SA solar customers must have received approval to connect to the grid by 30 September in order to take advantage of South Australia’s 44c/kWh feed-in tariff. (Get a free solar quote comparison of the […]
NSW govt reconfirms obligations to connect solar power systems to the grid
Following the NSW Solar Bonus Scheme feed-in tariff debacle, the NSW government has reaffirmed its legal obligation to connect residential solar power systems to the electricity grid on a net-metering system, […]
Sanyo HIT Solar Panels: high efficiency panels from an industry pioneer
SANYO is a Japan-based Fortune 500 company and one of the largest electronics manufacturers in the world. Although probably best known for its home appliances, Sanyo is also a major […]
Save Solar Power: National Industry Summit to be held in Sydney
The NSW solar power industry welcomed last week’s news that Premier Barry O’Farrell will not pursue legislation to retroactively cut the state’s 60c feed-in tariff under the now defunct NSW Solar […]
80kW commercial-scale solar roof in WA
A massive rooftop solar power project developed and managed by Solar Choice has recently been completed in Derby, Western Australia. The owner of the shed is a WA businessman who recognised […]
Some good news: Government drops retroactive solar NSW Solar Bonus Scheme reduction plans!
Unable to secure the votes required in the Upper House of Parliament, Premier Barry O’Farrell has abandoned plans to retroactively cut the NSW Solar Bonus Scheme 60c/kWh solar feed in […]
Marsden Gardens Retirement Village Solar Project
Marsden Gardens, a retirement village in Marsden, Queensland, has recently seen the completion of the installation of a large solar panel array, distributed across the roofs of the buildings within […]
ACT feed-in tariff hits 15MW cap, scheme closed
The ACT government has announced that the micro-generator ACT feed-in tariff (45.7c/kWh) scheme has reached or exceeded its 15MW cap and is closed to new applications as of midnight 31 May 2011. This […]
Victoria Feed-in Tariff: Things to know
Update 8 Dec 2011: The Victoria Premium Feed-in Tariff has been replaced with a Transitional Feed-in Tariff Scheme. Update on Victoria Solar Feed-in Tariff, 1 September 2011: Deadline to have systems […]
More Solar Power Industry responses to proposed NSW Solar Bonus Scheme changes
In a different perspective on the NSW Solar Bonus Scheme debacle, Clean Energy Council Chief Executive officer Matthew Warren showed some sympathy for the O’Farrell Government’s unenviable position of having […]
NSW Feed-in Tariff Debacle: Hardship provisions?
NSW GOVT PROPOSES HARDSHIP PROVISIONS FOR SOLAR BONUS SCHEME NSW Premier Barry O’Farrell and Energy Minister Chris Hartcher today announced in a media release that special provisions would be made […]
NSW 60c FiT recipients: a portal to vent your discontent
Many Solar Choice customers who installed a solar energy installation in NSW on the 60c tariff are likely to be concerned by the NSW Govt’s attempt to retrospectively slash the […]
WA Feed-in Tariff Reduction: 30 June 2011 application deadline for 40c/kWh rate
Based on a review by the Office of Energy, the Western Australia government has decided to reduce the state’s solar feed-in tariff rate from 40c/kWh to 20c/kWh. The lower rate […]
Solar power and renewables vs coal: Government subsidisation
With the recent furore over the NSW government’s decision to retroactively reduce the 60c/kWh solar power feed-in tariff, the issue of government subsidisation of energy resources has been brought to […]
Responses to NSW Solar Bonus Scheme Reduction
NSW and Australia’s solar power industry reacted with disappointment to Friday’s announcement from the NSW government that the previous NSW Solar Bonus Scheme60c/kWh Feed-in Tariff would be revoked and replaced […]
SOLAR SHOCK: Government announces retrospective NSW Solar Bonus Scheme Cuts
The NSW government has announced a drastic decision that, in addition to closing the NSW Solar Bonus Scheme feed-in tariff, would retrospectively reduce the NSW feed-in tariff for those already […]
Solar power grid price parity through BoS cost reductions
In a previous Solar choice blog entry, we discussed the meaning of grid price parity (or grid parity) and why it is such an important goal in the solar power […]
Solar power in the federal budget: outcomes and changes
The budget for the Australian federal government for the next financial year was released this week. This article covers the changes to funding for solar power projects and policies across […]
Queensland solar power feed-in tariff: eligibility changes
Update 25 June 2012: The Queensland Solar Bonus Feed-in Tariff scheme will be reduced from 44c/kWh to 8c/kWh. Applications to connect to the grid must be submitted by midnight 9 July 2012. […]
43kW of Solar Panels to come to Australian Parliament House
Parliament is soon to be decked out with its own photovoltaic array, as part of the federal government’s efforts to identify and implement solutions to move into a low-carbon future […]
Residential Solar System Warranties: What to look for, what to watch out for
When thinking about installing a residential solar power system, it is important to carefully consider the types and durations of the warranties offered by solar system installers. This article explains […]
The other type of solar power: Concentrating solar power (CSP)
When most people think of solar power, they imagine solar photovoltaics, the technology whereby sunlight is turned directly into (dc) electricity via the p-n junction of a semiconductor material, such […]
Leading Solar Power towns are found in regional Australia
As part of Clean Energy Week, the Clean Energy Council has issued a list of the top 20 postcodes for residential solar power in Australia. The ranking was compiled based […]
Update: Solar Credits Renewable Energy Certificate (REC) Multiplier to fall to 3x from 5x
The Federal government has announced that the Renewable Energy Certificate (REC) Solar Credit multiplier for solar photovoltaic (PV) systems is to be reduced from 5x to 3x on 1 July […]
First international solar-powered flight
The Swiss-engineered Solar Impulse is set to make its first international flight on 2 May 2011 (yesterday in Australia as of the time of this writing, but today in Switzerland!) […]
Oversizing your solar PV system’s inverter for future array expansion
Some households and businesses, when considering whether to install a solar power system, are tempted to oversize their inverter with the idea of later expanding their solar panel array to […]
Photovoltaic and Solarthermal hybrid technology: MIT and Boston College
Researchers at Boston College and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) have produced a single technology that accomplishes what is currently only accomplished with two separate units: thermoelectric and photovoltaic […]
Solar Power comes to a Broome resort: Bali Hai
Bali Hai is a luxury resort in Broome, WA for whom Solar Choice recently tendered an agreement for a 55kW solar photovoltaic array installation. […]
Performance-based RECs
The photovoltaics industry in Australia has recently been subject to two notably destabilising policy issues: on the federal level, falling REC prices, and on the NSW state level, the axing […]
Solar Panels and trees: both share an affinity for the sun…
The Solar Choice blog is full of good advice. We have written about how to orient your solar panels, how to determine what size system you’ll need, how much you […]
NSW Government suspends Solar Bonus (feed-in tariff) Scheme
Energy Minister Chris Hartcher announced this afternoon that the NSW government, facing a budget deficit, has put the Solar Bonus Scheme on ice as of midnight 28 April 2011 due to fears […]
