It is evident all around us that things are changing. Societies are evolving, priorities are shifting and issues once ignored can be ignored no longer. Renewable energy is one of those things. It is something to be adopted now so that we all have a better future. The environment is on the agenda. In a big way. We all must do our part to reduce our environmental footprint to ensure sustainability for future generations. Home solar energy storage is a growing trend in Australia and overseas. Used in conjunction with solar panels, the storage system allows you to store energy during the day to be used at night. More and more, clients are seeing the long term potential of investing in solar energy storage and maximising this return on investment. Volta Energy System has put together 5 key benefits of investing in home energy storage. 1.Save money Depending on your current home energy infrastructure and long term property goals, investing in home energy storage could provide significant financial dividends in both the short and long term. Volta Energy System can advise on your best strategy to ensure maximum return on investment. We assess your current state of play and can...

Without having to wait until 2021 for a five minute settlement for electricity spot prices, home batteries are already making significant contributions towards helping reduce the cost of electricity for households. Recent announcements such as the re-opening of the Solar Victoria Solar Battery Rebate and the NSW Government looking to introduce interest-free loans for home batteries are examples of how state governments are investing in household energy storage for the benefit of households. Yet a number of challenges are holding back the potential for more residential energy storage to support Australia’s grid. This was recognised in a policy document released by the Australian Energy Storage Alliance (AESA). One of the key call outs by AESA was the lack of a Distributed Energy Resource (DER) strategy in Australia. We have yet to achieve the peak potential for residential rooftop solar in this country. In fact, a recent report said half of the unused potential for rooftop solar lies in residential areas and the growth in DERs presents significant opportunities for our industry. Virtual Power Plants (VPPs) and smart batteries will help smooth out the management of DERs but beyond this, what are the other barriers that are holding back the potential...

Australia’s main electricity grid achieved a remarkable trifecta in the last three months: The level of greenhouse gas emissions fell to a record low in the June quarter, even as the level of both coal production and wholesale market prices plunged at the same time. Australians are often taught that coal is essential to the country’s prosperity, and the only source of cheap energy, and that cutting emissions doesn’t really achieve much. And besides, wind and solar are unreliable and don’t work. It’s nonsense of course, on all four fronts. And gradually, despite policy inertia and downright interference from the federal government, the energy transition marches on, and the Quarterly Energy Dynamics Report issued by the Australian Energy Market Operator has emerged as a key reference point for the state and pace of the energy transition in Australia. There are several major – and many minor – takeaways from the latest report, issued on Wednesday. Top of the pile is the fall in emissions from the National Electricity Market (the grid encompassing NSW, Queensland, Victoria, Tasmania, the ACT and South Australia. According to AEMO, NEM emissions in the second quarter (the three months to June) declined to their lowest on...

Leading ‘Solar Module Super League’ (SMSL) member JinkoSolar has achieved a record large-area N-type monocrystalline silicon solar cell conversion efficiency of 24.79%, independently confirmed by the Institute for Solar Energy Research in Hamelin (ISFH), Germany.  JinkoSolar said that the solar cell was fabricated on a high-quality CZ mono-Si substrate, with a practical size of 267.72cm2 and included passivated contact technologies, advanced diffusion and surface passivation.   Advanced anti-reflection technologies were also used, and a series of material upgrades were integrated into the cell processes to achieve the 24.79% conversion efficiency. Dr. Jin Hao, CTO of JinkoSolar said, “JinkoSolar has reached a key R&D milestone and our commitment towards technological innovation in silicon material, cell fabrication and module processing technologies has led to multiple world records for the efficiency of solar cells and modules. We are very proud to break the world record with advanced large-area N-type cell in the world, and this innovative cell technology also holds the world record for PV module efficiency.”