Australian homes and businesses installed a record amount of rooftop solar in 2021, just edging past 3GW of new capacity added, despite another round of Covid chaos. The Australian start up that in September achieved a new benchmark for solar cell efficiency has this week notched up another major new milestone, with the production of its first ever full-size solar panel. Global solar inverter maker says changes to Australian standards around DC isolators, to be adopted in Queensland, will “cost jobs and money for no tangible benefit to anyone.” Major new report says Australian households could slash their bills by up to $3.2 billion by 2035 with the accelerated uptake of cost-reflective tariffs and incentives. LG Solar has introduced its new 2022 range of solar panels for Australia, the LG NeON H+ solar range, including the flagship 415W module. Japanese technology giant Panasonic unveils two new solar panels, including a new rooftop panel with more power in a smaller footprint, and the company’s first module using PERC technology. After a busy year for microgrids in 2021, here is a list of the top 22 projects to watch in the coming year – including one from the tiny town of Heyfield in Australia. Australian homes and businesses installed a record amount of rooftop solar in 2021, just edging past 3GW of new capacity added, despite another round of Covid chaos. Horizon Power has installed another 19 stand-alone solar and battery power systems for its regional customers, including commercial farmers, with another 26 to follow by March. Solar retailers and installers will have to comply with new rules around the sale and installation of rooftop panels as early as April, after "integrity review" reforms were written into law. Melbourne Water is nearing the completion of a nearly 20MW solar plant, one of the biggest single commercial PV arrays to be installed in Australia, to date. Brisbane-based Redflow completes install of 2MWh zinc-bromine flow battery energy storage system at a microgrid in California, its largest single sale of batteries to date. New South Wales government extends offer of free rooftop solar to low income households in parts of greater Sydney, boosting the successful $50 million program beyond the state's regions. The Australian start up that in September achieved a new benchmark for solar cell efficiency has this week notched up another major new milestone, with the production of its first ever full-size solar panel. Australia's rooftop solar industry avoids potential "disaster" with a six-month delay to complex new rules around PV inverters with integrated DC isolators. McDonald's UK opens new restaurant powered by on-site wind turbines and solar panels – a blueprint for all of its new-build restaurants to be net zero carbon by 2030.
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