Oceania

New large-scale solar farms in southeastern Australia could be forced to curtail up to two-thirds of their power generation by 2027 due to delays in energy transmission infrastructure projects, according to new analysis from the Australian Energy Market Operator (AEMO).

Renewables developer Edify Energy has unveiled plans for a major 2.4 GWh solar and integrated battery energy storage facility in Australia, adding to its growing portfolio of power generation and storage projects.

AGL Energy has bought the 150 MW solar, 90 MW thermal, and 720 MWh storage Yadnarie Project from Dutch developer Photon Energy, following the award of development approval in June.

Australian researchers improved solar generation forecasts by 14.6% by integrating advanced AI methods with First Nations seasonal knowledge, offering new potential for more accurate renewable energy planning.

Researchers at the Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology (RMIT University) and Australia’s Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO) have developed a way to extend the lifetime of Dicke quantum batteries by up to 1,000 times, while maintaining their fast-charging properties enabled by superradiance.

The Australian government has announced AUD 60 million ($39.1 million) in new funding for R&D projects that promise to accelerate cost reductions for PV and help meet the stretch target for “ultra low-cost” solar production.

A research team led by the Dalian Institute of Chemical Physics in China have used tetramethylammonium chloride in the fabrication of perovskite solar cells and modules, demonstrating that it improved both stability and efficiency results. The group’s 10 cm × 8 cm modules achieved certified 21.60% power conversion efficiency. The novel interfacial modification enabled the use of scalable blade coating to deposit both transport layers and the perovskite layer.

Australian company Solspan has unveiled a 6.4 kW vertical solar wall system for applications in agrivoltaic projects. It measures 4 m x 4 m and can be interconnected with other units to create MW-sized systems.

SunCable has welcomed the Australian federal government’s decision to renew major project status for its Australia-Asia PowerLink, which aims to deliver up to 6 GW of renewable power from the Northern Territory to industries and urban centers in Darwin and Singapore.

Australian Gas Light Co. (AGL) has purchased 100% of a public housing virtual power plant (VPP) in South Australia from Tesla, with plans to integrate it with its VPP network on the east coast.