This Week in Solar: Carbon Emissions Drop and Energy Storage Market

1. Masdar to build Indonesia’s first floating solar power plant

Abu Dhabi-based renewable energy group Masdar is sailing into the southeast Asian market with its, and Indonesia’s, first floating solar power plant. The project is to be the largest of its kind in South East Asia.

2. Australia’s renewable energy developments see the first drop in carbon emissions

Since 2015, Australia has seen the first-ever drop in annual greenhouse gases, thanks to the drive of renewable energy technology across the country. However, it’s not all smiles on dials – if this rate were to continue at this speed in decline, we’d be 68 years late to the commitment we made to the Paris Agreement.

3. Sungrow eyes storage market despite solar hurdles

“It’s been a good year for us,” Sungrow Australia country manager Joe Zhou tells EcoGeneration, estimating market share of the residential market in 2019 between 10 and 15%. But the past 10 years, since the inverter-maker entered the Australian market, have been pretty good all over.

4. Why Australia’s long term energy policy rests on battery storage

Australia has made great strides in terms of investment into renewables, yet despite the spend, we are still faced with an ageing grid and a growing number of coal power plant closures, that lack clear and sustainable replacements.

5. Solar energy at the heart of solution to global water scarcity

Researchers at the University of Newcastle have developed a solar-powered atmospheric water generator, a clean and economical solution to the worsening perennial problem of global water scarcity.

6. Australian renewables sector poised for new records in 2020: Rystad

“There are now several projects at advanced stages of development with a total capacity of 3.76GW that have the potential to break ground in 2020, and most are located in desirable parts of the grid, being developed by experienced utility PV developers. NSW will be the most active region, with projects totaling 2.0GW located in the state,” says David Dixon, senior analyst renewable research at Rystad Energy.

7. SA wind-solar farm set for mid-year launch

The first of its kind for Iberdrola in Australia, the project features 320MW in renewables and will be a unique one for the company’s pipeline of projects, with others still in the early stages of planning.

8. The communities calling for solar panel gardens to beat rising power prices

Solar energy can be a cheaper alternative when it comes to electricity bills and it’s better for the environment, but many Australians who live in apartments say they’re locked out of the growing industry.