Big news for big storage with the development of a new large-scale battery designed to demonstrate how energy storage can strengthen South Australia’s grid and potentially lower energy prices. ARENA is providing up to $12 million in funding toward the 30 MW, 8 MWh battery at the Dalrymple substation on the Yorke Peninsula west of Adelaide.

Victoria’s transition to renewable energy will soon be enshrined in legislation with the Labor Government setting new renewable energy targets of 25 per cent by 2020 and 40 per cent by 2025. The state government declared it is the first time such ambitious renewable energy targets have been enshrined in legislation anywhere in Australia, and accompanying the power of renewable energy is the prospect of driving down prices, attracting billions of dollars of investment and creating thousands of local jobs. As we like to say in the industry, what’s not to like?

The unexpected boom in China’s solar PV installation this year may have an unfortunate impact on the ambitious plans of many in Australia’s surging solar sector – a bottleneck in module supplies and price rises by the end of the year.

For some time, pundits have been saying that with so much variable renewable generation flooding the electric power sector, wholesale prices will plummet and go negative with increased frequency and duration.