This Week in Solar: Flexible solar panels, grid relief, and more

1. Huge influx of solar will reduce risk of power outages this summer, says AEMO

Australian consumers face the risk of power outages this summer because of the threat of bushfires, heatwaves and increasingly unreliable coal generators, but the Australian Energy Market Operator says the surge in solar installations in the past 12 months will lessen the risks.

2. SunMan’s flexible solar panels installed on Noosaville Library

The 72.5 kW curved-roof solar installation will generate almost half of the Noosaville Library’s electricity needs. The flexible panels used for the installation are manufactured by Dr Shi Zhengrong’ firm SunMan.

3. NSW notches up new national record for rooftop solar installations

A record total of 60MW of new rooftop solar capacity was installed in New South Wales in November – a new monthly high for any state in Australia, according to the latest market update from industry statistician SunWiz.

4. Australia’s biggest businesses could deliver “a Yallourn” of new wind and solar

Australian companies that have committed to source 100 per cent of their electricity from renewable energy now represent almost one quarter of the value of the Australia Stock Exchange, a new report has shown – but there is plenty of room for improvement.

5. Australia’s rooftop solar boom can be good news for networks: study

A new study has demonstrated the key role that distributed solar and storage could play in managing the shift to renewables, transforming Australia’s world-leading uptake of rooftop PV into a major asset to networks, rather than the liability it is often portrayed.

6. APA officially opens new 20MW solar plant next to W.A. wind farm

Western Australia’s revived large-scale solar market has delivered another finished product to the grid this week, with the completion of the 19.25MW Badgingarra solar farm in the state’s wheatbelt region, north of Perth.

7. W.A. community virtual power plant confirms $50m Swiss investment

Swiss investment firm SUSI Partners last week confirmed it would invest $A50 million into a residential solar-plus-battery storage project being developed by Perth-based Starling Energy Group, which it boasts will be the world’s largest Virtual Power Plant (VPP).

8. Aquarius, Let the Sunshine In – Aquatic research facilities turn to solar

Three NSW government facilities for aquatic and agricultural research and development are reducing their grid-dependence by utilising solar PV.