Trina Solar, a global leader in smart PV and energy storage solutions, is witnessing strong demand for solar solutions across various sectors in Australia. With a remarkable 12.5% increase in total installed solar capacity to 34.2GW in 2023, Australia’s renewable energy landscape is evolving with an increased trend towards utilityscale battery energy storage systems (BESS). According to BloombergNEF, installations will more than double to 1.9GW of batteries commissioned in 2024, propelled by robust government support, a growing demand for grid-balancing services and dynamic shifts within the volatile power market.
The company provided its market outlook in the lead up to the Smart Energy Expo in Sydney
(6-7 March) where it is a major exhibitor.
An Integrated Approach for Solar Solutions
Trina Solar is well-positioned to support the evolving renewable landscape as the only total solutions provider in the industry that offers modules, trackers and energy storage solutions. As one of the world’s top PV module producers, with cumulative shipments of more than 190GW worldwide by the end of 2023, it is already renowned as an industry leader offering cutting-edge 210mm n-type iTOPCon Advanced cell technology that pushes the limits of cell efficiency and power to 720W and beyond. Its tracker and BESS solutions build on the company’s rich 27-year legacy of innovation in solar technology. TrinaTracker offers adaptability to flat terrain, exceptional system stability and reliability, quick installation and versatile external compatibility. TrinaStorage, meanwhile, boasts a significant in-house battery cell manufacturing capacity which equips its products for grid-scale battery operations.
Edison Zhou, Trina Solar head of Australia, New Zealand and the Pacific Islands, says: “Australia is one of the world’s more mature renewable energy markets and Trina Solar is increasingly seeing customers that are looking at renewable energy solutions beyond solar.
As solar projects become increasingly complex, having a single procurement source helps to streamline processes, allowing for faster delivery and unified after-sales service. This approach not only reduces costs but also ensures efficiency.”
Trina Solar exemplifies its commitment to being a total solutions provider through two groundbreaking projects. The Goulburn Community Farm in New South Wales stands out as a pioneering initiative driven by local residents under the Goulburn Community Energy Cooperative formed by Community Energy 4 Goulburn (CE4G). This 1.35MW solar farm, with design and installation done by Smart Commercial Solar and developed by Komo Energy, is set to be the world’s first to integrate Trina Solar’s Vertex N bifacial modules, TrinaTracker Fix Origin fixed-tilt racking, and the cutting-edge TrinaStorage Elementa 2.2MWh battery energy storage system.
“We’re thrilled to be involved in a project which shows what community will and persistence can achieve when it comes to accessing clean energy. Community Energy 4 Goulburn and Komo Energy have worked hard for years to bring cheaper, cleaner energy to Goulburn and we’re excited to deliver this significant solar and storage project for them,” James Duckworth,
National-Business Development Manager, Smart Commercial Solar.
Trina Solar is also announcing today its involvement in establishing Australia’s first tracker testbed. It is located at the Hills Educational Foundation (HEF) near Brisbane. The consortia – involving HEF, Queensland University of Technology as well as construction and civil engineering services by Diona – was initiated by Robert Saunders (now at Elecseed) who brought together diverse partners responsible for the project’s design, technology, construction, funding and research. The project aims to determine the performance of a modern solar farm – that uses Trina Solar’s Vertex DEG19 bifacial modules on single-axis Vanguard 2P trackers – against the performance of an eight-year-old solar farm that uses older modules and trackers. The insights gained from this testbed will help to determine when it is economically viable to replace older solar farms with new ones. These cost analyses for future solar farm replacements, reflects Trina Solar’s holistic approach to advancing solar technology.
The testbed will also explore the albedo effect, experimenting with materials like recycled tin cans, pale-coloured ground covers and cement sheeting to enhance light reflectivity for increased energy yield. Additionally, the college aims to delve into agrivoltaics, intending to utilize, for example, white-painted offcuts of shipping containers for cultivating mycelium, a protein-rich fungus widely recognized as a valuable feedstock.
“Agrivoltaics is something Australia’s farming community is interested to explore,” says Joseph Marinov, CEO of Hills Educational Foundation. “Creating an environment conducive for crops to grow under the solar modules will help the country’s farmers to embrace renewable energy.”
Trina Solar’s module, tracker and storage solutions will be showcased at the Smart Energy Expo, featuring the latest Vertex N range modules with n-type iTOPCon Advanced solar cells, and Vertex S+ for residential and C&I applications. The exhibit will also feature the upgraded TrinaTracker Vanguard 1P, which will source more than 95% of its steel content for its mounting system products and technology from within the Australian market in support of the local economy.
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