Shell completes Powershop takeover despite widespread outrage
Shell has completed its acquisition of Powershop Australia. The takeover sparked a heated outcry when it was first announced in November.
Grazing animals increase carbon sequestration by up to 80% in PV projects
Temple University researchers have found that managed sheep grazing on an acre of recovering agricultural soil with native plants may sequester 1 ton of carbon per year, which could accumulate for 12 to 15 years before reaching saturation.
Australia’s battery capacity to double in 2022
After the deluge of announcements last year, 2022 will see the trickle of big batteries actually operating in Australia turn to a flood. According to Rystad Energy, the country’s battery capacity is set to double before the year is out.
Robot dog for PV plant monitoring
Spanish renewable energy company Acciona is using a robot dog, instead of drones, to monitor a solar park in northern Chile. The device has a built-in thermal vision system that generates thermographic reports on the status of the different PV plant components, as it walks between the panel rows following a programmed route.
Taiwan sets solar FITs for 2022
The new feed-in tariffs range from NT4.0031 ($0.14) to NT5.8952 ($0.21) per kWh. PV systems of all types will be applied a grid tariff of NT0.0656 ($0.002)/kWh and the funds raised through this fee will be used to set up a PV module recycling scheme.
Italian region devotes €22 million to ‘energy communities’
Italy’s Lombardy region will use €22 million to build up to 6,000 “energy communities,” for a total installed capacity of up to 1.3GW.
Itochu starts leasing new residential battery in Japan
Itochu’s new 13.4kWh storage system is equipped with AI-based software for optimal battery control. It can be used for grid-connected and offgrid projects and has a charging feature for electric vehicles.
Solar-powered camper from Airstream is a two-wheeled electric car
The camper can be driven and parked without the use of a car, is integrated with solar, and optimized for the electric vehicle revolution.
Investors submit 34GW of wind, solar, storage for renewables zone in Australia
The New South Wales state government in Australia has revealed that more than 34GW of new solar PV, wind and energy storage projects have been proposed for the South-West Renewable Energy Zone.
The Hydrogen Stream: New fuel cell design to solve longstanding problem of overheating
Los Alamos National Laboratory researchers developed a new polymer fuel cell that is claimed to solve the long-known issue of overheating. Furthermore, Mexican cement producer Cemex invested in HiiROC, a UK-based hydrogen production startup, which developed a scalable technology that uses thermal plasma electrolysis to convert biomethane, flare gas, or natural gas into hydrogen at a reportedly lower cost than competing solutions.
