Solar Trust Centre | Solar and Renewable Energy News

This Week in Solar: World’s Largest Solar Farm to Be Built in Australia

Written by Solar Trust Centre Team | Oct 26, 2020 10:35:18 AM

1. Newcastle Waters Station in Northern Territory earmarked for world’s biggest solar farm

The iconic Newcastle Waters Station in the Northern Territory — once owned by Kerry Packer — has been revealed as the proposed location for the world’s largest solar farm.

2. Ausgrid, United accelerate network push into community battery storage

Two of Australia’s biggest network operators – Ausgrid and United Energy – have outlined plans to invest in community-scale battery storage in moves that will boost the grid’s capacity to absorb more rooftop solar, and also put network companies on a collision course with the major energy retailers.

3. Solpod-engineered, Australian-manufactured solar rooftop mounts launched under the Schletter brand

A locally designed and made range of versatile solar mounting products offers Australian installers of commercial and industrial rooftop systems smart solutions backed by global company Schletter’s sales and support network.

4. Solar panels on schools, hospitals and prisons could power Queensland into a renewable future, report finds

The rooftop space on Queensland’s public buildings could hold the key to powering the state with solar energy, new research has found.

The analysis, commissioned by the Australian Conservation Foundation, found installing solar panels on the roofs of public buildings in five local government areas would produce enough electricity to power 44,000 homes.

5. Big Australian investment manager makes first foray into Australian wind assets

Australian investment management giant First Sentier has made its first foray into the Australian renewable energy sector, buying the Australian wind portfolio from UK infrastructure investor John Laing Group, which is retreating from its renewable investments in Australia and the US.

6. Rooftop solar and Covid shutdown lead to record lows in Australian electricity use

Australians’ embrace of rooftop solar panels and the Covid-19 shutdown in Victoria have combined to reduce the amount of power being drawn from the national grid, with several states setting record lows for daily large-scale electricity consumption.

7. Australian scientists shed light on perovskite problem

Australian researchers have shed light on a major obstacle to the widespread uptake of next-generation mixed-halide perovskite solar cells – light-induced phase segregation. This is a troublesome issue, whereby illumination, such as sunlight, disrupts the delicately arranged composition of elements within mixed-halide perovskites.