a new funding round from a group of investors led by Shell Ventures. Sonnen has already began to draw on the funds as it continues to expand market shares in the U.S. and in Australia. Shell Ventures is now a major sonnen investor and future cooperation agreement has been agreed to.

Continuing demand and a good first year means that the CEFC and RateSetter have agreed an extension to the green loans agreement, with over 150 new installations every month.

The booming large scale and rooftop PV market in 2018 is providing many reasons to be optimistic about the future of solar under the Australian sun. In reflecting on his six-year tenure as CEO at ARENA, ahead of his departure in August, Ivor Frischknecht points to the role the agency has placed in bringing down the costs of large scale solar in Australia as ARENA’s greatest achievement.

Sungrow is best known for its PV inverter range – which covers the residential, C&I and power plant market segments. The Chinese inverter maker has hopes to see it gain increased traction in Australia by broadening its product portfolio in the country.

Community solar arrays or ‘solar gardens’ for people who can’t install a residential rooftop PV system could become a reality in Australia, with ARENA pouring in funds to fertilize the concept.

Korean battery manufacturer Kokam has stepped forward as the supplier of the 30 MW/11.4 MWh electricity energy storage system installed at Alinta Energy’s Newman Power Station in North West WA. The producer says its Lithium Nickel Manganese Cobalt (NMC) Oxide delivers advantages in high power utility and industrial applications.

With small scale solar being installed throughout most states at record clip, the Clean Energy Regulator has developed a tracker to provide a more indicative view of the path the small-scale segment is taking.

The start-up accelerator programme widened its reach to Brisbane. Off-grid solar bicycles and modular solar batteries are among the first to enjoy the kickstart.

Large-scale solar’s rapidly falling costs has seen work on a record-setting number of projects get underway, worth some 2 GW of capacity. The Clean Energy Council’s Kane Thornton made the observation at its Large-scale Industry Forum in Brisbane yesterday.