Australia’s only solar panel maker is thinking big with a planned Gigafactory, a greenfield facility capable of producing up to 1 GW of high quality Australian-made panels per year that would employ more than 200 people:
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Solar panels reduce thermal stress in dairy barns during critical afternoon hours
A study from China shows rooftop PV systems on dairy barns can significantly reduce roof heat flux and improve indoor thermal conditions. Field measurements and simulations found up to a 2.3 C reduction in indoor temperature during peak afternoon heat stress periods
Australia has created the most cost-effective rooftop solar industry in the developed world - and it shows:
1. Australia consistently has the highest per capita adoption rate globally, with over one third of all households now having rooftop solar, totalling more than four million installations.
2. In South Australia, more than half of all homes have rooftop solar.
Price for a 7KW rooftop solar system.$USD
#australia #Solar #PV #USA #Germany
So much for the claims that solar destroys farmland; as usual, reality is the opposite of what he claims:
'Researchers have analyzed the biomass and nutritional value of grasses and legumes for grazing dairy cattle, growing in agrivoltaics fields. The results showed that forage quality may be maintained or even enhanced in agrivoltaic environments.'
https://pv-magazine-usa.com/2026/04/16/agrivoltaics-maintain-or-enhance-forage-quality-study-finds/
Replying to
@mohs @notjustbikes
"The neglected factor is the military dependence on civil nuclear industries. Maintaining a nuclear armed navy or weapons programme requires constant access to generic reactor technologies, skilled workers and special materials. Without a civilian nuclear industry, military nuclear capabilities are significantly more challenging and costly to sustain. "
https://theconversation.com/the-hidden-military-pressures-behind-the-new-push-for-small-nuclear-reactors-266301
Replying to
@Doomstrike@metalhead.club @jblue@mastodon.world
Retrofit might not be commerically viable.
But maybe designed into a new build.
Replying to
@jwildeboer @ammdias @eoinho
Meanwhile, in Australia, with the highest penetration of rooftop solar in the world:
"The installation of home batteries in Australia in the month of March accounts for around 10 per cent of global grid scale battery installations, an extraordinary number."
Then we are giving away 3 free hours of electricity in the middle of the day, to use up some of the curtailed large scale electricity and shift energy from coal powered off peak.
China’s solar exports doubled in a single month, rising to a new record of 68 gigawatts in March and 50 countries - broke records for imports of Chinese solar panels; exports of batteries and EVs also jumped
Demand was particularly high in countries hardest hit by the oil crunch, such as India and the Philippines. Nations aren’t just focused on oil. They’re securing more reliable energy supplies to avoid the next disruption
Solar for all - Darebin Council’s Solar Saver program has helped almost 1,200 low-income and vulnerable homeowners in the area get A$4.8 million worth of home energy upgrades
Council pays the upfront cost of installing solar reverse cycle a/c and hot water heat pumps. Factoring in state government rebates, costs were added to the homeowner’s property taxes as a “special rates charge” The homeowner could then repay this money over ten years–interest-free
Temporary solar farms for miners pays off, built, delivered, unpacked and then repacked later by an Aussie firm PHNNX:
• Annual savings: $190,000
• 95% reduction in fuel and logistics costs
• Diesel reduction: from 100,000 litres/year to 5,000 litres/year
• Maintenance savings: ~$5,000/year from reduced generator wear
• Payback period: ~3.1 years
• ROI over 10 years: ~300%
• Carbon Abatement: 560 tonnes of CO2 per year
https://www.phnxx.io/case-studies/powering-accommodation-camps-mining-projects
Replying to
@celeduc@mastodon.social @notjustbikes@social.notjustbikes.com
Meanwhile free electricity will see people move pool pumps, hot water from overnight controlled loads, designed to give coal something to do in the middle of the night low demand. Further putting the nail into coal.
The extra demand in the middle of the day will be met with large scale solar that was previously heavily curtailed.
New solar farm built in Australia’s most destructive wind area “didn’t miss a beat” in recent cyclone
Bye bye diesel in the remotest corners of the planet as cheap clean solar takes over
Many Amazonian communities aren’t connected to the grid In remote areas with no roads, transmission lines are difficult to build + maintain They depend on polluting diesel fuel for electricity
Diesel, transported by boat, is burned by about 160 thermal plants + thousands of generators scattered in the rainforest
Solar + batteries are beginning to transform the region, supplementing/replacing diesel altogether
"In the Philippines, imports of solar panels from China during March alone were sufficient to increase total solar capacity by half, relative to levels at the end of 2025. In Cambodia, Indonesia, Malaysia and Pakistan, trade was sufficient to boost installations by a quarter or more. One Manila-based solar installer told local news site Rappler that they were signing as many as 10 times more contracts per month than before the war."
#solar #energy #asia #pv
Maldives’ largest floating solar array goes online
Swimsol says the 2.4 MW floating PV array will supply the resort island of Cheval Blanc Randheli, reducing diesel consumption and saving about $1.5 million in fuel costs.
Solar modules are mounted more than 1.5 m above the water line, which prevents wave impact damage and biofouling on the panels themselves.”
Specially designed anchors suited to sandy seabeds,
#solar #energy #PV #Maldives
https://www.pv-magazine.com/2026/04/22/maldives-largest-floating-solar-array-goes-online/
Coal is it blamed for emissions, politics, old power stations and health issues. According to new research, it may also be hurting solar power itself
A study published in Nature Sustainability looked at 140,000+ solar installations 2017- 2023 and found that aerosols linked to coal-fired power can reduce PV output by blocking sunlight and changing cloud behavior
In 2023, the loss was estimated at 5.8% of global solar generation, or about 111 TWh
#coal #solar #energy
Replying to
@celeduc@mastodon.social @notjustbikes@social.notjustbikes.com
//Checks my post to make sure I included the bit about 3 free hours of electricity esch day//
Replying to
@celeduc@mastodon.social @notjustbikes@social.notjustbikes.com
Negative prices and solar excess has seen the big batteries and pumped hydro charge cheaply and discharge at peaks.
There are a number of retail plans in Australia that exposure you to wholesale rates, including negative prices. So you can do the same and make money. Or join a virtual power plant and make money.
You think free electricity won't see people shift their loads to the middle of the day? Which will see more generation supplied from large scale solar.
Australia leads per capita as rooftops turn homes into power stations & BESS scales fast. Centralized grids aren’t competing anymore—they’re being replaced faster than linear models anticipated
Replying to
@notjustbikes@social.notjustbikes.com
So we have a solution.
Give away 3 hours of electricity for free in the middle of the day. When we have the most amount of negative prices and spare solar capacity.
Perfect for charging evs. Or shifting loads away form peak.
Also a big boom in home batteries is also seeing demand reduction in evening peaks. Charge own batteries, rather then export, then use your own electricity in peak. Or sell it back to the grid when it is needed.
https://reneweconomy.com.au/the-hours-the-market-wants-back-free-daytime-power-or-a-fix-for-solar-and-wind-curtailment/
Replying to
@brianb@fosstodon.org
Use proper solar connectors, from reputable firm. Use proper crimp tool for that connector.
Use proper solar cables. Same as the panels EN50618, 60228
Here in Australia, land of rooftop solar.
You need to be both a electrician and do a special course to add grid connected systems. Need special course just to design them.
Research solar system failures and bad installs. See Solar good, bad ugly.
Replying to
@NaN@mastodon.green
F) needs special cleaning train.
G)low energy density.
In both cases building a standard frame on the side of the road/ rail corridor, or building on station roofs, or on the many empty roofs would be a lot cheaper and generate more electricity.
But these practical but boring things dont, don't get your company PR/clicks
@stux@mstdn.social
Australia:
But it was rooftop PV that had the biggest impact, reaching a new Q1 high of 4,090 MW this quarter, and increasing its share to 15.8 per cent of total supply and remaining the single largest renewable contributor. AEMO notes that it is suppressing coal and gas generation during the day
Replying to
@brianb@fosstodon.org
So one thing to keep in mind is you are dealing with DC voltage.
DC voltage does not like to be connected and disconnected.
It will ionize the air and create and sustain big arcs.
DC switches have really heavy duty contacts and much bigger distances between poles, compared to ac switches.
AC goes through zero 50 times a second, so less arcs.
Do not disconnect connectors under load.
With high voltages from combining panels, high currents, it is like welding. Will melt metal.
Replying to
@NaN@mastodon.green
Roads are not a great place for solar.
A) get shades by cars.
B) get dirty
C) don't last
D) slippery to drive on.
Between rail lines also not a great idea.
A) get shades by trains.
B) get dirty, from train brake dust. Have a look under a train, it gets covered in dust.
C) need custom size panels, custom fixtures.
D) needs to be moved to check and maintain sleepers, ballast, tracks.
E) impact damage
D) comes loose or tampered with and can cause serious derailment
@stux@mstdn.social
Replying to
@Brokar@mastodon.social
Solar between rails is not very practical for a number of reasons.
Better putting on station roofs.
Or standard size panels down the side of the rail corridor.
= Much cheaper and more electricity.
Solar roads and rails are great for generating click/ PR, just not practical.
@NaN@mastodon.green @stux@mstdn.social
Replying to
@stux@mstdn.social
But is the farmer making enough money to live on with those grass and animals?
Reliant on variable (and increasing extreme) weather, market prices, export prices, tarrifs etc.
It might look pretty, but it might not be economical worthwhile.
Using part of his land for solar lets the farmer have an guaranteed income through droughts etc.
You can also grow some crops better under solar. Sheep who graze under solar prduce better wool.
@WiteWulf@cyberplace.social
Replying to
@notjustbikes@social.notjustbikes.com
Lots of nuclear trolls/shrills.
Not all of them are real people.
Here in Australia, we have lots of mainly uncontrolled rooftop solar.
The sun shines and The commercial solar farms get pushed out.
The constant on "baseload" coal plants lose money with negative prices. They have started to learn to dance. Like the UK coal plants. Ramping their output up and down. But they have their limits. No longer baseload.