Friday 27 February, 2009

 

• Emissions Debate Heating Up In Australia
  A week is often a long time in politics, and this week has been no exception when it comes to the topic of how Australia will address climate change and greenhouse gas emission reduction.

Thursday 26 February, 2009

 

• Solar Batteries That Recharge Themselves
  Recharging small batteries for various gadgets can be somewhat of a pain and while solar battery chargers are available, what if the charger was built into the battery itself? An enterprising individual by the name of Knut Karlsen has done just that.

Wednesday 25 February, 2009

 

• Australian Solar Feed In Tariff Petition Tops 10,000
  Melbourne, Victoria, 25 February 2009. A petition calling for the Federal Government to implement a national solar gross feed-in tariff program has already gathered over 10,000 signatures in support, less than a month after it was launched.


• Solar Energy Lighting Up Schools
  Increasing numbers of schools around the world are taking a leadership role in renewable energy education by installing solar energy systems to help power their campuses, financed by government grants and rebates.


• Japan Announces Solar Feed In Tariffs
  In an attempt to spur on uptake of renewable energy sources and stimulate a flagging economy, Japan's government is launching a net model feed-in tariff scheme where owners of grid connected solar power systems will be paid a premium rate for surplus electricity generated.

Tuesday 24 February, 2009

 

• Solar Powered Mobile Phones Unveiled
  The last week or so has seen a flurry of announcements from mobile phone companies about upcoming releases of phones powered directly by solar energy.


• Solar Highway Nears Completion
  A solar energy project in Germany seeking to make better use of space taken up by roads by turning them into generators of clean electricity.

Monday 23 February, 2009

 

• Queensland Town To Be Fully Solar Powered
  Cloncurry, situated in north west Queensland, Australia, 770 kilometres west of Townsville will become the state's first totally solar powered town.


• Spain Announces New Solar Feed In Tariff Projects
  After some delay which threw Spain's solar industry into disarray, the government has announced the first round of solar projects that have been accepted under the country's feed in tariff program for 2009.

Friday 20 February, 2009

 

• Australia's Printable Solar Cells
  Victorian Minister for Energy and Resources, Peter Batchelor, announced yesterday the beginning of trials to print solar cells using technology developed by the CSIRO, a partner in the Victorian Organic Solar Cell Consortium project.

Thursday 19 February, 2009

 

• Hansen: Australian Government Not Green But Coal Black
  Dr. James Hansen, a leading authority on climate change, has lashed out at the Australian Government, stating that it had been elected on a platform of solving the climate problem, but under the influence of industry, set emission targets that will guarantee untold disasters for the current and future generations.


• Australia's Largest Rooftop Solar Array
  SunPower Corp. announced yesterday the completion of construction of a 305-kilowatt SunPower solar panel based system on the roof of the Crowne Plaza Hotel in Alice Springs, Northern Territory. The installation is the largest rooftop solar power system in Australia currently.

Wednesday 18 February, 2009

 

• Big Future For Solar Energy In Texas
  Everything's big in Texas; even the state's power consumption is huge.The state is becoming increasingly excited over the possibility of a local solar energy industry after a recent major news conference held by state senators and representatives promoting new renewable energy bills.


• Solar Energy Jobs Boom In The USA
  USA President Obama today signed the USD $787 billion American Recovery and Reinvestment Act 2009 into law. The US solar energy industry has rejoiced over the package as USD $43 billion will be spent in the energy sector; with a sizeable chunk dedicated to solar power.

Tuesday 17 February, 2009

 

• Ontario's Solar Feed In Tariff Lesson
  The spectacular success of a feed in tariff program in Ontario, Canada provides a number of lessons for countries considering similar schemes to boost solar energy uptake.


• Solar panels - beware of counterfeits
  The solar energy gold rush is on and there's plenty of companies looking to cash in. Some will succeed on their own merits, but some are jumping on the coat-tails of established companies by using variations on brand names. These counterfeit wares are often sold via avenues such as online auction sites.

Monday 16 February, 2009

 

• Wave Power Project For South Australia
  When it comes to renewable energy in South Australia, most likely solar farms, geothermal power and wind turbines come to mind, but the state will also soon host a wave power project.

Friday 13 February, 2009

 

• Google Targets Energy Efficiency - For All
  The team at Google are well known for their passion for renewable energy and the company has been developing a energy efficiency focused project that could potentially benefit millions - the Google PowerMeter.

Thursday 12 February, 2009

 

• 1.3 Gigawatt Solar Energy Project Announced
  In what's said to be the biggest solar energy venture to date, Southern California Edison and BrightSource Energy have inked a deal for a series of solar thermal projects totalling 1,300 megawatts.

Wednesday 11 February, 2009

 

• ACT Solar Gross Feed In Tariff Countdown
  Solar power system owners in the Australian Capital Territory (ACT) are counting down the days to March 1 when the region will be the first in Australia to offer a solar gross feed in tariff program.


• Grid Connect Enabled Electric Car
  Recently we covered a story on the solar powered recreational boat that returns electricity to the mains grid when in dry dock and fully charged. The (somewhat unfortunately named) eBox, based on a Toyota Scion body, is another form of transportation that can export electricity to the mains grid.

Tuesday 10 February, 2009

 

• Energy Matters At The Brisbane Home Show
  The Energy Matters Brisbane team will be in attendance at the Brisbane Home Show 2009. Energy Matters technical staff will be on hand to answer questions and provide free advice on renewable energy options, plus to arrange for no-obligation quotations and free site inspections.


• The True Cost Of Electricity
  Cheap electricity is something Australians have become accustomed to; but is it really cheap? There's a slew of hidden costs that don't show up on electricity bills, but in taxation. 

Monday 09 February, 2009

 

• WFC Advocating Feed In Tariffs For Renewables
  The World Future Council (WFC) is a global advocate for the concerns of future generations. One of the WFC's current projects is climate and sustainability – how the use of alternative energies such as solar power and wind energy can be supported by the implementation of gross feed in tariffs.


• Solar Power And Coal - An Unholy Alliance?
  Solar energy and the coal fired power generation industry might seem at opposite ends of the spectrum when it comes to clean power, but the potential of solar power melding in with coal related activities is becoming a real possibility to help lessen the impact that the fossil fuel plants have in generating electricity.

Friday 06 February, 2009

 

• Wind Energy Industry Employing More Than Coal Mining
  A recent report has highlighted a very interesting and important statistic - the wind power industry now employs more people than coal mining in the USA.

Thursday 05 February, 2009

 

• President Obama's AUD$155 Billion Green Kickstart
  Of the AUD$1.4 trillion economic stimulus package planned for the USA by President Obama and currently being debated in Congress, over AUD$155 Billion is earmarked for renewable energy and energy efficiency initiatives.


• Wind Power Uptake Blows Away Records
  According to a recent report from the Global Wind Energy Council (GWEC) the USA has surpassed Germany and is now the leader in wind power installations. Total global installations last year exceeded 27,000 MW, 36% more than in 2007, mainly due to massive growth in Europe, North America and Asia.

Wednesday 04 February, 2009

 

• Solar Energy: In The Interests Of Australia's National Security
  For any country, power generation facilities provide a very attractive target for hostile parties or states. Take out a few power plants and you instantly have chaos, severely compromising not only the target, but a massive region beyond. A nation in disarray is a nation that is unable to effectively defend itself. There is a solution for Australia - solar energy.


• Grid Connected Solar Punt
  A solar powered, grid connected craft that defies the old saying of a boat being just a hole in the water that you continuously pour money into.

Tuesday 03 February, 2009

 

• Australian Government Boosts Solar Hot Water Rebate
  BREAKING NEWS: Just over an hour ago, the Australian Government released details of its $42 billion Nation Building and Jobs Plan. Among the initiatives was a commitment to raise the solar hot water rebate of $1000 to $1600.


• Frustrated Solar Owner Threatens To Smash Panels
  Victorian home owner and environmental consultant Peter Allan recently invested $24,000 on a 2.4 kilowatt grid connected solar power system consisting of 14 solar panels, but was frustrated to discover that his contribution to reducing Australian greenhouse gas emissions was penalised.


• Solar Powered Air Conditioning Being Developed In Australia
  With the likelihood of extreme weather events becoming more frequent and the demand for air-conditioning during such times continually increasing, Australia's electricity infrastructure faces dire challenges. Dr Mike Dennis from the Australian National University is seeking to address the issue with the development of revolutionary solar powered air conditioning technology

Monday 02 February, 2009

 

• Solar Energy - A Solution To Australia's Heatwave Blackouts
  The southern Australian states of Victoria and South Australia have been enduring a gruelling heatwave for over a week - and it looks set to continue for some days to come. While the sun is perceived as an enemy, solar energy could provide the solution to prevent a reoccurrence of the electricity crisis that has occurred.


• Sunpower Powers Along
  While the global economic crisis is putting pressure on every industry, even the renewable energy sector, some solar panel companies continue to perform very strongly.

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