The Australian Tax Office [ATO] has released its findings regarding the treatment of income generated from selling electricity back to the grid. […]
REC/STC prices guaranteed at $40–but only if sold through ORER
On Friday 27 February 2010 the Minister for Climate Change announced some very positive changes to the prices of Renewable Energy Certificates (RECs, also known as Small-scale Technology Certificates or STCs). […]
Free power, and the rest
The following article, by Mathew Cawood, appeared in the rural newspaper The Land on 20th of February 2010. It talks about a recent 10kW installation in country NSW that Solar Choice brokered. The installation earns […]
Home energy consumption versus solar PV generation
A previous article on this site looked at the first part of that answer, how much energy your solar cells will produce. Here we learnt that the amount of energy a 1kW […]
Gross Metering Details for Energy Australia New South Wales
There is a lot of discussion in the industry regarding exactly how the New South Wales Solar Bonus Scheme will affect properties meter boxes and connections with the grid. Solar […]
How do I use electricity throughout the day – the load curve
The previous article, how to save energy in your home, told you how on aggregate you use electricity in the home – that is, what percentage of your power is used by certain appliances. But […]
How to save energy in your home
Every quarter that electricity bill rolls in, and you may be left wondering – how is it so high, and how am I using that much energy? Here is a summary […]
Get a discount by buying in bulk – set up a Solar Community
Setting up a solar community is a great way to do a big thing for the environment. If you’re a local council, it’s a great way to reduce the carbon footprint of your […]
NSW feed-in tariff loophole to be closed
A loophole in the NSW Solar Bonus Scheme (the states feed-in tariff) that allowed energy retailers to only offer credit instead of cash will be closed. The NSW Energy Minister, John Robertson, […]
Putting solar cells on your holiday home – a nice little earner
For those of you luck enough to own a holiday home you no doubt already know that renting it out to friends and the public is a great way to earn […]
Make the Right Solar Choice – article in the Green Times
The following article, by Michael Salvatico, appeared in the Green Times. It talks about the service offering of Solar Choice and that fact that we are a carbon negative operation, through […]
Solar energy is lighting the way – article in the Western Advocate
The following article, by Louise Eddy, appeared in today’s Western Advocate. It talks about a major solar installation that Solar Choice brokered in Western NSW that will produce enough power to service […]
The Green Loans program
(N.B. the Australian government’s Green Loan program came to a close on 21 December 2010. Some information below is out of date.) A solar PV system is a great way to […]
Steel beam solar cells? A technology of the future
Imagine being in a sky scraper where the huge glass windows and steel beams act as solar cells, soaking up the sun’s light and generating electricity. This is exactly the […]
What happens if my solar energy installation is slightly over the Feed in Tariff limit?
So you’ve made the decision to install solar panels on you roof and would like to take full advantage of the Feed in Tariff’s available. How big can you make […]
Solar powered plane set to circumnavigate the globe
In 1903 two audacious young men set human kind into a new era with their bold attempt at flight. They were the Wright brothers, and their pioneering invention, which got […]
Myth Busted: Solar cells do NOT take more energy to manufacture than they will ever generate
One of the myths that has floated around about Solar Energy is that it takes more energy to produce, transport and install solar panels then the amount the panels will […]
Power prices set to rise by up to 60%
The NSW Energy Minister John Robertson said last Monday that he had received verbal advice from the state’s pricing regulator that power prices could rise by up to 60% in […]
ETS voted down in the senate for a second time
The Federal Government’s proposed Emissions Trading Scheme has been just been voted down in the Senate for a second time. After the tumultuous political events of the last week, the […]
NSW Gross Feed In Reward Scheme – install within the next few months to guarantee your inclusion in such a generous scheme
It’s all good news for NSW customers who’ve installed solar energy, or will install it within the next few months. The NSW Govt released draft legislation a few hours ago […]
NSW Govt Announces Gross Feed In Reward Scheme
Wonderful news for NSW customers who will be going solar, or already have installed solar energy! NSW Govt announced an hour ago that the new feed in reward scheme starting […]
List of CEC (formerly BCSE) Approved Solar Energy Components
The reality of the situation in Australia is that there is a diverse number of panels, inverters and installers in the solar industry. These three factors are the most important […]
Victorian Feed-In Tariff Commences
After much deliberation the details of the Victorian feed-in reward rate have been announced, with a commencement date on the 1st of November, 2009. Official specifications for the reward rate […]
Example of personal service from Solar Choice broker
Hi Adam, Great to hear from you. Okay, so really the comparison of a 1.5 and 2kW system comes down to a larger outlay for a larger system. But is […]
The REC Market: Determining your Solar Credit Discount
(Some of the information in this article may be out of date! Please see our Solar Credits and Rebates page for updated information on Renewable Energy Certificates (RECs, also known as […]
Solar Credit discounts legislated today!
Great news for all Australian residences and businesses looking to install solar energy. The Senate today passed the Renewable Energy Target (RET) bill, which includes legislation for the Solar Credit […]
Senate rejects climate change laws: solar credit discounts still on hold
The Senate today rejected the Government’s climate change package, leaving the solar credit legislation in limbo. Calls have been made by the Australian renewable industry for both major parties to […]
Senate should be asked to pass Solar Credits as separate legislation
Solar Credit discount legislation – which forms part of the Renewable Energy Target (RET) bill – is back before the Senate this week, together with the Emmissions Trading Scheme. The RET […]
Remote Power Rebate still available in Western Australia
On the 22nd of June, 2009, the Renewable Remote Power Generation Program (RRPGP) was closed to all Australian States and Territories except Western Australia. Households, businesses and community buildings in […]
The Solar Sailor
There is a sleek looking vessel in Sydney Harbour that has been creating ripples of intrigue amongst tourists and locals. Noticeably quiet and modestly sized, it has attracted attention from […]
RECs / STCs – What are they and how are they calculated?
(Although still an accurate description of the REC scheme in general, some of the details in this article may be out of date! Please click here for regularly updated information on […]