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Ecovoltaics research aims to balance grid scale solar with wildlife and livestock

Ecovoltaics research being done at the University of New England aligns with global efforts to balance the need of large-scale solar with conservation of wildlife and combatibility to the needs of farming livestock.
Energy Storage

Zenaji ready to ride future lithium titanate oxide battery wave

Domestic manufacturer of lithium titanate oxide batteries Zenaji says the LTO battery market is projected to reach $5.8 billion by 2032, with a compound annual growth rate of 12.6%, and its Eternity battery system is ready to catch that wave.
Energy Storage

Maximising rooftop solar energy potential rests on battery rollout

Sydney-headquartered residential battery storage solutions company VoltX Energy is expanding into Adelaide, South Australia with 10,000 Neovolt units to meet a surging demand.
Announcements

The WINTER edition of pv magazine Global is out now! Celebrating the standout performers of the solar and energy storage industries.

Available in print and digital – get your copy today!

Energy Storage

Pairing pumped hydro storage with floating solar is good economics: study

Researchers in Italy have analysed the techno-economic viability of enhancing three pumped hydro plants in Italy with floating solar on the lower basin. They say that, with their wide results, consequences could be extrapolated to similar regions.
Manufacturing

JinkoSolar takes top spot on WoodMac’s list of PV module manufacturers

Wood Mackenzie says that JinkoSolar has taken first place on its list of solar panel manufacturers. The report confirms the dominance of the TOPCon technology but also notes that heterojunction and back contact panel manufacturers are increasing their pr...
Energy Storage

Powerco trials power pole mounted batteries in first for New Zealand

Aotearoa New Zealand distributor Powerco is trialling five low-voltage pole-mounted battery energy storage systems on power poles in the North Island city of Tauranga.
Markets & Policy

AGL backs future of electric vehicles in Australia with acquisition of Everty

Sydney-headquartered gentailer AGL Energy has announced the acquisition of Australian-owned EV software platform Everty, which specialises in full-service charging and energy management solutions for electric vehicles.
Energy Storage

Green bank gets $2 billion windfall to boost further investment in clean energy

A $2 billion allocation from the Australian government to its 'green bank' Clean Energy Finance Corporation will boost investment commitments in renewable energy generation and storage, electric vehicles, infrastructure and natural capital.

Press Releases

WaveX and Trident Energy announce collaboration to advance wave energy

WaveX, a wave energy technology company headquartered in Perth, Australia and Trident Energy, a UK-based leader in the development of advanced linear generator technology, have announced the signing of a significant Heads of Agreement to collaborate on wave energy projects.

How will Trump’s decisions affect the world?

Scientists from around Australia have provided expert commentary in response to the new US government's policies, which may have impact on Australian society, politics and markets, including renewable energy.

JET Charge raises $72 million to step up Australasia’s transition to EVs

JET Charge raises $72 million from Mirova, and existing shareholders Clean Energy Finance Corporation, RACV and Kilara Capital, to step up Australasia’s transition to electric vehicles

SunCable appoints Group CEO

The SunCable Board of Directors is pleased to announce the appointment of Ryan Willemsen-Bell as the Group CEO of SunCable.

Opinion & Analysis

Featured

PV module prices at crossroads

Martin Schachinger, founder of pvXchange.com, said PV module prices will depend on national and international demand trends in the coming months, with outcomes ranging from increases to stagnation or further declines. Almost anything is possible, but nothing is certain.

Nuclear risks depriving millions of Australians the promise of their solar investment

Australia’s energy future is at a critical juncture. With one of the highest rates of rooftop solar saturation globally, the nation has embraced renewable energy in a way that reflects both environmental commitment and practical economics. Yet, this progress could be undermined by a potential turn to nuclear power – a choice that risks sidelining the investments made by millions of Australians in clean energy. 

New Zealand’s power market is ‘ugly’ and asymmetrical

Your oven doesn’t care what generation source powers it up – so consumers with power plants of their own via rooftop solar or through battery energy storage systems need to be able to compete fairly with large generators.

Fastest energy change in history continues

Solar and wind are being installed at a rate that is three times faster than all other new electricity sources combined. This offers compelling market-based evidence that PV and wind are now the most competitive and practical methods for deploying new generating capacity.

Australia needs better ways of storing renewable electricity for later and ‘flow batteries’ can help

As flow battery technology comes of age, Australia’s capacity to mine the critical minerals required, and manufacture flow batteries has a promising future on the back of embracing automation and supported by government funding.

Four key lessons the renewable industry should take away from 2024

There are four key Lessons the renewable industry to take away from 2024, cover storage, solar, and everything in between

Markets & Policy

Featured

Local supplier benefits to flow from Marinus Link stage one tender shortlist

Local suppliers in Tasmania and Victoria are being invited to register interest in subcontracting to the Marinus Link project after two consortiums were shortlisted for the final major tender for the 750 MW first stage.

Trump orders pause to IRA funding

An executive order released by the newly installed United States government states, “All agencies shall immediately pause the disbursement of funds appropriated through the Inflation Reduction Act of 2022.”

Allume’s upscaled manufacturing of SolShare to stay in Australia

Victoria-headquartered technology solutions company Allume Energy is choosing to scale up the domestic manufacture of its apartment building energy management system SolShare in Australia, saying the benefits far outweighs moving offshore.

Hitachi’s Humelink high-voltage tech will unlock solar projects in South West REZ

Proposed solar projects in the 2.5 GW South West Renewable Energy Zone are closer to having their future clean energy generation unlocked by Transgrid’s HumeLink project following news Hitachi Energy will provide high voltage technology for the scheme.

GridBeyond launches price forecasting service in NEM

Ireland-headquartered smart grid technology company GridBeyond has announced the launch of its frequency control ancillary services price forecasting service in the Australian National Electricity Market.

Masdar makes 1 GW move into Philippines power market

United Arab Emirates-based renewable energy company Masdar has announced its entry into the Philippines market, revealing plans to develop 1 GW of clean energy projects in the Southeast Asian nation by the end of the decade.

Installations

Featured

X-Elio seeks green light for 720 MW solar and battery project

X-Elio has lodged an application with the federal government seeking approval to build a 720 MW / 2,880 MWh solar-plus-storage project in Queensland’s North Burnett region.

BIPV concept integrates louvres to enhance power production

Scientists have proposed a building-integrated PV system that integrates airflow to cool the panels and control room temperature. The system, which also acts as a shading device, can reportedly mitigate drops in power generation efficiency without additional energy consumption.

China hits 277.17 GW of new PV installations in 2024

China’s cumulative installed solar capacity hit 886.66 GW at the end of 2024, with 277.17 GW of new annual installations, up 45.48% year on year. The deployment surge exceeded forecasts, setting a new historical record for PV installations.

Quinbrook lands new finance for big Brisbane battery

Quinbrook Infrastructure Partners has closed a $722 million financing deal that will support the development of the early stages of a planned 760 MW / 3,096 MWh battery energy storage system being built in Queensland.

Ausgrid adds community battery to support solar

New South Wales network operator Ausgrid has added another community battery to its portfolio, powering up a 200 kW energy storage system in the Sydney suburb of Cammeray.

Solar canopy provides smart solution for on-site energy

Pharmaceutical giant AstraZeneca has transformed an underused space at its Sydney headquarters into a renewable energy asset with the installation of a 617 kW solar car shade.

Technology

Featured

JinkoSolar’s TOPCon modules offer 8.82% yield gain in field test

JinkoSolar’s latest n-type tunnel oxide passivated contact (TOPCon) modules delivered higher energy yield per watt than a competitor’s n-type back contact (BC) modules in a three-month field test in Japan, under varying irradiance levels.

Wind tunnel tests show spacing between panels is key to reduce soiling

Scientists have placed four PV panels in a 21-metre wind tunnel and run different tests regarding tilt angles, mounting height, spacing, and incoming flow direction. They found that when the spacing between panels exceeds twice the panel height, the mutual influence on dust deposition becomes negligible.

Sodium-ion batteries face uphill struggle to beat lithium-ion on cost

A new Stanford University study finds that there are several key routes that sodium-ion battery developers can take to compete on price, specifically against a low-cost variant of the lithium-ion battery known as lithium iron phosphate (LFP).

New tool tips solar to supply 50% of global energy demand by 2035

Solar energy will satisfy more than 50% of global energy demand within a decade according to a new modelling tool that also predicts solar costs will continue falling by 10% a year.

Costs climb for NSW-SA grid interconnector

Transgrid has confirmed the cost of the New South Wales section of Project EnergyConnect has climbed to $3.6 billion, well above the $1.82 billion price tag that was originally approved.

Marinus Link lodges DA as project costs continue to climb

Plans to build a new electricity transmission link between Tasmania and mainland Australia have progressed with Marinus Link Pty Ltd lodging a development application for a converter station to be built in Tasmania’s northwest.

Manufacturing

Featured

GoodWe unveils hybrid inverters for homes with weak wireless service

GoodWe says its ES Uniq Series hybrid inverters suit on-grid and off-grid applications, offering a maximum efficiency of 97.6% and a European efficiency of 96.2%.

Government pledges $2 billion to drive aluminium sector’s renewables shift

The Australian government has announced a $2 billion investment designed to accelerate the decarbonisation of the nation’s aluminium smelters, encouraging them to switch from fossil fuels to renewable electricity within the next decade.

Solis releases three-phase string C&I inverters with fuseless design

The Chinese inverter manufacturer said its new inverters have an MPPT current of up to 54 A and support more than a 150% DC/AC ratio. The new products also feature a maximum efficiency of 98.8% and a European efficiency rate of 98.3%.

China’s REPT Battero to build battery factory in Indonesia

China’s REPT Battero has revealed plans to build a lithium-ion battery plant in Indonesia, targeting 8 GWh of annual production capacity in the first phase.

Sungrow launches new inverter for C&I applications

Sungrow has launched a new inverter for commercial and industrial applications that it says achieves 98.8% efficiency and 98.2% European efficiency.

Chinese PV industry brief: Aiko Solar starts making back-contact PV panels

Aiko Solar has started production at its Jinan factory, its third facility for n-type all-back-contact solar modules. The plant is designed for 30 GW of solar cell and panel capacity, with the first 10 GW phase set to reach full output by late 2025.

Energy Storage

Featured

Big battery on target with giant transformers in place

One of Australia’s biggest battery energy storage projects is preparing to plug into Victoria’s electricity grid with two 335 tonne transformers now in place at the 1.6 GWh Melbourne Renewable Energy Hub.

Aussie miner lands $1.6 billion for US lithium project

Australia-based critical minerals miner Ioneer has been tapped to help strengthen America’s battery supply chain, securing a $1.6 billion loan from the US Department of Energy to develop a lithium and boron project in Nevada.

Central-West Orana REZ gets generation transfer capacity raised to 7.7 GW

The New South Wales infrastructure planner of renewable energy zones EnergyCo has formally updated the amount of renewable generation and storage that can connect to the Central-West Orana renewable energy zone transmission network from 5.8 GW to 7.7 GW.

Envirostream Australia signs battery recycling agreement with Hithium

Envirostream Australia, a subsidiary of chemical company Livium, has signed an exclusive recycling agreement with Hithium Energy to recycle lithium-ion batteries supplied by Hithium to Lightsource bp’s Woolooga solar farm in Queensland.

RACV adds virtual power plant services to suite of membership offerings

RACV has added virtual power plant (VPP) services to its catalogue of membership offerings and follows integration of the FCAS-friendly PowerSync platform with solar and battery installations at RACVs Torquay and Inverloch resorts in Victoria.

Where will lithium-ion battery prices go in 2025?

After tumbling to record lows in 2024 on the back of lower metal costs and increased scale, lithium-ion battery prices are expected to enter a period of stabilisation.

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