The rollout of rooftop solar in Australia has slowed, with a total of 248 MW of new capacity registered across the country in June, down 14% from the previous month and marking the lowest tally since January.

Australian zinc bromide flow battery specialist Redflow has struck a partnership with Queensland state-owned generation company Stanwell to work together on the development of a non-lithium long-duration battery energy storage solution for use in a 400 MWh project. Meanwhile, Toronto long duration energy storage specialist e-Zinc has secured $31 million which will go towards developement and completion of its pilot manufacturing facility in Mississauga, Ontario.

Three pumped hydro projects that would deliver a combined 1,035 MW/9,480 MWh of dispatchable capacity are among six projects that have been declared critical, state-significant infrastructure by the New South Wales government in Australia.

Construction has begun on a solar and battery-based microgrid that is to provide the northeast Victoria town of Corryong with crucial energy resilience, helping keep the power on during emergencies such as bushfires and storms.

Renewables developer Lodestone Energy will build a 220 MW solar farm on one of New Zealand’s iconic high-country grazing properties, with the landowners targeting the PV facility to help rehabilitate redundant land.

Scientists from Australia’s national science agency and the electricity research and development arm of Google have developed a new ‘smart’ inverter they claim is almost twice as fast and about 50% more efficient than existing commercial inverters.

Chinese manufacturer Sigenergy has launched a new modular energy storage solution that combines a hybrid inverter and battery pack with a built-in energy management system. The inverter series offers a range of power options from 50 kW to 110 kW.

Singapore-based renewable energy fund manager SC Oscar has purchased New Zealand solar project developer Rānui Generation as part of its strategy to build a portfolio of renewable energy assets in New Zealand and Australia.

AGL Energy has teamed with solar panel recycler Elecsome to explore the development of a PV materials recovery facility at the site of the coal-fired Bayswater power plant in New South Wales, Australia.

Transgrid – the owner of the power grid in New South Wales, Australia – aims to roll out up to 14 synchronous condensers and 4.8 GW of batteries with “grid-forming” capability to stabilize the electricity grid as coal-fired power plants retire and more renewables come online.