Solar PV

Coal miner Glencore is failing investors in its latest forecasts.

Only weeks after Victoria’s first big battery was unveiled in Ballarat, the retrofitted 25MW/50MWh Tesla powerpack battery at the Gannawarra Solar Farm was commissioned ahead of schedule, confirms Germany’s Wirsol Energy. The developer’s major solar projects in Victoria have reached milestones: the 60 MW Ganawarra Solar Farm has successfully passed all commissioning tests, and the 110 MW Wemen Solar Farm has been connected to the grid.

While the SRES appears safe, the rooftop PV market is likely to thrive even as the certificates phase out. So says Hans-Georg Einwagner – Area Sales Manager Asia-Pacific Region, for Austrian inverter maker Fronius. With something approaching 40% market share in the DG rooftop segment in certain segments, Einwagner says Fronius’ quality and service model is behind the company’s strong showing.

After taking a 90.1% stake in one of Australia’s largest solar PV projects – the 255 MWp Sunraysia Solar Farm last month, U.K.-based infrastructure investor John Laing has closed its second solar project in Australia – the 174.9 MWp Finley Solar Farm in New South Wales.

No, Rupert Murdoch’s son will not be running the world’s largest EV maker.

The amount of large-scale solar capacity that commenced generation during the third quarter of 2018 was higher than the NEM’s entire large-scale solar capacity at the start of the year, reports the Australian Energy Market Operator (AEMO). In other news, Western Australia has pass the 1 GW solar milestone, while South Australia has seen record levels of curtailment.

Half of Victoria’s energy could come from renewable energy source, as the Labor government has vowed to expand the state’ renewable energy target from 40% in 2025 to 50% in 2030, if re-elected.

Last December, the company’s CEO made a proposed transaction offer to acquire Canadian Solar. Mulling the offer, a special committee has now advised the company’s board to cease its review of the proposal, highlighting that it could not find sufficient certainty in the CEO’s ability to secure the funding for the transaction. Following the news today the CEO has withdrawn his offer.

The NSW Department of Planning has given the green light the 55 MW Vales Point solar project, one of the first large scale solar power plant in Australia to operate in conjunction with a coal-fired power station.

The New South Wales government has announced plans to install up to 900 batteries with a total capacity of 13 MW on hospital and schools that already have rooftop solar systems.