The journey to NEM 2.0
Australia made its first moves to open up its energy industry in the 1990s, when the National Electricity Market (NEM) was first created, and many of the rules and regulations from back then are still in place today. But the rise of renewables in the 21st century, argues Clean Energy Investor Group Chair Rob Grant, necessitates a rethink of this market structure.
We need to talk about wind resilience
The discussion about wind damage in PV structures is getting louder and more heated, especially with rapid single-axis tracker growth in many markets. Whether it’s social media comments on failure photos, or one side of the profession taking shots at another in the press, the dialogue is at risk of becoming cynical. Simon Hughes, partner at technical and commercial energy consultancy Everoze, shines a light on four things that need to happen next, as well as the need for more dialogue between stakeholders.
A lead-free future for solar PV
Lead plays an important role in crystalline silicon module manufacturing when it comes to cell interconnection. But even in small amounts, the presence of this toxic material in a PV module could be viewed as a black mark against the industry’s sustainable credentials. Alternatives are available, but it seems the price is not yet right for broader uptake.
All that noise
Arc fault circuit interruption was introduced as a standard for PV inverters many years ago, but against a backdrop of technical complications, the issue is still far from resolved. A recent report has found that many inverters fail this important task in challenging environments.
Considering the competitive landscape for HJT
The benefits of heterojunction technology are well known. But as the first modules come onto the market from REC Group’s new HJT lines, the competitive landscape is crowded, but not without opportunity.
Exateq supplies the next generation of HJT
Wet chemical processes for heterojunction are important in preparing the crystalline silicon surface for the amorphous silicon layer. Germany’s exateq is supplying one of the recent high-profile HJT expansions, and the company’s managing director, Gerry Knoch, believes major cost reductions and performance jumps are just around the corner – potentially driving the high-efficiency technology into the mainstream.
Same same but different module
Utility-scale solar is booming in Australia. Quality assurance, especially solar panel testing, helps achieve better performance and lower costs. Best-practice testing is key, writes Michelle McCann, managing partner at PV Lab Australia, but must be planned and fully integrated into a project from an early stage. This integration ensures flow-through from panel manufacturers to commercial buyers and large project owners.
pv magazine test
August 2019 results
If not transmission … then batteries?
Australia faces a push-me-pull-you of grid constraints and an abundance of solar developments now face the prospect of curtailment and battered business models. Could the strategic placement of large-scale batteries help manage the distribution of electrons and leapfrog the slow augmentation of transmission infrastructure?
Ms. Storage
Janice Lin is the CEO of Strategen and the co-founder of the California Energy Storage Alliance (CESA) and Global Energy Storage Alliance (GESA) trade associations, as well as the co-founding chair of the Energy Storage North America (ESNA) conference. Lin is also in the process of setting up a new nonprofit organization, the Green Hydrogen Council. Just after she received The Cleanie Awards’ Entrepreneur of the Year award, pv magazine caught up with her at Smart Energy Week and SPI 2019.
