The Australian Bureau of Meteorology has developed the One Minute Solar Data interface providing a range of solar statistics, including global, diffuse, direct and terrestrial irradiance and sunshine-seconds for 20 locations round Australia. […]
Electricity generation by distributed renewable projects to triple by 2017
Global installations of renewable distributed electricity generation, including solar photovoltaics (PV), small-scale wind, and stationary fuel cells, are set to triple in the next 5 years, reports Pike Research. The news comes on the heels of […]
ACT Reverse-Auction Feed-in Tariff ‘winners’ to be announced in coming weeks
The winning applicants of the Australian Capital Territory’s Reverse-Auction Feed-in Tariff, whose first round for 20 megawatts (MW) of capacity received 49 proposals in April this year, will be announced in […]
Australia was the world’s residential solar PV leader in 2011
Australia led the world in residential rooftop solar photovoltaic (PV) installations for the year 2011, according to data from Australia’s own Clean Energy Regulator and the International Energy Agency (IEA). […]
SafetyinSolar – Solar panel isolation system
As with any industry, there are certain minimum standards that a solar system and its comprising components must meet in order to be installed to be considered safe. SafetyinSolar’s Solar […]
Australian Solar Energy Society (AUSES) changes name to Australian Solar Energy Council
The Australian Solar Energy Society (AUSES) has changed its name to the Australian Solar Energy Council (AUSEC) to reflect its changing role in Australia’s solar power industry as well as […]
SolarBridge Technologies: Microinverters for AC solar panels
SolarBridge Technologies is a US-based company whose mission is to facilitate uptake of rooftop solar photovoltaics (PV) by reducing its complexity and improving its cost-efficiency, developing and manufacturing reliable, high-quality […]
Suntech CEO steps down to focus on operations
Suntech founder Dr Zhengrong Shi has stepped down from his role as CEO of the company. Dr Shi will remain involved in the company as executive chairman and chief strategy […]
30MW solar farm approved for Kerang, central Victoria
A 30 megawatt (MW) solar farm has been granted planning permission in the town of Kerang, along the NSW-Victoria border. […]
Commercial-scale solar power farming in South Australia: 10kW, 30kW, 50kW, 100kW and beyond
Commercial-scale solar systems and farming are becoming increasingly popular investment options in South Australia. Large-scale solar installations and solar farms in SA offer owners and operators either an additional, low-input […]
Solmetric’s Suneye 210: An on-site tool for estimating solar PV system performance
Solmetric’s Suneye 210 is a comprehensive site evaluation tool for solar PV system design and installation. The Suneye 210 allows installers and designers to accurately predict a solar PV system’s […]
NSW Solar Feed-in Tariff rates temporarily removed from MyEnergyOffers website
Solar Feed-in Tariff rates have been removed from MyEnergyOffers, the website associated with NSW’s Independent Pricing and Regulatory Tribunal (IPART), which sets retail electricity prices for the state. The MyEnergyOffers […]
Electricity market reform comes to the forefront of the clean energy debate
Prime Minister Julia Gillard has brought electricity market reform to the forefront of the clean energy debate, publicly calling on state governments to rein in rampant electricity prices. The crux […]
Australian Renewable Energy Agency may fund Solar Flagships runners-up
The Australian Renewable Energy Agency (ARENA) may provide funding for projects that didn’t make the cut for the Federal Government’s Solar Flagships program, according to a draft of the Agency’s […]
Utility-scale solar power
Large-scale commercial solar power and utility-scale solar power are the two big frontiers in solar PV for Australia. Utility-scale solar power has the potential to dramatically transform Australia’s power generation […]
20kW Commercial solar systems: Pricing, output, and returns
A 20kW solar power system is potentially a worthwhile investment for small to medium businesses across Australia, thanks to the falling price of solar PV, and rising electricity prices. This article […]
Bosch Solar Panels in Australia
Bosch is a 125-year-old German engineering company with a globally recognised name. Known mainly for its automobile parts and power tools, Bosch has also been involved in the solar PV […]
Changes to Australian solar PV installation standard AS5033: What’s new?
A number of changes to the Australian standard for solar photovoltaic (PV) installation standard AS/NZS 5033 came into effect from 16 July 2012, with a 3 month grace period for […]
City of Sydney’s big solar plans: 1.25MW on 30 rooftops
The City of Sydney looks like it will claim the crown for the country’s largest rooftop PV installation with a 1.25 megawatt (MW) installation, edging out current record-holder University of […]
Solar Choice Solar System Price Index: August 2012
As of 1 August 2012, the average price per watt of an installed solar system prices sits at about $2.40/watt (after STC rebate) across Australia’s major capital cities (excluding Darwin […]
Cheapest electricity will come from renewables in 2030: BREE Report
The Federal Bureau of Resources and Energy Economics (BREE) has released its Australian Energy Technology Assessment (AETA) report (pdf). The report examines the current and future expected costs of 40 electricity […]
Australian rooftop solar PV capacity at 1.7GW: Clean Energy Regulator
Figures from Australia’s Clean Energy Regulator show that there are now 1.7 gigawatts (GW) of rooftop solar PV capacity throughout the country. In total, over 750,000 homes (about 10% of […]
Clean Energy Week 2012 roundup
Clean Energy Week 2012 presented numerous opportunities for the Solar Choice team to make connections for our commercial solar power activities, meet new installers to potentially join our installer network, speak […]
Finding deals on solar power systems in Mildura, Victoria
Mildura, Victoria is a great place to install a solar PV system, thanks to the state’s Standard and Transitional Solar Feed-in Tariffs. Rising electricity rates, falling solar PV installation prices, […]
The economics of commercial-scale solar power farming in WA 10kW, 50kW and beyond
A growing number of residents of rural Western Australia residents are considering adding commercial-scale solar power farming to their portfolio of revenue streams. The primary benefit that solar farms afford […]
Compare Solar Quotes for Melbourne, Victoria
Melbourne is Victoria’s largest city and a great place for solar PV systems. If you are in the market for a solar PV system, a good starting point is a […]
Victoria Transitional Solar Feed-in Tariff may close soon
Update 3 Sept 2012: The Victorian government has announced that systems must be installed and all paperwork submitted by 30 September 2012 in order to secure eligibility for the Transitional or […]
Solar Quotes for Adelaide, South Australia
Adelaide is the largest city in South Australia and a great place for solar PV systems. A good place to start for those in the market for a solar system […]
Kyocera’s Energy Management System: An integrated battery storage solution
Kyocera has introduced an integrated Energy Management System (EMS) and battery storage solution onto the Japanese market for the summer of 2012. The Kyocera EMS combines Kyocera solar panels with […]
China increases solar PV installation targets: 21GW by 2015
A June 2012 report by GTM research highlighted the massive glut of solar panel supply that currently exists globally, predicting that at current demand levels, the oversupply will continue until […]
ET Solar launches AC micro-inverter solar panels in North America
China’s ET Solar has launched the industry’s highest efficiency AC solar panel. The UL 1741 and UL 1703 certified solar panels will contain SolarBridge Pantheon II micro-inverters and produce grid-compatible […]
