In the last decade, green energy has become increasingly in focus as the world seeks to switch to greener, more sustainable and renewable power sources. With the increasing urgency with which global economies are addressing the climate emergency, striving to achieve net zero, and increase resilience, a greater need for green energy has arisen. Thankfully, this has lead to the rapid development of new, innovative technologies to help the world transition to renewable energy generation.
Here are some examples of emerging technology and innovations related to green energy and how they might apply to some non profits and community energy groups.
Innovations in Solar Energy
Solar power is by far the most prolific and widely implemented green energy technology, and it has gained popularity over the last few years. Solar panels are a top renewable energy source and one of the main pillars supporting decarbonisation efforts in Australia. While most people are aware of traditional rooftop solar panels and how they work, below are some examples of solar innovations you may not have heard of.
Flexible & Lightweight Solar Panels
Flexible solar panels are designed to be lightweight and adaptable, making them suitable for unconventional surfaces like curved roofs or portable applications. These panels are enabling solar panels to be installed in new situations such as heritage buildings and curved roof profiles. CORENA’s Project 52. Capri Theatre will use lightweight panels as their roof is old and not suitable for traditional panels.
Microinverters
I have to admit, microinverters are not particularly new, but we haven’t written about them yet and some people may not realise they are an innovative option for your solar install. Microinverters are small devices that work with solar panels on rooftops. Unlike traditional solar setups with a single inverter for all panels, microinverters are installed on each panel, converting the electricity from DC to AC at the panel instead of centrally in the inverter. With a traditional inverter if one panel is shaded a number of the other panels that are connected to it are affected too. Microinverters avoid this problem meaning the other panels can keep producing, improving the overall yield of the system. Overall, they improve the efficiency and reliability of solar energy systems, making them a smart choice if your building has an unusual roof line or partially shaded roof. Several CORENA projects have utilised microinverters including Project 40. Abbeyfield Kooringal community housing project.
Floating Solar
Floating solar is a type of solar energy solution that is mounted on floating platforms on bodies of water. Typically, these are placed on lakes or reservoirs, as the water is usually still enough to not pose any risk to the floating solar panels on top.
The floating solar plant is anchored to the bottom of the lake or dam, and the electricity generated by the solar panels is then transmitted by means of underwater cables.
There are numerous floating solar panel installations around the world now, including this 99kW system installed on a wastewater treatment pond in Lismore. This installation was a partnership between Lismore City Council and community solar group Farming the Sun.
One of the benefits of floating solar plants is that they do not take up land. It is particularly useful in areas that are densely populated or in regions where the use of large swathes of land might negatively impact local ecosystems. Another benefit is that it can mitigate the amount of evaporation that occurs in dams or lakes, making it an attractive option for places where water scarcity is a concern.
In addition, the cooling effect that the water has on the solar panels can help improve their efficiency, making them more effective than traditional solar installations at producing electricity.
Solar Building Materials
Companies such as Tesla have developed solar roof tiles. These help convert the standard roof of a home into a functioning solar energy generator, thereby maximising space use.
In addition to solar roof tiles, solar windows have been developed as a way of providing solar electricity by embedding photovoltaic cells into window glass. These photovoltaic cells can be transparent or semi-transparent, allowing sunlight to pass through while still generating electricity. Solar windows have been installed in this shopping centre in Perth.
Both of these technologies are in their early stages of adoption, and have a long way to go before they catch up to the efficiency and cost effectiveness of normal solar panels but they may be useful for applications in the future.
Something that is becoming more common as the cost of traditional solar panels continues to decrease is using solar panels (usually bifacial solar panels) for constructions such as solar fences, installing panels vertically or as shades on solar car parks like this one. Installing panels vertically would usually decrease their output significantly but as solar panels are relatively cheap and increasingly efficient the production may still be sufficient to justify the upfront cost. Having said that, this article found that east-west facing solar fences can even out perform traditional solar systems as they are able to produce more power in the morning and evening when power prices are higher.
Wind Power
Along with solar power, wind-generated power is an important source of renewable energy. Usually it’s not suitable for small scale use in urban areas as wind resources are more unpredictable, there are significant planning restrictions and the cost effectiveness of the energy output of small turbines is much lower than rooftop solar panels. However there are a couple of innovative ways wind power could potentially be used by non profits and community energy groups.
Vertical Axis Wind Turbines
Traditional wind turbines are built on a horizontal axis, whereby the turbines face into the wind and act like large propellers. However, vertical axis wind turbines allow them to capture energy from the wind no matter what direction it is coming from.
The vertical positioning allows them to rotate around the central axis, which means that they have a smaller footprint, making them better suited for use in places like urban areas or anywhere where space is limited.
It is also useful in locations where the wind direction is not very predictable. Vertical axis wind turbines are generally quieter than horizontal axis wind turbines. They are most commonly used in hybrid solar/wind path lighting or streetlights in more remote areas where connecting to the grid is more expensive.
Community Wind Power
Establishing a community owned wind farm in Australia is difficult from a regulatory and technical point of view but it has been done! Check out Hepburn Energy’s two community owned wind turbines named Gale and Gusto and Denmark Community Windfarm. You can find out more about community owned power in our blog post: Community Renewable Energy: What It Is & How You Can Get Started
Be Part of Australia’s Renewable Energy Future
CORENA is a climate and green energy charity. We provide an innovative revolving fund model that helps finance non profits and community organisations who wish to reduce their carbon footprint and improve their energy efficiency, but cannot afford the upfront expense. Our fund ensures that these kinds of climate projects get the funding that they need in order to get off the ground and become part of the renewable energy transformation.
Through offering a zero-interest loan, it becomes easy to repay through the savings made on operating costs afforded by the low running costs of a renewable energy project over the long term.
Join Australia’s renewable energy revolution and help to finance projects in your community by donating to our revolving fund. We play a role in supporting all kinds of climate projects, from getting off gas to solar power and electric vehicles.
Interest Free Renewable Energy Loans For Non Profits, Community Organisations, Charities, & Social Enterprises
CORENA, can provide free technical advice and zero interest funding to qualifying organisations looking to reduce their emissions and green their energy consumption.
Donations help us to provide funding to non profit and community organisations for:
- Solar Panels
- Energy Efficiency – such as switching to efficient alternatives or installing insulation
- Getting Off Gas – Replacement of fossil gas appliances with electric alternatives
- Electric Vehicles
- A combination of the above
No interest is paid on CORENA loans, and the quarterly loan repayments are set to be a little less than the savings on operating costs averaged over a year. This means never being out of pocket for upfront costs. After the loan is fully repaid, loan recipients reap the full financial benefit of having lower energy costs.
Learn more in 5 Ways CORENA Helps Non Profits Reduce Carbon Emissions & Energy Costs
For further details, check out how to apply for a loan, or register for one of our upcoming Online Q&A Information Sessions.
