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 […]
Tag: solar
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 […]
Connection of Inverter Energy Systems to the Grid: New requirements surround residual current devices
The industry has seen rapid uptake of solar PV and energy storage systems connected to multiple mode, or ‘hybrid’, inverters and battery systems over recent months. This has prompted many questions from installers and designers regarding the connection of inverter energy systems to existing electrical installations. While many common questions regarding connecting IES systems can […]
Battery Storage Systems: What are their chemical hazards?
While consumer interest in battery storage systems continues, an issue often overlooked when discussing the pros and cons of battery storage systems is the chemical hazards associated with the battery technology and ways of managing these hazards. An array of battery chemistries is available on the commercial market, and the range of products continues to […]
Generous Feed-in-tariff Schemes: their demise and what information is useful for affected system owners?
Various generous feed-in tariff (FiT) schemes, including NSW’s 60c Solar Bonus Scheme, will come to an end on the 31st December 2016. It is estimated that over 275, 000 households in Australia will be affected by these changes to feed-in tariffs. For PV system owners in states other than NSW, feed-in tariff rates will be […]
Work Recommences on Draft Battery Storage Units
The hiatus in development of the draft Units of Competency UEERE4002A – Install, Maintain and Fault Find Battery Storage Systems for Grid Connected Photovoltaic Systems, and UEERE5001A – Design Battery Storage Systems for Grid Connected Photovoltaic Systems as a result of reforms in the Vocational Education and Training sector is finally over. The reform saw […]