Australia’s major power networks are calling for compulsory connection fees for all homes and businesses – even if they are not connected to the grid – and penalties for those […]
Fossil fuel subsidy reform “urgent as ever” for Aus, says IMF
The International Monetary Fund says fossil fuel subsidy reform is as “urgent as ever”, after the release of a report showing subsidies to the sector currently averaging at around $US1,000 […]
ARENA predicts ‘mega-shift’ towards energy storage as battery prices drop
A new report by published by the Australian Renewable Energy Agency has predicted solar households will drive a mega-shift to energy storage in the country, as battery technology prices plunge […]
Electricity network companies fighting for price increases in NSW
NSW electricity rates could once again skyrocket from next July if network companies win a legal challenge to a pricing determination made by the Australian Energy Regulator. Prices for this […]
Interest in solar energy storage growing rapidly
Energy storage is making its way into the mainstream media, with Sydney Morning Herald energy reporter Angela Macdonald-Smith writing about the growing level of interest in energy storage amongst Australian households. […]
NSW start-up Enova aims to foster community solar growth
A NSW start-up with plans to become Australia’s first community-owned renewable energy retailer – as well as its cheapest – is hoping to win local support for its venture ahead of […]
Residential Solar PV Price Index: August 2015
Average solar system prices rose for most system sizes in Sydney and Tasmania between July and August, while dropping or staying flat for all other cities and system sizes. The […]
Residential energy storage Q&A with Magellan Power
Magellan Power’s RES1 and RES3 are some of the first of the growing number of residential energy storage devices currently available in Australia. Solar Choice recently caught up with Magellan Power […]
Demand charge reduction could change attractiveness of solar for SA businesses
Rooftop solar might have become a less attractive proposition for businesses in South Australia, after electricity consumption rates for business owners were slashed by SA Power Networks to one-fifth of […]
Utilty-scale solar will soon be competitive with fossil power in USA – even without tax credit
Utility-scale solar in the US is likely to become competitive with fossil fueled energy generation sources in a matter of years, even if current tax credits are removed. That is […]
Reposit Power brings (solar-plus-storage) power to the people
Reposit Power has created a software package which allows PV and battery owners to trade generated electricity directly onto the wholesale electricity market. The software is designed to support and […]
What do homes need to know to take advantage of solar-plus-storage? CSIRO study
A new report by the CSIRO has flagged the importance of engaging consumers in the transformation of Australia’s electricity market – a shift to distributed energy that is largely being […]
Solar energy storage in Victoria
Interest in battery storage for solar power is growing rapidly in Australia – which has been described as ‘ground zero for energy storage’. What is the attractiveness of energy storage for […]
Queensland to host first solar-powered service station in Australia
The Queensland government wants the Sunshine state to host Australia’s first solar powered electric vehicle service station, as part of a potential 1,600km network of solar powered EV fast-charging stations […]
LG’s RESU energy storage solution hits Australian market at competitive price point
Another offering has hit the residential energy storage market last week with the launch of a 6.4kWh battery system from South Korean appliance manufacturers LG Chem that approaches the key […]
New Scientist on the battery storage revolution: We can “all be power brokers”
New Scientist magazine has published an in-depth investigation into the battery revolution that is currently underway globally. The article, The battery revolution that will let us all be power brokers, covers the […]
ACT enviro minister Corbell pushes for emissions considerations in state & federal policy-making
ACT energy and environment minister Simon Corbell has notched up a significant win at this week’s COAG meeting, securing an agreement from state and federal energy ministers to take carbon […]
Deutsche Bank report: Solar to overtake coal in India
A new report from Deutsche Bank has highlighted just how dramatic India’s renewable energy revolution will be, predicting that by 2019, investment in solar alone will outstrip that of coal generation. […]
PV Magazine’s 50 ‘array changing’ technologies sure to excite the solar enthusiast
PV Magazine has released a report outlining the 50 top ‘array changing technologies’ featured at this year’s Intersolar Europe exhibition and conference. The ‘downstream’ technologies were picked based on their […]
Survey says half of Australian voters disappointed with Coalition’s (lack of) support for renewables
A new survey has revealed more than half of Australian voters believe the Coalition has failed to give enough support to Australia’s renewable energy industry, and particularly rooftop solar. The […]
Renewable-focused YieldCo finance will outstrip oil & gas equivalents
A new Deutsche Bank report has predicted renewable energy finance vehicles – known as “YieldCos” – will rapidly outgrow their oil and gas industry equivalents, and become and order of magnitude bigger […]
Europe’s ‘Nice Grid’ project aims to change the grid as we know it
‘Smart grid’ has been a buzzword in the renewable energy/electricity sphere for years now. A European pilot program – ‘Nice Grid‘ – seeks to make the renewables-friendly, distributed generation-centric microgrid dream […]
Labor Party to commit to 50% federal Renewable Energy Target by 2030
The Australian Labor Party will announce a commitment to supporting a Renewable Energy Target of 50% by the year 2030, according to an article in the Sydney Morning Herald and a press […]
Berkshire Hathaway subsidiary nabs record low PV tender below 4c/kWh
NV Energy (Nevada) and Austin Energy (Texas) last week agreed to two separate record-low solar farm PPAs below 4c/kWh. As the lower rate of the two PPA rates, NV Energy […]
In California, now anyone can sell power into the grid
California has cleared the way for homes and businesses to sell their stored electricity into the grid at a profit, thanks to new legislation that allows the aggregation of distributed energy […]
Solar Impulse 2 sets record, flies emissions-free across the Pacific
The Solar Impulse 2 (SI2) solar powered-aircraft has just set a new distance record for emissions‑free flight by flying non-stop from Nagoya (Japan) to Hawaii. The voyage took all of […]
Queensland’s Ergon announces tenders for 200MW of large-scale solar
Queensland network operator Ergon Energy is set to tender for up to 200MW of large-scale solar capacity, as well as to accelerate its push into battery storage and electric vehicles […]
Commercial Solar PV Price Index: July 2015
Commercial solar system prices for July 2015 remain steady at around $1.44 per watt ($/W) on average. 10kW solar system prices continue the gradual rise that began about three months […]
Solar-plus-storage already cheaper than grid electricity in Aus: BNEF
Rooftop solar and battery storage already offers a cheaper option for Australian households than electricity from the grid, according to a leading analyst from Bloomberg New Energy Finance. “Solar and […]
e*star electricity load monitoring: Understand your electricity usage
e*star is an electricity usage monitoring platform that allows users to understand their electricity usage in detail, giving its users actionable insights into their power consumption patterns. The company’s innovative […]
Residential Solar PV Price Index: July 2015
The average solar PV system price nationally continues to sit at about $1.85 per watt for the third month in a row, with prices for specific system sizes also remaining […]
