Australia’s largest solar farm, the 102MW Nyngan Solar Plant in western New South Wales, is set to become fully operational in a matter of weeks after achieving the milestone of […]
UNSW adds fast chargers, Tesla Model S and BMW i3 to EV arsenal
The University of New South Wales (UNSW) has recently installed two additional electric vehicle (EV) fast chargers at the Kensington campus. The charging station, which sits behind the Tyree Energy […]
Commercial Solar PV Price Index: June 2015
Average indicative prices for commercial solar energy systems changed little between May and June 2015, continuing to hover around $1.44/W. Commercial solar energy system prices (10kW-100kW): Averages All prices in the […]
Aussie rooftop solar installations continue apace despite RET debacle
Australian households and businesses continue their rapid take-up of rooftop solar, even as new Renewable Energy Target legislation prepares to pass through the Senate, and despite the Abbott government’s latest […]
South Australia’s two remaining coal plants will close, Alinta confirms
The likelihood of South Australia shifting to 100 per cent renewable energy received a huge boost this week, with the decision to close the state’s two remaining coal-fired plants. Alinta […]
Residential Solar PV Price Index: June 2015
Average residential solar PV system prices remain largely unchanged between May and June 2015, hovering around $1.86/W nationally. What appears as price rises in Melbourne were actually due mainly to a […]
IRENA report highlights the 164 nations with renewable energy targets
On the same day Tony Abbott described Australia’s RET as “not the right way forward,” a new report has described renewable energy targets as a “defining feature” of the global energy landscape, […]
Wind & solar save the day in SA as fire disables Northern coal plant
Renewable energy managed to carry the bulk South Australia’s electricity load over the long weekend, after a fire at the Northern coal power station – the state’s only baseload generator […]
Coalition reportedly investigating ways to promote large-scale solar ahead of wind
Solar energy could be favoured under the revised Australian renewable energy target, with Coalition ministers reportedly looking at ways to accelerate the development of large-scale solar projects, ahead of wind […]
SolarSafe: Warranty protection and safety audits for existing solar PV systems
SolarSafe is a Queensland-based company founded with the goal of rectifying some of the downsides of the cracking growth of residential solar systems in Australia. The company fills an important niche […]
RV Solar Supplies: Taking solar on the road with recreational solar
One of the biggest advantages of solar photovoltaic (PV) technology is its scalability – it can be used in applications as small as a calculator or as large as a […]
Lismore Council’s Community Solar project opens to investors
Australia’s first local government- and community-owned solar project will begin seeking investor interest this week, just six months after it was approved for development. The Lismore Community Solar project, which […]
Three potential sites identified for ground-breaking SA energy storage project
Plans for Australia’s first large-scale, non-hydro energy storage project have progressed this week, with the identification of three potential sites in South Australia, and the submission of more than 40 […]
Aussie property developers could skip grid to design microgrid-powered communities
Australian property developers are exploring the option of not connecting newly built housing estates to the electricity grid, but instead offering solar and storage as part of a standard package, industry […]
Solar power system prices in Newcastle, NSW
Around 11% of the homes in Newcastle, NSW have a solar power system installed. This is strong evidence that many Newcastle residents continue to find that solar PV systems are well worth the […]
Australian Energy Storage Conference & Exhibition 2015 roundup
The excitement and optimism were palpable at the Australian Energy Storage Conference and Exhibition held this week in Sydney at the Australian Technology Park. The exhibition portion had on display […]
World’s largest off-grid residential solar-plus-storage system installed in Hawaii
The world’s largest private residential solar-plus-storage, off-grid power system was installed last week in Hawaii. The system includes a 170kW solar array and 1MWh of Aqueous Hybrid Ion batteries from […]
Solar feed-in tariff for regional Queensland reduced further under latest QCA review
Queensland’s regional solar households are set to be paid even less for the energy they export to the grid, after the the state’s pricing regulator announced a further cut to […]
Canberra Institute of Technology to launch Renewable Energy Skills Centre of Excellence in 2016
Starting in 2016, the Canberra Institute of Technology (CIT) will provide cutting-edge training in renewable wind technologies through its Renewable Energy Skills Centre of Excellence. The Centre of Excellence, which […]
Panasonic to launch battery storage system for Australian market
Japanese electronics giant, Panasonic, is set to announce its battery storage rollout in the Australian market, along with its plans with “some of” Australia’s leading energy retailers.The product rollout, scheduled […]
RET deal’s passage will unlock billions in solar & wind investment
More than $10 billion in solar and wind investment would be unlocked if legislation to amend Australia’s renewable energy target achieved quick passage through parliament, the Clean Energy Council has […]
SA Power Networks could introduce $100 annual charge for solar homes
South Australia’s monopoly power network operator, SA Power Networks, has flagged the introduction of a $100 a year network surcharge on the state’s solar households. The proposal was revealed in […]
Commercial solar PV on Western Power’s network: Grid connection procedures & requirements
The procedures and requirements for connecting a commercial solar PV system to WA‘s Western Power network are some of the most stringent in Australia, especially when it comes to solar […]
ARENA-backed survey says Australia loves solar
A new survey has found that an overwhelming majority of Australians support the installation of solar on the nation’s rooftops and at a utility-scale, but that almost one-quarter of the […]
Half of Aussie solar homes could get batteries as economics improve: Morgan Stanley
Australia’s residential battery storage market could be worth $24 billion, with half of all households likely to install batteries to store the output from their solar panels, according to investment […]
Solar Choice brokers 30kW system for Bridgestone Earthmover Tyres
Solar Choice Commercial has brokered a 30kW solar system for the roof of Bridgestone Earthmover Tyres’ facilities in Mount Isa, Queensland. The system uses 115x 260W Trina Solar panels with 2x […]
Renewables sector employed 7.7 million people globally in 2014: IRENA
The global renewable energy industry employed 7.7 million people, directly or indirectly, in 2014, according to a report released on Tuesday night by the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA) – an 18 […]
Jordanian auction achieves record-low large-scale solar prices
The cost of large-scale solar has achieved a new low in the Middle East and north Africa region, after the latest round of solar auctions in Jordan confirmed the benchmark […]
Australia’s first road-legal solar sports car to hit streets this year
Imagine being able to drive yourself around town without having to pay for an ounce of petrol – but instead getting all the fuel that you need for free from the […]
Innovative German pilot hybrid project combines solar PV, CHP and battery storage
A German project that combines rooftop solar PV, combined heat and power technology, and battery storage could be adapted and scaled up elsewhere, according to General Electric, one of the […]
New residential energy storage pilot projects to showcase promise of energy independence
In a sign of the times and an indication of things to come, a total of 22 homes are to be fitted out with emergency backup energy storage systems in a pilot […]
