The attainment of the Clean Energy Council (CEC) accreditation for installation of Solar PV systems has been the standard for the industry as a result of its ties to the Federal Government’s Small-scale Renewable Energy Scheme (SRES) . However, the introduction of battery energy storage systems has sparked discussion with regard to the relevance of […]
Tag: renewable energy
Inverter Power Factor Modes: How do they affect voltage rise calculations?
As Australia continues to see the trend to increase system capacity to medium or large scale Grid-connected PV system, it becomes valuable for Inverter Energy Systems (IES) to have ways to support the power quality of the grid. The most recent revision of the Australian Standard AS/NZS 4777.2: Grid connection of energy systems via inverters […]
Pumped hydro storage in Australia- can a liquid battery compete?
In the past months, there have been many discussions centered around pumped hydro storage schemes. Most notably of which is the current government announcement to expand the iconic Snowy Hydro system as well as South Australia’s investigation into pumped hydro from Spencer Gulf. It is well-known that some renewable energy systems are intermittent and their […]
Industry wide Improvement in Ingress Protection Safety Thanks to CEC Guidelines
Under the Renewable Energy Target (RET) requirements, solar photovoltaic (PV) power systems must be installed to relevant Australian standards and Clean Energy Council (CEC) guidelines in order to receive Small-scale Technology Certificates (STCs). To monitor this, the Clean Energy Regulator’s RET inspection program has been running since 2010 and the CEC review the outcomes of […]
The Blockchain Buzz
Over the past several months, there has been an increase in the amount of reference to Blockchain technology and what it can do for the renewable energy sector. Much has been written about this technology such as this article and this article. A number of global companies have even started to trial blockchain based energy […]
GSES Training: PV Gains a Further Foothold on Nauru
GSES has conducted PV system installation training on Nauru twice. The most recent training session was conducted by Dr. Rick Potter in November 2016.Nauru is a tiny island located just half a degree south of the equator and east of Papua New Guinea and the Solomon islands. The island is only 21 km² and one […]
GSES Co-Founder Susan Neill Retiring at End of Year
After 30 years of significant contribution to the burgeoning renewable energy industry, on 31st December Ms Susan Neill will be entering retirement. As the industry has matured, the history of the industry and the people who helped to build it are often lost on industry participants,. It is fitting then that we pay tribute to […]
Building Integrated Photovoltaics: What is the potential for this PV technology?
Building Integrated Photovoltaics (BIPV), as the name suggests, describe a PV system where solar PV modules are integrated within a building’s envelope, as oppose to conventional PV systems where modules are mounted on the top of existing roofs. BIPV products have been commercially available since the 1990s in Europe, but have not played a major […]
Residential energy storage: Are we ready?
The rise of residential batteries In the past year we have seen the first significant uptake of Grid Connected Battery (GCB) systems in Australia. In years gone by, batteries were used for standalone systems that were far from any poles and wires, i.e. in areas with no access to the electricity grid. However, we now […]
Configuring Battery Storage Products – Comparing Apples and Oranges?
The renewables market is currently being flooded with energy storage products to meet the increasing demand and hype for this technology. All of these products present a similar, well-scripted value proposition and all offer to deliver similar functionality. As a result, this rapid rush to market of these products and their advertising has created the […]