Oceania

New analysis predicts more than 150 GW of tracker capacity will be installed in the next five years – around a third of all ground mount projects up to 2024. Rapid growth in Europe, the Middle East and Africa; and the better cost structures possible from combining trackers and bifacial modules are singled out as key trends.

Today we have heard of farmers in Australia unhappy at the approval given for three solar projects on agricultural land and also learned the benefits PV can bring for fish and shrimp farmers. In this op-ed for pv magazine USA, Stoel Rives LLP attorneys Sara Bergan and Thomas Braun discuss the balancing act to be made between solar and agriculture in the emerging Midwestern PV market.

The state government of Victoria has approved three projects in the Shepparton region which have a combined generation capacity of 175 MW. However, some residents are upset at the loss of prime agricultural land and now-redundant irrigation equipment which had been upgraded using government grants.

Australian miner Oz Minerals is turning to wind and solar power for operations at what is billed as the largest unexplored nickel-copper deposit in Australia, it order to curb the need for "high cost fossil fuels."

Victoria’s state government has yielded to industry pressure and increased the frequency and number of rebates available in its rooftop solar subsidy programme.

Victoria’s state government has given the greenlight to three contentious solar farms that have a total capacity of 175MW.

ARENA will top up Evie Networks’ ultra-fast battery electric vehicle charging plans for Australia’s highways with AUS$15 million of federal funding.

After a long wait, RES has received state development approval for a major 200MW/10MW solar-plus-storage facility in New South Wales.

The Australian supermarket giant will purchase more than 70% of the electricity generated by three solar power plants to be built and operated by Metka EGN outside the regional centers of Wagga Wagga, Corowa and Junee, in the state of New South Wales – the equivalent of 10% of the company’s national electricity usage.

Australian Vanadium and Metrowest Power Systems have signed a non-binding memorandum of understanding to look at energy storage opportunities in Australia using vanadium redox flow battery technology.

Australian banking and financial services giant ANZ has extended its collaboration with Sydney-based Clean Energy Finance Corp. via an additional $67.7 million financing commitment to help the nation’s businesses cut energy costs and reduce carbon emissions. The bank is also offering financial discounts for upgrades and new investments in solar PV, energy storage, electric vehicles and other technologies.

Australia’s green bank has found a funding partner for a new programme to support solar and electric vehicle (EV) batteries, days after pledging to back less-mature technologies more decisively.

Scientists at the Australia National University have observed a key stage in the process of photosynthesis which could be copied to greatly increase the efficiency of sunlight-powered water splitting processes used to produce hydrogen.

A mixture of development support, market economics and awareness programmes have propelled Papua New Guinea to the forefront of global off-grid solar, according to a new report.

French renewables developer Neoen has won development approval from the South Australian government for a major renewable energy project, with 125 MW of wind, 150 MW of solar PV and 130 MW/400 MWh of lithium-ion battery storage. The project could also include up to 50 MW of on-site hydrogen production capability.