With the rapid rise of electric vehicle (EV) adoption in Australia, apartment residents and building managers are facing unique challenges around installing EV charging infrastructure in strata buildings. From navigating […]
Tag: EVs
Westpac launches CEFC-backed financing for clean energy technologies
A new loan facility launched by Westpac Bank in conjunction with the Clean Energy Finance Corporation aims to help Australian businesses invest in solar, battery storage, energy efficient technologies and […]
Greens policy would put 31,000 EVs on Australian roads by 2021
The Greens have released a policy plan that aims to get 31,000 more electric vehicles on Australian roads by 2021 – up from little more than 1,000 now – and […]
Will Ecoult’s UltraBattery make lead acid as hot as lithium-ion?
Ecoult is the developer of a hybrid battery and carbon-based ultracapacitor called the ‘UltraBattery’ that rivals lithium-ion batteries on performance and beats them on costs. Already deployed in a number […]
German network can handle ‘huge amounts’ of solar-plus-storage – with no negative effects
Germany’s electricity network could support “huge amounts” of solar and storage without any negative impact, but rather to the overall benefit of the grid, a new study has found. The […]
Proposed changes to SA retail tariffs could have dire implications for rooftop solar uptake
The uptake of rooftop solar in South Australia could be halved over the next five years if a change in the state’s electricity tariffs proposed by SA Power Networks is […]
Half of Aussie homes could have solar-plus-batteries by 2025: Climate Council
A new report by the Climate Council has predicted that half of all households in Australia will wind up installing solar with battery storage, with the market potentially growing to […]
Tesla’s Powerwall & Powerpack sales add up to $US1B – without marketing
Tesla’s residential Powerwall batteries and larger-scale Powerpacks have already notched up $US1 billion worth of sales, and the California-based EV maker says its delivery book to early 2017 is already […]
Queensland to host first solar-powered service station in Australia
The Queensland government wants the Sunshine state to host Australia’s first solar powered electric vehicle service station, as part of a potential 1,600km network of solar powered EV fast-charging stations […]
In California, now anyone can sell power into the grid
California has cleared the way for homes and businesses to sell their stored electricity into the grid at a profit, thanks to new legislation that allows the aggregation of distributed energy […]
Victoria, NSW will lead the way in residential energy storage uptake
NSW and Victoria will lead the adoption of battery storage by Australian households over the next two decades, the Australian Energy Market Operator has predicted. In its first ever analysis […]
UNSW adds fast chargers, Tesla Model S and BMW i3 to EV arsenal
The University of New South Wales (UNSW) has recently installed two additional electric vehicle (EV) fast chargers at the Kensington campus. The charging station, which sits behind the Tyree Energy […]
SAPN: Virtually all SA homes will have solar, half will have energy storage by 2040
South Australia‘s network operator has predicted a dramatic uptake of distributed energy resources that would see almost all households in the state with rooftop solar by 2040 and more than […]
Tesla looking to power Australian ‘supercharger’ stations with solar PV
US electric vehicle company Tesla Motors is looking to power its Australian network of EV supercharging stations with solar. Tesla Superchargers currently allow Model S owners to travel for free between […]
Super-fast charging for new lithium ion battery
Researchers at Nanyang Technological University (NTU), Singapore, have developed a fast‑charging long‑life lithium ion battery which has the potential to significantly boost electric vehicle (EV) and portable electronics performance. The […]
Energy storage steadily gaining steam globally, as coal looks set for a long, slow decline
Even as Tony Abbott spruiks reactionary about coal’s benefits to humankind, a massive revolution is undoubtedly underway in the world’s energy sector–whether he cares to acknowledge it or not. Renewable […]
Under the sea: ‘Energy Bags’ add to electricity storage options
Canadian firms Thin Red Line Aerospace and Hydrostor are set to trial underwater compressed air energy storage (UW‑CAES) systems off the coast of Toronto. As part of the process, electricity […]
Solar Council launches new peak body for energy storage: Energy Storage Council
The Australian Solar Council has launched a new peak body for the energy storage industry. The newly minted Energy Storage Council will be administrated by the the Australian Solar Council, […]
Cheaper and lighter battery design a win-win for storage
UK-based Cenex have recently developed an electric vehicle (EV) battery that is 41% lighter than standard EV batteries. In addition to the reduced weight, the ‘EV-Lite’ battery decreases the cost […]
Google drives inverter innovation with $1M challenge
Google has recently launched a $1M dollar competition aimed at miniaturising DC‑to‑AC inverters. The competition is open to all groups and contestants are asked to design a 2kW inverter with […]
Electric vehicles will help revolutionise solar & home energy independence: UBS
Electric vehicles and the proliferation of battery storage will solve the problem of intermittent supply for rooftop solar, and make it viable without subsidies, a new report has predicted. The […]
Phinergy extends electric car range with metal-air battery technology
Phinergy, an Israeli battery technology start-up, and aluminium producer, Alcoa, have recently revealed a prototype electric car with a 1,100-mile driving range that is powered by Phinergy aluminium-based metal-air battery […]
UNSW solar car sets new speed record
The ‘Sunswift’ solar car team, comprised of engineering students from the University of NSW (UNSW), have set a new record for the fastest electric vehicle (EV) over a distance of […]
Sunpower and KB Homes partnership offers PV with battery storage
Sunpower is offering fully integrated solar PV and battery storage solutions for new energy efficient homes in Southern California, in partnership with US home builder KB Homes. The pilot program initially aims […]
US Energy Secretary hints energy storage could be on par with oil boom in disruptive capacity
United States Energy Secretary Ernest Moniz has hinted in an inverview with Bloomberg New Energy Finance (BNEF) that energy storage has the potential to dramatically change the way that electricity […]
Tesla battery factory could be game-changer for energy storage affordability
In a letter to shareholders about the company’s earnings, Tesla Motors CEO Elon Musk announced plans for the electric vehicle manufacturer to begin producing its own battery cells at a […]
Electric vehicles could save the utility business model–and make solar worthwhile
Electric vehicles have suddenly become a matter of huge interest for energy utilities in Australia, because it seen as a way of ensuring continuing demand for generators and networks, and […]