Smart Energy Council

A Queensland university has released findings from its first stage hydrogen production pilot plant that uses solar energy, battery storage and a microgrid to produce hydrogen from non-drinkable water, such as seawater.

Brisbane-headquartered Pan Pacific Recycling has begun materials recovery from end-of-life solar panels as part of a Smart Energy Council stewardship pilot, which aims to fast track a repurposing solution for the rest of Australia’s mounting solar waste problem.

The Queensland government has launched a solar panel recycling scheme with the launch of the first of 15 sites collection sites that are to be established across the state. The program is expected to save 26 tonnes of broken or end-of-life solar panels from landfill annually and will inform the possible rollout of a nationwide scheme.

The Queensland government is investing another $40 million into a second 8.4 MW / 18.8 MWh battery energy storage system, up to 2.8 MW of solar and 0.9 MW of demand management for a Townsville local renewable energy zone.

Renewable energy advocates and investors have urged the federal government to pursue its commitment to the ambitious Future Made in Australia Act by backing it – and the country’s decarbonisation – with strategic budget support.

The Queensland government has committed $2.5 million to progress the development of an “Australian first” solar panel recycling scheme in preparation for the “thousands” of PV panels installed on rooftops and across large-scale solar farms in the state that are approaching end of life.

Climate Change and Energy Minister Chris Bowen has accused the Liberal and National parties of fomenting community opposition to renewable energy development, in a webinar hosted by Smart Energy Council today. Bowen warned the “fight isn’t over the and stakes are very high,” at the next election for Australia’s energy transition.

Australia’s peak solar body is urging its members and the renewable energy community to support robust emissions standards for new cars. The federal government released a consultation paper on the new standards today and has provided one month for public submissions.

The Queensland government will team with the Smart Energy Council to develop an industry-led solar panel recycling scheme and investigate a ban on the dumping of end-of-life panels as it prepares for a surge in the number of decommissioned PV modules coming off rooftops.

Calls for the Albanese government to adopt a Renewable Energy Storage Target are growing, with an alliance of organisations visiting Australia’s Parliament to lobby for the move.