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South Australia Solar Feed-in Tariff: Minimum retailer payment comes into effect

February 1, 2012
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A provision for a mandatory ‘retailer payment’ under South Australia Solar Feed-in Tariff scheme has come into effect as of 29 January 2012. The state’s Solar Feed-in Tariff scheme is now composed of two separate parts: A ‘base rate’ of 16c/kWh (for those signed up before 30 September 2011), plus a retailer payment of 7.1c/kWh [...]

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Tindo: Australia’s new home-grown, high-end solar panel manufacturer

January 16, 2012
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The global solar power industry has seen unprecedented turbulence over the last several years, and Australia is no exception to this. With the rapid expansion of the solar photovoltaic (PV) panel manufacturing base–especially in China–comes fierce competition between the players in a field where 10 years ago there was very little. This increased competition is [...]

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Construction on Silex Solar Systems concentrating PV demo plant underway

January 11, 2012
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Solar Systems, a branch of Australia’s Silex Systems, has begun construction on its Mildura, Victoria concentrating photovoltaics (CPV) demonstration plant. The first stage of construction will be completed by the end of 2012 with an installed capacity of 2 megawatts (MW). Subject to the favourable performance of this demonstration-scale version of the project, construction will [...]

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Solar PV system prices reaching unprecedented lows. Why? And how long will it last?

December 14, 2011
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Solar PV system prices have hit all-time lows in Australia, according to Solar Choice’s team of Solar Energy Brokers. These solar price declines are due to a perfect storm of factors, including the strong Australian dollar, increased competition amongst installers and manufacturers due to withdrawn subsidies, and a flood of cheap solar system components from [...]

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Solar power sees major growth across Australia in 2010-2011

December 13, 2011
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Australia’s installed solar power capacity has grown 35 times what it was in 2008, according to a report (pdf) recently released by the Clean Energy Council of Australia. The report covers the growth of renewable energy generation across Australia (currently standing at 9.64% of all generation) in the 2010-2011 financial year. The approximately 1 million solar [...]

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Australia to see 37% average rise in electricity prices by 2014

December 12, 2011
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The Australian Energy Market Commission (AEMC) has released a comprehensive review of the future of electricity prices across Australia. This report lends substance to speculation about the topic of energy prices the media. Factoring in the Federal government’s recently introduced Carbon Price (set to take effect from April 2012), the average price of retail electricity [...]

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Dyesol Solar: Dye-and-nanotech Solar Photovoltaics

December 7, 2011
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Dyesol is positioning itself to revolutionise the solar photovoltaics (PV) industry by making available an innovative but still largely uncommercialised PV technology: the Dye Solar Cell (DSC). DSC is a 3rd generation solar PV technology that uses a ‘sandwich’ of materials to mimic the photosynthetic process of plants in order to create electricity from sunlight. [...]

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ACT Large-scale Feed-in Tariff details released

December 1, 2011
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The Australian Capital Territory government released the detailes of its feed-in tariff (FiT) for large-scale and commercial solar power systems. Feed-in Tariff rates will be determined by an innovative reverse-auction process. The program will complement a suite of policy measures designed to transform the Territory’s energy infrastructure and usage future. Blog this! Digg this post [...]

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Increasing electricity disconnection complaints in NSW and Victoria

November 28, 2011
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The number of complaints related to electricity and gas disconnections due to financial hardship has increased significantly in both NSW and Victoria, according to the states’ Ombudsman’s offices. The two states saw the number of ‘actual or imminent’ energy (electricity or gas) disconnection complaints increase 18% and 58% over the 2011 calendar year, respectively.  The [...]

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8-10c/kWh: NSW Solar Bonus Feed-in Tariff amount draft determination

November 24, 2011
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The New South Wales Independent Regulatory and Pricing Tribunal (IPART) has announced its draft determination on a ‘fair and reasonable price’ for grid-connected solar photovoltaic (PV) systems today. The voluntary 8-10c per kilowatt-hour (kWh) rate is significantly less than the mandatory, minimum 1-to-1 solar feed-in tariff rate that the state’s solar industry had been pushing [...]

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Silex, Australia’s only solar PV panel manufacturer, stops production

November 24, 2011
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Silex Solar, the solar photovolatic (PV) manufacturing wing of the Silex group and Australia’s only PV panel manufacturer, has halted production and closed down its manufacturing plant. The company cited financial stress and a ‘deteriorating market’ for solar PV, as panel prices become cheaper and cheaper. Blog this! Digg this post Recommend on Facebook Share [...]

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Construction begins on Australia’s largest solar farm

November 22, 2011

Construction began on Australia’s first and largest solar farm in Western Australia on 4 November. The Greenough River Solar Farm is a utility-scale generation plant, meaning that it produces enough electricity to feed into the electricity grid and contribute to base-load power. Unlike the more numerous medium- to large-scale rooftop solar PV installations already in [...]

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How much is the new SA feed-in tariff? ESCOSA

November 15, 2011
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South Australia’s independent industry regulatory body–The Essential Services Commission of South Australia, or ESCOSA–has released a draft determination about its recommendations for the electricity retailers’ contribution to the state’s Solar Feed-in Tariff. From 27 January 2012 , the retailers’ contribution will be offered in addition to the 16c per kilowatt-hour (kWh) currently offered to solar [...]

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Carbon Price legislation passes in Australian senate

November 8, 2011
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    In an historic move that is expected to usher in an era of investment in clean technology investment, the Australian senate has passed legislation to put a price on carbon pollution. The carbon tax will enter into effect from July of 2012. Blog this! Digg this post Recommend on Facebook Share on Linkedin [...]

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$4 billion in coal subsidies in NSW?

November 7, 2011
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The Auditor-General of NSW released a report today condemning the previous Labour government’s implementation of the Solar Bonus Feed-in Tariff Scheme, which became political hotpoint last year when it was found that it would go severely over budget. The irony is that the Auditor-General’s report comes on the heels of an article by Climate Spectator [...]

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30c/kWh Solar Feed-in Tariff through Solar Choice installer

November 3, 2011

A solar PV installer in the Solar Choice installer network is now offering a 30c/kWh net Solar Feed-in Tariff for New South Wales customers. The offer is applicable to systems of up to 3 kilowatts (kW) in capacity size and will be guaranteed for 3 years. Request a solar quote comparison or give us a ring [...]

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Solar Choice announces new Commercial Solar PV Finance Package

November 2, 2011

Solar Choice Commercial has announced an innovative and unique financing package for customers looking to develop large-scale commercial solar PV projects across Australia. The Commercial Solar Finance package will be a strong stimulus for the Australian commercial market, and is available to Australia’s solar PV industry at large, for projects sourced directly by installers/manufacturers as well [...]

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‘Solar Energy Zones’ announced for US desert regions

October 31, 2011
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In a proactive policy move, the US government’s Bureau of Land Management (BLM) has released maps of areas that have already passed most or all requisite environmental and cultural conditions for development of large-scale, commercial solar power installations. Once the policy is in place, it will streamline the process of finding a location for commercial [...]

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The future of the Queensland Solar Feed-in Tariff

October 21, 2011
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The possible near-future conclusion for Queensland’s generous 44c per kilowatt-hour (kWh) Solar Bonus Feed-in Tariff has been a topic of speculation as of late. So far, there is no official source indicating that the state’s incentive scheme will be ending any time soon, but a number of issues–notably the budgetary situation in the state (and [...]

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SA and Victoria Solar Feed-in Tariff Schemes enter next phase

September 30, 2011
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    30 Sept 2011 was the last day for paperwork to be in for both the 44c/kWh South Australia solar feed-in tariff and the 60c/kWh Victoria Premium solar feed-in tariff. Thus ends the first round of state feed-in tariffs that began in 2008. Both states will replace their schemes in a sensible, orderly manner [...]

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Off-grid solar power system in Sydney’s Western Suburbs

September 27, 2011
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Nev and Linda Sweeney have been living on their 500-square-meter suburban plot in Sydney’s St Clair Suburb since the early 1980s, and have been trying to live sustainably using the resources on their land for almost just as long. Their approach includes innovative energy generation and efficiency strategies (including off-grid as well as grid-connected solar [...]

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