Oceania

Sydney-based solar data start-up Solar Analytics has been awarded $2.1 million in grant funding from the federal government’s Australian Renewable Energy Agency, to fast-track its rooftop PV monitoring technology.

It took a couple of tweets, and at least one one-hour long phone call, but it seems pretty clear that Tesla founder, CEO and billionaire Elon Musk has helped turn the debate around energy policy in Australia on its head.

Clean Energy Finance Corp.’s (CEFC) has announced its latest round of solar financing, with A$77 million ($58.3 million) to support the development of three projects in the states of Queensland and Victoria.

Tesla founder Elon Musk has thrown down a challenge to the Australian government, saying that he can build a battery array capable of resolving South Australia’s energy stability issues within 100 days. Musk took to social media to make the challenge, saying that Tesla could develop a 100 MWh system to stabilize the state’s electricity network, within 100 days of a contract being signed, or that he’ll provide it for free.

Tesla has officially launched its range of second generation home and grid-scale battery storage products in Australia, with installations of the company’s fully integrated, 14kWh residential Powerwall 2 units to begin in homes throughout the country next month.

Seven PV and battery storage companies have pitched to investors at the first Clean Energy Innovators Demo Day in Sydney. The Clean Energy Finance Corporation (CEFC) organized the event and can also finance investments in early-stage companies through its Innovation Fund.

Leading battery storage developers have expressed their frustration that ignorance among regulators and energy ministers is holding the technology back, despite it being cost competitive.

The Australian Renewable Energy Agency (ARENA) is providing $450,000 (US$346,000) towards the Decentralized Energy Exchange (deX) project, which aims to produce an open-source software platform on which grid services can be provided and monetized by distributed battery storage. A combination of Australian utilities, research bodies, and startups are collaborating on the $930,200 ($715,000) deX project.

Key findings of report point to “huge” year for large-scale solar in Australia in 2017, with 20 such plants to come online over the next 12 months. Globally, costs have dropped 58% in five years, with the world now sitting on 300 GW of installed PV capacity.

Two Queensland workplace regulators are recommending that all battery storage units not be placed in either the home or the garage, and should instead be installed in a free standing, weatherproof enclosures.