Australia

Two innovative new technologies with potential applications in solar were unveiled this week. Research teams across the world are looking at new way to boost solar’s stability by integrating with storage. Scientists in Australia and in China demonstrate their innovative steps toward achieving this.

The world’s biggest solar and battery storage plant – and Australia’s biggest solar farm – could begin construction this year, after the project was formally launched in Adelaide on Thursday.

Contracts have been inked for the Albuquerque-headquartered manufacturer of solar tracking systems to supply Neoen Australia’s three recently announced solar power plants with a combined 130 MW capacity.

First Solar closes another Australian project, to supply the Manildra Solar Farm project. The project reached financial close today, with RCR O’Donnell Griffin named as EPC. Construction is set to commence within three months.

Australia’s only solar panel manufacturer, Adelaide-based company Tindo Solar, has been bought by a local insulation company turned solar installer, Cool or Cosy, as part of a plans to create the largest solar retailer in Australia.

Sydney-based solar data start-up Solar Analytics has been awarded $2.1 million in grant funding from the federal government’s Australian Renewable Energy Agency, to fast-track its rooftop PV monitoring technology.

It took a couple of tweets, and at least one one-hour long phone call, but it seems pretty clear that Tesla founder, CEO and billionaire Elon Musk has helped turn the debate around energy policy in Australia on its head.

Clean Energy Finance Corp.’s (CEFC) has announced its latest round of solar financing, with A$77 million ($58.3 million) to support the development of three projects in the states of Queensland and Victoria.

Tesla founder Elon Musk has thrown down a challenge to the Australian government, saying that he can build a battery array capable of resolving South Australia’s energy stability issues within 100 days. Musk took to social media to make the challenge, saying that Tesla could develop a 100 MWh system to stabilize the state’s electricity network, within 100 days of a contract being signed, or that he’ll provide it for free.

Tesla has officially launched its range of second generation home and grid-scale battery storage products in Australia, with installations of the company’s fully integrated, 14kWh residential Powerwall 2 units to begin in homes throughout the country next month.