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Tokelau: The world’s first (mostly) solar-powered nation

March 15, 2012
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Polynesian microstate Tokelau is in the process of installing a solar PV system large enough to source 90% of its energy needs from the sun. The balance of the nation’s energy will come from locally grown coconut oil, making the tiny archipelago the world’s first to source 100% of its power needs from renewable energy. [...]

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Suntech Pluto solar PV cells achieve 20.3% efficiency

March 15, 2012
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The world’s largest manufacturer of solar panels, Suntech Solar, has achieved a new level of efficiency in one of its products. Its proprietary Pluto technology was demonstrated to hit an efficiency of 20.3% (sunlight–>usable electricity) in laboratory conditions using its standard commercial-grade polycrystalline silicon solar PV cells. The company expects to reach an efficiency of [...]

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Concentrating Solar Power Alliance formed in US

March 8, 2012
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Three companies have come together to form an organisation to promote the acceptance, adoption, and implementation of concentrating solar power (CSP) in the USA. The new industry peak body is known as the Concentrating Solar Power Alliance (CSPA), and is composed of the CSP project development firms Abergoa, Brightsource Energy, and Torresol Energy. Blog this! Digg [...]

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Federal Government Dumps Solar Hot Water Incentives

February 29, 2012
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The Federal Government has abruptly dropped its incentive for Solar Hot Water.  The Renewable Energy Bonus Scheme (REBS) offered rebates of $1000 for solar hot water systems, or $600 for heat pump hot water systems. Solar hot water systems will still be eligible for up-front rebates in the from of Small-scale Technology Certificates (STCs, a [...]

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100% Renewable Energy: Campaigning for large-scale solar power in 2012

February 22, 2012
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Since 2010, 100% Renewable Energy has been working to build up grassroots capacity to effectively campaign for a complete transition to clean energy in Australia. Galvanised into action by the lack of leadership in the upper levels of government, founder Lindsay Soutar started the organisation with the intention of educating and empowering local communities to effect [...]

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Construction on Silex Solar Systems concentrating PV demo plant underway, PV production resumes

February 22, 2012
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Australia’s Silex Systems has announced both that construction on its Mildura, Victoria concentrating photovoltaics (CPV) demonstration plant, and also that subsidiary SilexSolar will resume production of solar panels at its Sydney plant. The first stage of the demo plant’s construction will be completed by the end of 2012 with an installed capacity of 2 megawatts [...]

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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 after 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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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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Update 21 February 2012:  Silex Solar has resumed production of solar panels. 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 [...]

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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 Transitional 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 Transitional 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 [...]

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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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