The International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA) forecasts as much as 90 GW of new solar additions annually across the globe over the next few years, driving a 60% reduction in costs.
Chinese PV component suppliers and project developers are continuing to push strongly in to international markets and are eyeing up new opportunities in Australia. Tenders, hybrid arrays and agri-PV all represent opportunities.
The future of solar deployment in Western Australia remains uncertain under the Federal Government’s National Energy Guarantee policy. Excluded from the program, WA solar proponents report that market conditions “may get even harder” for PV in the state.
The Clean Energy Finance Corporation will provide $94 million as the sole debt financier of Australia’s first co-developed wind, solar and storage array. The 60 MW Kennedy Energy Park is being developed by Windlab and Eurus Energy and will combine 43.2 MW in wind capacity, 15 MW of solar PV, and 2 MWh of battery storage.
The buoyancy of the Australia PV market is evident in the attendance figures from the All Energy Australia conference and trade show in Melbourne last week. Event organizers have reported that while the numbers are still being finalized, it appears that attendance has increased 40% YoY.
The Mississippi-based CIGS manufacturer cites “intense” competition from imports.
According to the latest briefing from Asia Europe Clean Energy Consultants (AECEA), China is likely to install more than 50 GW of PV in 2017, a second consecutive record breaking year for the world’s leading market.
The tender was part of a raft of announcements, including confirmation of a commitment to source 50% of its electricity from renewables by 2030. Queensland is fast emerging as a large scale solar hotspot, with hundreds of megawatts either having reached financial close or currently under construction.
The $150 million agreement between the government-owned CS Energy and the Kennedy Energy Park marks yet another positive step for Australia as as hybrid large scale solutions move into the market.
Senec Australia has presented its Home and Business battery storage solution at All Energy Australia for the first time, with Managing Director Ian Parkinson saying that the company is hoping to foster community resilience, in the face of rising electricity prices and the current contentious political debate about the security of electricity supply.
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