Solar PV

Solar curtailment might become a valuable aspect of future PV deployment, particularly if grid operators start focusing on ‘curtailment management’ instead of ‘curtailment prevention.’ Management would include measures such as flexible generation, storage, load flexibility, and regional coordination.

A University of South Australia study has demonstrated that while solar panels in Australia are typically installed facing north to catch most of the sun’s arc, if you’re looking to export your solar into the grid you should really be orientating your panels to minimise the discrepancy between the times of peak use and peak production.

The South Australian Government has announced a $9 million investment towards the transition of Anangu Pitjantjatjara Yankunytjatjara Lands from diesel reliance to the self-reliance of solar and energy storage. The contract is good news for one of the most continuously culturally fecund regions in the country.

One of Australia’s three major electricity retailers has moved to acquire 100% of Echo Group in a bid to expand its offering of products for C&I and residential energy consumers that save them money and carbon emissions.

With the disruption of Covid-19 highlighting the climatic impact of the aviation industry, a recent report from the CSIRO funded by Boeing shows that hydrogen fuel’s technological momentum could see clean hydrogen used in airports by as early as 2025, and a full transition from conventional jet fuel by 2050.

AES, one of the world’s largest power companies, has made a strategic investment in Sydney-based pre-fabricated solar array manufacturer 5B to meet the growing needs of its customers for solar.

If it was designed with a focus on reliability, security and the lowest cost for consumers, Australia’s main electricity grid would see periods in which nearly 90% of demand is met by renewable generation. A diverse portfolio of distributed energy resources and large-scale solar and wind generation supported mainly by pumped hydro and batteries would ensure the least-cost transition as the nation’s coal plants retire. Adequate investment in transmission infrastructure will be instrumental in making this a reality.

Utility Iberdrola will provide solar power to the Spanish site of Saudi petrochemical company Sabic, which has signed a 25-year power purchase agreement. The electricity will be generated by a €70 million, 100 MW solar park.

La Trobe University is well on its way to achieving its ‘net zero’ carbon emissions by 2029 goal thanks to 7,500 solar panels installed by Solgen Energy Group at its Bundoora campus in Melbourne’s north. VIC Energy Minister Lily D’Ambrosio said the feat demonstrated what could be achieved with leadership, clear targets, and renewable energy.

In a world-first, scientists in Australia and the United States have managed to upconvert light from below the silicon bandgap with the help of oxygen into high energy light that can be captured by silicon solar cells.