The former chief executive of America’s biggest electricity utility, Duke Energy, says it take distributed energy technologies like solar and storage to bring energy democracy to the world’s developing countries […]
QLD government to give boost to rooftop & large-scale solar
The Queensland Labor government has pledged to help the Sunshine State live up to its name, by boosting development of large-scale solar projects and encouraging the uptake of rooftop solar. […]
Redflow to offer small-scale flow battery in Australia from 2016
ASX-listed battery technology developer Reflow says it will deliver a plug and play version of its unique zinc bromide flow battery for households and small businesses by early 2016. The […]
On Wind Load Reduction: Solar Arrays in the Field and Building Roofs
Solar Choice has recently been in contact with Leighton Cochran, PhD of Brisbane-based MEL Consultants. Dr Cochran has conducted extensive research into wind loading for all types of solar technologies […]
2015-16 NSW benchmark solar panel feed-in tariff rates to drop further: IPART draft report
NSW’s Independent Pricing and Regulatory Tribunal (IPART) has released a draft of its proposed solar feed-in tariff benchmark range for 2015-16. At 4.4-5.6c/kWh, the rates (which are unlikely to change […]
Solar will meet 100% of WA daytime electricity demand within next decade, says state’s energy minister
Western Australia’s treasurer and energy minister, Mike Nahan, has predicted that solar PV will meet the daytime electricity needs of the state within the next decade, in a speech at […]
ACT’s largest rooftop PV project reaches financial close
Solar Choice has this week reached financial close on an impressive 600kW project pursuant to a long term Roof Access Agreement negotiated with the ACT Government. The site for the […]
‘SunPort’ promises solar energy access to everyone – roof or no roof
Solar photovoltaic (PV) technology has come a long way in the past decade. Once seen as expensive, idealistic and useful only in niche applications, it has now entered the global […]
Brisbane Markets 1.06MW rooftop solar array installation complete (NEW IMAGES)
Installation of the solar arrays for the 1.06MW Brisbane Markets project – begun several months ago – is now complete. As we reported previously, Solar Choice Commercial brokered the winning bid on this iconic […]
Aussie-developed salt-based energy storage solution wins ANSTO Eureka Prize
A low-cost energy storage solution that uses salt to store excess electricity has been awarded one of Australia’s top science gongs, the ANSTO Eureka Prize for Innovative Use of Technology. […]
As feed-in tariffs end and battery prices fall, homes ‘hungry’ for batteries: ARENA CEO
The winding back of state-based solar feed-in tariffs could leave one million-plus Australian solar households “hungry” for energy storage, at the same time as battery costs start to decline, the […]
Solar-plus-battery storage in Brisbane
In some suburbs of the greater Brisbane area, nearly 50% of residential roofs are equipped with solar panels – among the highest rates in the country. Many of these homes […]
Victorian regulator confirms feed-in tariff to be slashed to 5c/kWh
Victoria’s Essential Services Commission has confirmed it will slash the feed-in tariff for solar power exported to the grid to 5c/kWh, starting January 01, 2016. The ESC announced the decision in in […]
Vic government to address barriers to wind farms, distributed solar & storage
Just weeks after the federal government ordered the Clean Energy Finance Corporation to cease backing wind energy and rooftop solar in Australia, Victoria’s state Labor government has committed to drive […]
Commercial Solar PV Price Index: August 2015
This month Solar Choice upgraded its price reporting functionality to encompass a larger number of commercial installers – with interesting results. While average prices now appear as higher for 30kW, 50kW […]
New solar & storage-friendly electricity market rules delayed until 2020
New electricity market rules that could have encouraged Australian networks and consumers to take up solar PV, battery storage and demand management systems have been delayed for another five years. […]
Solar Choice brokers 30kW solar system for Gold Coast Central Seventh-Day Adventist Church
Solar Choice Commercial has brokered a 30kW solar PV system for the Central Seventh-Day Adventist Church on the Gold Coast, Queensland. The church’s congregation exhibited uncommon ambition in their clean […]
WINAICO Solar listed as tier 1 by BNEF
Industry analysts at Bloomberg New Energy Finance (BNEF) have classified WINAICO a tier 1 solar module manufacturer in their most recent PV Market Outlook report. Although the listing does not […]
Utility business model is in danger – and Australia is the proverbial ‘canary in the coal mine’
The point when the cost of solar electricity generation falls below that of the cost of the network is the real threat to traditional utilities, a new report has warned. […]
Aus energy markets in midst of ‘seismic shift’ thanks to solar, storage: Shorten
The leader of the Opposition has pushed the case for household solar and battery storage, in a speech at the University of NSW last Friday. Federal Labor leader Bill Shorten […]
Going with the flow: An introduction to redox flow batteries
Renewable energy technologies – solar PV in particular – are on the cusp of changing the energy landscape. In combination with the right load profile and in the right settings, […]
Solar Council launches campaign to oust Liberals in marginal Perth seat
The Australian Solar Council has launched a new campaign urging voters to stand up for solar and put the Liberal Party last in the up-coming by-election for the Perth seat […]
Report says world must install 53GW of PV per year until 2020 to stop climate change
The world will need to install solar PV at an average rate of 53GW a year from 2013-2020 as it transforms its energy mix to prevent dangerous climate change, a […]
Tesla’s Powerwall & Powerpack sales add up to $US1B – without marketing
Tesla’s residential Powerwall batteries and larger-scale Powerpacks have already notched up $US1 billion worth of sales, and the California-based EV maker says its delivery book to early 2017 is already […]
Solar Choice brokers commercial solar system for Kennards Hire in first stage of broader roll-out
Solar Choice Commercial has brokered a 15kW solar system for Kennards Hire in Rutherford, NSW. The project is the first in a wider roll-out for the national rental chain. Kennards Hire […]
July was best month yet for rooftop solar PV this year: Sunwiz
A surge in Australia’s commercial-scale solar PV market has helped deliver the highest monthly volume of PV capacity so far this year. According to the latest report from solar industry […]
Survey confirms: Over 80% of Australians prefer solar energy over other sources
Solar power is the preferred energy source of more than 80 per cent of Australians, a new survey has found. In its latest Climate of the Nation report, The Climate […]
Solar Choice launches Australia’s first battery storage comparison platform
On the back of the success of our free and impartial Solar Quote Comparisons and mounting interest in energy storage for solar, Solar Choice has launched Australia’s first comparison platform for […]
Energy storage Q&A with Bosch Power Tec
Bosch Power Tec recently introduced its BPT-S 5 Hybrid residential energy storage device onto the Australian market, along with a line of hybrid inverters. Solar Choice recently caught up with Bosch […]
Solar Choice survey provides snapshot of Australians’ thoughts on energy storage
Since the beginning of 2015 Solar Choice has seen interest in home energy storage grow steadily. We recently conducted a survey of our customers who have told us they would like […]
Australia sees emissions jump for first time since 2001
Australian has recorded the biggest jump in electricity sector emissions since 2001, as brown coal and black coal energy generation continues to grow after the repeal of the carbon price […]