CEFC Provides $20 Million For Solar PPA Programs

CEFC - Solar Power Purchase Agreement

Australia’s Clean Energy Finance Corporation (CEFC) has announced it will provide up to $20 million to accelerate the uptake of commercial solar power systems. The senior debt finance will be provided to ET Solar Australia to go towards a Power Purchase Agreement (PPA) program. A solar PPA is a long term contract to purchase electricity […]

Australia’s Bright Solar Future : Video

Australia's Bright Solar Future

A video released at the recent Australian PV Institute’s (APVI) Solar Research Conference provides an update of the current status of the industry, the strengths of Australia’s solar sector and where the industry is headed. Development of “Australia’s Bright Solar Future” was supported by and features input from representatives from Energy Matters/SunEdison, the Australian Centre […]

Amazon Web Services Partners On Wind Farm

Amazon Web Services, Inc. has signed a Power Purchase Agreement (PPA) for the output of a 150 megawatt wind farm to be constructed in Benton County, Indiana. To be called the Amazon Web Services Wind Farm (Fowler Ridge); the facility is expected to generate approximately 500,000 megawatt hours (MWh) of  clean electricity a year – […]

Telstra Trials Solar Powered Fuel Cell System

Telstra Solar Fuel Cell Trial

Telstra says it has been trialing a solar fuel cell system to provide back-up power to a small exchange east of Melbourne. Hydrogen fuel is being generated from water available on-site using solar panels. The hydrogen is then used in a fuel cell system where it is combined with oxygen to produce electricity, water, and […]

Renewables Competitive With Fossil Fuels : IRENA

IRENA Renewable Power Generation Costs

The International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA) says the cost of generating power from some renewable energy sources has reached parity or is cheaper than cost of fossil fuels. The Renewable Power Generation Costs in 2014 report states biomass, hydro, geothermal and onshore wind are all competitive with or cheaper than coal, oil and gas-fired power […]

Solar Power System Survey Results : Choice

Choice solar power system survey

Australian consumer group Choice released results of its survey on solar power late last week; with some food for thought for both the industry and potential buyers of solar panels. The survey was carried out with 700 respondents from across Australia, with 59% living in capital cities and 41% in regional areas. A very interesting […]

A Fair Go For Solar In Queensland : Greens

A Fair Go For Solar

The Greens have unveiled a plan to pay all Queensland solar households a fair price for their electricity exports and give 100,000 extra households the opportunity to control their power bills by installing solar panels. If elected after the upcoming state election, the party will invest $100 million on research into solar electricity generation, storage […]

173,000+ Working In US Solar Industry

US solar jobs census

The US solar industry added more than 31,000 jobs in 2014 – growing at a rate of 21.8% since November 2013. The Solar Foundation’s National Solar Jobs Census 2014 states the industry is adding workers at a rate nearly 20 times faster than the overall economy and the installation sector is already larger than coal […]

Solar A Better Investment Than The Stock Market

Solar - cheap electricity

In 46 of America’s 50 largest cities, a fully financed average sized solar power system is a better investment than the stock market. In Australia, a system purchased outright can also be a better investment than shares. The first part of the Going Solar in America report (PDF), released last week by N.C. Clean Energy […]

Electricity Demand In Australia Drops Again

Australian electricity demand

A report published yesterday shows electricity demand in Australia’s National Electricity Market (NEM) decreased again in 2014. Following a trend that began in 2009, GreenMarkets says consumption fell last year by 1.1 per cent – 2,098 gigawatt hours less than 2013 levels. The only state to record an increase was Queensland (+ 0.9%). The state […]