Enphase have released details of their plug-and-play AC battery storage units, designed as part the Enphase ‘Energy Management System’ (EMS). They are designed to be easily installed and modular, such […]
Solar Choice brokers 70kW of rooftop solar for Mildura Early Learning Centres
Two early learning centres in the remote Victoria/NSW border town of Mildura have both gone solar with the aid of Solar Choice Commercial. The Mildura Central Child Care Centre on Lime Ave was […]
Over 1 gigawatt of new solar was installed under small-scale RET in last 14 months: Green Energy Trading
Continued uncertainty over the future of Australia’s Renewable Energy Target has boosted the nation’s uptake of rooftop solar, according to a new report, helping to push the total amount installed […]
Renewable Energy Target state-of-play: What you need to know
Sydney Morning Herald Environment Editor Peter Hannam has provided a lucid overview of where things stand with the Renewable Energy Target (RET). The piece is worth a read for anyone who […]
Super-fast charging for new lithium ion battery
Researchers at Nanyang Technological University (NTU), Singapore, have developed a fast‑charging long‑life lithium ion battery which has the potential to significantly boost electric vehicle (EV) and portable electronics performance. The […]
32 rural NSW Councils band together to pilot SEXI solar projects
A local government initiative in NSW is proposing the development of six solar projects, to showcase and test a variety of photovoltaic and concentrating solar thermal technologies. The initiative, spearheaded […]
Report shows path for Victoria to generate jobs, revenue through clean energy-friendly policy
Victoria could save tens of millions of dollars and generate hundreds of jobs by tweaking current policy settings on small-scale solar and energy efficiency, a new report has found. The […]
Coalition draws lines for start to negotiations on Renewable Energy Target’s future
The Coalition has come out swinging–albeit not as furiously is it might have–in negotiations over the future of the Renewable Energy Target. Key to the Government’s initial position on the […]
USA distributed solar PV costs dropped 12-19% in 2013
The price of distributed solar PV systems in the US dropped by between 12 and 19 per cent in 2013 – and will likely fall by up to 12 per […]
APVI slams Australian Energy Market Commission over unfair, ineffective tariff structures
The Australian Photovoltaic Institute has issued a scathing critique of proposed guidelines for electricity network pricing and tariffs, arguing that instead of reducing consumer bills, the new regimes will simply […]
Thermal electricity storage inspired by hang-gliders
UK‑firm ‘Isentropic’ has developed a pumped heat electricity storage (PHES) system for cheap and convenient distributed grid storage, with a projected levelised cost of storage (LCOS) below industry‑leading hydroelectric storage. […]
Energy storage steadily gaining steam globally, as coal looks set for a long, slow decline
Even as Tony Abbott spruiks reactionary about coal’s benefits to humankind, a massive revolution is undoubtedly underway in the world’s energy sector–whether he cares to acknowledge it or not. Renewable […]
Australian Energy Regulator warns networks: Accommodate prosumers or they will ‘walk away’ & go off-grid
The rise of the energy “prosumer” will lead to a revolution in Australia’s energy market, the Australian Energy Regulator says – and the consequences for some in the industry could […]
NSW Club industry choosing solar power, with help from Solar Choice
Solar Choice and Clubs’ Sustainable Futures NSW have teamed up to introduce the Solar in Clubs Program. Working alongside Clubs’ Sustainable Futures, Solar Choice aims to help the growing number of […]
Magellan power’s Solar Smoother deployed at Carnarvon’s new Police Complex
WA-based power product engineering company Magellan has seen its Australian-made Solar Smoother put to use for the first time at a new Police and Justice Complex in regional WA. Carnarvon, whose […]
‘The Green Electricity Guide’ reveals electricity retailers’ stance on renewable energy
Earlier this year Greenpeace released ‘The Green Electricity Guide’ – an online resource aiming to “help inform Australians about which electricity retailers really are as [environmentally-friendly] as they say they […]
Xenophon, while withholding comment on RET, says small-scale solar should be expanded
As the Abbott government attempts to wrangle its proposed changes to the Renewable Energy Target, the future for the solar industry brightened a little, after independent senator Nick Xenophon signalled […]
Fluidised bed reactors to enable low cost silicon solar cells
In order to make crystalline silicon solar cells, cell producers need micron-thin wafers of exceptional purity. The majority of base silicon material–referred to as ‘polysilicon’–used for producing high purity silicon […]
Who owns the generation capacity in Australia? WattClarity takes a look
A chart recently published by electricity market watchdogs WattClarity yield fascinating insight into where Australia’s electricity originates–and who owns the power plants that produce it. Abundantly clear in the chart–which […]
Commercial PV Price Index – October 2014
In addition to the Residential Solar PV Price Index that Solar Choice publishes monthly, we also publish pricing data for commercial systems (10kW, 30kW, 50kW and 100kW). This article contains […]
Energy storage costs could beat conventional generation costs by 2017
The cost of battery storage could beat that of conventional energy generation within two to three years and could go as low as $100/kWh, a new report has found. In […]
China leads as world solar PV market approaches 20GW in Q4 2014
New data on global solar installations has shown that the world is on track to reach 200GW of cumulative capacity, with the amount of PV added in the fourth quarter […]
Let there be light: Australian churches switching on solar power
Homes and businesses are not the only ones investing in solar power in Australia: with electricity prices soaring and environmental concerns at the forefront of the minds of many, religious […]
Prof Ray Wills says 80% of world’s energy needs will be met through self-generated renewables by 2040
A WA academic and energy advisor has predicted that 80 per cent of the world’s energy will come from self-generated renewable energy, like rooftop solar, by as soon as 2040. Ray […]
Residential Solar PV Price Index – October 2014
With the exception of Brisbane and (in some cases) Perth, average solar PV prices have continued to drop across all of the cities included in Solar Choice’s monthly analysis, falling down […]
PM’s cabinet considering rejection of RET Review recommendations: Financial Review
The Prime Minister’s office looks set to disregard the key recommendations handed to the government by the Renewable Energy Target Review panel last month, according to the Australian Financial Review, with […]
‘Socket parity’ just around the corner for solar-plus-storage in many countries: Citi
Solar power could reach “socket parity” in some countries as soon as 2020, and utility-scale grid parity in large parts of the world by 2030, according to a major new […]
Japanese PV installers choosing wooden racking for solar panel ground-mounting
PV installers in Japan are increasingly opting to use wooden racking for large ground-mounted installations as a way of improving overall environmental appeal and stimulate the local forestry industry. Japanese […]
360 Storage: Smart solar panel energy storage options for the Australian market
Solar PV system component wholesaler Solar 360 has recently launched its own branded line of energy storage products onto the Australian market under the banner of 360Storage, further widening the range of […]
Australian investment in large-scale renewables took a nose-dive in 2014 due to RET uncertainty
A report from Bloomberg New Energy Finance shows that Australia is on track to record its lowest level of asset financing for large-scale renewables since 2002, with just $193 million […]
The value of solar for military operations
The Obama administration has made clear its intentions to position the US at the forefront of renewable energy research and application. This show of leadership has spawned an interesting relationship […]
