As its first investment since being recreated, the State Electricity Commission (SEC) is set to provide $245 million in funding to the Melbourne Renewable Energy Hub near Melton – which is expected to store enough energy to power up to 200,00 homes during peak periods. This is the first investment from the SEC’s initial $1 billion towards building 4.5GW of […]
A new centralised solar farm and Battery Energy Storage System (BESS) is now in operation at Cue in Western Australia. Cue is the fourth regional Western Australian town to receive a centralised solar farm as part of Horizon Power’s Major Project’s Midwest Solar Program, following the successful completion of projects in Wiluna, Yalgoo and Sandstone. Horizon Power is installing centralised […]
The Australian Renewable Energy Agency (ARENA) has awarded $11 million in funding to SunDrive Solar for the expansion of its novel solar cell metallisation technology from prototype scale to commercial capacity. SunDrive has developed a cell metallisation technology that uses copper, a metal that is approximately 100 times cheaper and 1000 times more abundant than commonly used silver. Currently, silver […]
As Australia’s energy grid transitions towards renewables, water utilities also have a large role to play in reaching net zero emissions targets. North East Water is powering ahead and investing in a renewable energy source for its wastewater treatment plant. A new 3MW solar farm is now powering the Wodonga Wastewater Treatment Plant with renewable energy. In a major step […]
Community batteries are flexible and scalable energy solutions that benefit both the local communities they are built in and the wider energy system. Ausgrid is collaborating with the Federal Government to deliver a major community battery rollout, which will see as many as 400 batteries powering neighbourhoods across Australia. The Community Batteries for Household Solar Program will support power quality […]
By Ben Barnes, General Manager Corporate Affairs, Australian Energy Council As the cost of living increases, energy bills are placing more and more financial pressure on consumers. In this article the Australian Energy Council (AEC) takes a look at the government reforms currently underway, and how they might impact retailers’ already supporting customers experiencing payment difficulty. A lot has been […]
RayGen, in partnership with AGL, has opened its solar-plus-storage plant in Carwarp, Victoria, which is expected to add 4MW of solar and 2.8MW/50MWh of storage capacity to the West Murray grid. The plant is powered by a field of smart, rotational mirrors whose concentrated solar energy is combined with the energy stored across two water reservoirs to create a ‘hot […]
The Treasurer of Australia has released the Intergenerational Report 2023, which predicts a long-term increase in utility expenditure, particularly in the energy sector. The report analyses global effects on the Australian economy and predicts future expenditure all the way up to 2063. The report states that renewable energy is already the cheapest form of new energy in Australia, with onshore […]
Jacana Energy has announced that it is accepting submissions from proponents interested in taking part in the development of up to 100MW of large-scale solar for the Darwin-Katherine region. The expression of interest (EOI) is available on the Northern Territory Government tenders online website. Submissions for the non-binding EOI process will close on 26 September 2023. Jacana Energy held an […]
APA Group and Alinta Power have entered into a Share Sale Agreement for the acquisition of Alinta Energy Pilbara and Alinta Energy (Newman Storage), for an enterprise value of $1.7 billion. Alinta Energy Pilbara is an energy infrastructure business underpinned by contracted operational assets (gas and solar power generation, gas transmission, battery energy storage systems and electricity transmission), together with […]
Origin Energy and Coles are set to partner to deliver 20MW of solar panels across up to 100 Coles liquor stores and supermarkets across the country, in effort to help Coles reach its renewable energy targets. Over the next three years, Coles aims to install solar panels on top of 100 stores across the country, with batteries to be installed […]
Regional energy supplier for Western Australia, Horizon Energy, has purchased a vanadium redox flow battery for an energy storage pilot situated in Kununurra. Horizon Power is the first Australian regional energy utility to purchase a vanadium redox flow battery and has signed an agreement with VSUN Energy, a subsidiary of Australian Vanadium Limited, for the purchase, installation and commissioning of […]
Pre-construction activities have commenced for the Rangebank Battery Energy Storage System (BESS), in Cranbourne which will have enough storage capacity to power 80,000 homes for an hour during peak time when operational. Jointly developed by Eku Energy and Shell Energy with minority equity partner, Perfection Private, the Rangebank BESS system in Cranbourne will provide 200MW/400MWh capacity of reliable and flexible […]
Sandra Jefford and Wilco Droppert own and operate Wilandra Farms, an organic dairy farm in the Gippsland region of Victoria. However, despite the farm’s success, its irrigation and dairy operations were using about 500,000kWh of energy per year. Energy costs were high and irrigating the farm was a costly and time-consuming process. In 2019, the couple sought an energy audit […]
Leading provider of security, safety and environmental monitoring, AI solutions and platforms, Spectur has launched its latest product, the STA-Power, a modular solar-battery and communications system that provides power for technology anywhere the sun shines. The STA-Power is the first member of a new generation of power platforms for Spectur and third-party technology products. This platform will support existing and […]
By Steph Barker, Journalist, Utility Magazine The Alice Springs Future Grid Project is a whole-of-systems project that aims to roadmap how Alice Springs can achieve 50 per cent renewable energy by 2030. The $12.5 million project involves collaboration by multiple organisations from across the Northern Territory and Australia, and its purpose is to identify and overcome barriers to further renewable […]
Western Power has officially opened its new $123 million energy hub in Forrestdale, Western Australia, which includes multiple clean energy technologies to accommodate growing energy demand. Built by ADCO Constructions, and designed by SPH Architects, the facility includes 10,000m2 of solar panels and 34 electric vehicle (EV) chargers, providing improved services to the community as well as consolidating the Kewdale, […]
Transgrid is set to hit the market, seeking contracts with battery operators to maintain electricity reliability in parts of New South Wales. Grid-scale batteries have been identified as part of the preferred options for maintaining a reliable supply to the Bathurst, Orange and Parkes areas and the NSW North West Slopes region. By entering the market, Transgrid hopes to gain […]
University of New South Wales (UNSW Sydney) engineers have developed a new, more effective means of recycling solar panels, which can recover the valuable components, such as silver, at high efficiency. The process, which has been patented, has been specially created for photovoltaic (PV) panels in order to quickly and efficiently sort the component materials, as a key step of […]
The Queensland Government has announced the official activation of the Bouldercombe 50MW grid-scale battery just outside of Rockhampton, which is intended to store the network’s excess solar energy. The battery, nicknamed ‘Big Bessie’, is part of the Queensland Government’s Energy and Jobs Plan, and will take Central Queensland’s role in generating the state’s energy and supercharge local energy affordability. The […]
By Daniel Watson, Automation Solutions Innovator, Yokogawa Distributed energy resources such as solar and wind are pivotal for reaching net zero energy goals, however, the intermittent nature of these renewables can cause an influx of many un-coordinated distributed energy resources that can threaten the reliability of a power grid. However, the solution lies in intelligent and advanced control platforms that […]
The latest Clean Energy Australia Report shows that rooftop solar continues to be a significant contributor to Australia’s renewable energy sector – accounting for 25.8 per cent of total renewable energy generation in 2022. The report also indicates that 310,000 new rooftop solar systems, with a total capacity of 2.7GW, were added to the grid in 2022, and more than […]
The Western Downs Green Power Hub in Queensland has reached the end of construction on the largest solar farm in Australia. Totalling more than one million solar panels, the 400MW Western Downs Green Power Hub has the capacity to power the equivalent of 235,000 Queensland homes and is connected to the Queensland SuperGrid by a new 275kV line built by […]
Melbourne Water is making an effort to reduce carbon emissions while also increasing energy production for the Winneke Water Treatment Plant through the construction of the Winneke Solar Farm. The 19,000 panel farm will deliver 12,400 MWh/annum, the equivalent of about 2,500 households’ yearly demand. All the energy produced will be used by the treatment plant and pumping stations. Any […]
The Central Queensland town of Emerald will be connected to a large-scale, network-connected battery which will see the community reap further benefits from rooftop solar. Emerald was selected as the next of twelve sites for the large-scale, electricity network-connected battery, following Tanby’s connection in 2022. Energy Queensland’s General Manager for Energy Storage, Glenn Dahlenburg, said, “This new battery at Emerald […]
Victoria’s new “state-of-the-art” solar farm is tipped to reduce annual emissions by 12,000t from late 2023. Construction of a new “state-of-the-art” solar farm at Winneke Treatment Plant in Melbourne’s north-east has been completed. The project will help Victoria meet its ambitious target of net-zero emissions by 2045 and help the Victorian water sector meet its goal of 100 per cent […]
The Australian Renewable Energy Agency (ARENA), alongside partner retailers AGL and Simply Energy, has committed $1.02 million in funding to SA Power Networks for the development and trial of retailer solar management offers in a bid to enable a seamless experience for customers. While rooftop solar is the largest generator in South Australia, most systems are not responsive to market […]
The Northern Territory Government has awarded the design and construct contract for its Renewable Remote Power Program’s Wurrumiyanga Solar Infill and Energy Storage Pilot project. Circular Solutions was awarded the contract which includes replacing some of the current diesel generated power supply with renewable technology, with works expected to be completed by April 2024. The Northern Territory Government is investing […]
To fast track clean energy across New South Wales, the New South Wales Government is setting up a $1.5 billion Clean Energy Superpower Fund. The Clean Energy Superpower Fund is a commitment by the current government, leading up to the state election in March 2023, consisting of the Transmission Acceleration Fund and new funding to support the delivery of renewable […]
The completion of Horizon Power’s Battery Energy Storage System (BESS) in Exmouth, Western Australia, will see an increase in access to rooftop solar for over 1000 local households and 500 businesses. The Exmouth BESS was installed by Horizon Power as a part of its Energy Storage in Regional Towns project, supported by the State Government. The BESS will store excess […]
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