O Green New World - What’s ahead for large-scale projects in Australia?

Today, the Australian large-scale solar segment walks a tricky line between a congested grid and resulting curtailment on the one hand, and consistently low daytime electricity prices on the other. Some states, particularly South Australia, are already hitting the upper limits of how much variable renewable energy can be transmitted over the country’s long, skinny network, the result being that Australia’s large-scale solar sector is in a crucial stage of innovation and evolution.

Far from doomed, new opportunities for large-scale solar projects abound, most notably in the coupling of projects with battery storage and the emerging market for green hydrogen production. There is also a growing market for off-grid projects as the mining industry moves to decarbonize and steel, aluminum, and other industries look to revamp their relevance in a green new world.

Australia brought its nationwide 2050 net-zero plan to the COP-26 conference in Glasgow, the backbone of which is “ultra-low-cost” solar production with a stretch goal set for at less than $15 per megawatt-hour, or 1.5 cents per kilowatt-hour. Obviously then, solar’s day in the sun is far from over. Quite the contrary, it is now time for Australia’s world-leading solar industry to redouble its efforts and supersize its scale.

Australia’s leadership in the solar space means the future of Australia’s large-scale market is a strong indicator of global development. In this pv magazine Webinar, attendees will be joined by leading industry professionals with experience across every aspect of Australia’s multifaceted large-scale solar market, considering the current state of affairs and the challenges facing a new wave of large-scale development Down Under, the next phase of large-scale development driven by energy storage and green hydrogen and the new world of big modules and innovative designs, and off-grid solutions.

Attendees will have the opportunity to put their questions to the speakers and become part of the discussion. Bella Peacock, Editor at pv magazine Australia, and Blake Matich, Editor at pv magazine will be the co-moderators of this webinar.

For more information on pv magazine Webinars, please visit https://www.pv-magazine.com/webinars/
Registration for our webinars is free of charge.

Agenda

• The future of Australia’s large-scale solar sector
• Current challenges and opportunities
• Green hydrogen
• Coupling solar projects with storage and wind
• Off-grid solutions
• Bigger modules
• HJT
• Topcon and n-type
• Holistic solar solutions

Presenters

Bella Peacock Moderator | Editor, pv magazine Australia

Bella completed her MA in English Studies at the Freie Universität Berlin, living and working in Berlin and Sarajevo for four years before returning home to Australia in 2019. She joined pv magazine Australia in 2020, after 18 months working as a digital producer for Nine, and has since become completely engrossed by the world of renewable energy, technology and sustainability. Bella has completed a BA in Media Arts & Production at Sydney’s University of Technology.

Blake Matich Moderator | Editor, pv magazine

Blake is a writer and journalist with international experience covering politics, culture, the arts and most recently the solar PV industry. From Sydney, Blake is currently pursuing a Master of Arts in Berlin.

Mark Legge Sales & BD Manager- Utility and Projects | Risen Energy

Mark has spent the last 6 years in the solar industry, working for top PV panel manufacturers. Currently, he leads the Projects and Utility sales for Risen Energy Australia.

Callum Little Senior Planner | GHD

Callum has over 20 years of experience in development approval and environmental impact assessment of major projects. Callum has recently successfully led approval and environmental studies for over 1.2 Gigawatt hours of grid-scale BESS projects in South Australia including the following projects in 2021:
– Templers BESS Stage 2 (150 MW/150 MWh), for GreenPower Energy
– Gould Creek BESS (225 MW/450 MWh) for Maoneng
– Aurora Solar BESS (100 MW/140 MWh), for 1414 Degrees

Luke Scott Development Manager | Risen Energy Australia

Luke has 17 years’ experience in solar, including the last 3 years in large scale solar and batteries. He’s presently working on large projects in NSW and South Australia for Risen, after a stint with Total Eren on a 500MW site in NSW.