ARENA funds renewable energy research and battery technology in Australia

The Australian Renewable Energy Agency (ARENA) is funding several initiatives to advance renewable energy infrastructure and stability.

At the University of New South Wales (UNSW), a $6.52 million grant will support the PROFILES project. This three-and-a-half-year research initiative aims to address technical challenges in power systems that rely heavily on inverter-based resources like solar, wind, and battery storage. The project focuses on ensuring the safety and reliability of the electricity grid as it transitions away from traditional coal-fired generation.

Separately, Relectrify has installed its first AC1 inverterless battery storage system in South Australia as part of the AU$61.1 million More Energy Project. Supported by $25 million from ARENA, this project seeks to demonstrate the benefits of an inverterless architecture. By using CellSwitch electronics to generate grid-compliant AC power directly from battery cells, the system aims to reduce capital and operating costs, improve usable lifetime capacity, and eliminate the need for separate inverters.