Finalists in the 2017 Clean Energy Council Awards were revealed this week, reflecting the growing sophistication of clean energy solutions in Australia.
Award winners will be announced on Tuesday, July 18 at the NAB Gala Dinner as part of the Australian Clean Energy Summit in Sydney.
Those making the shortlist demonstrate the strength of innovation in Australia’s renewable energy industry, with projects including:
- A Victorian community mini-grid helping customers halve power bills;
- Electricity billing based on mobile phone plans;
- A fresh approach to project finance; and
- Stand-alone power systems in regional WA.
Clean energy: the antidote to spiralling power prices
Clean Energy Council Chief Executive Kane Thornton praised the “outstanding work” being done by Australian energy stakeholders.
“The past year has seen dramatic increases in electricity prices around Australia and continued political disputes over energy policy,” Mr Thornton said.
“Clean energy businesses have responded to these challenges by developing innovative solutions to reduce electricity bills for Australian households and set the record straight on the role that renewables play in our energy mix.”
Celebrating clean, green energy generation
The Clean Energy Council Awards recognise excellence and innovation in the renewable energy sector.
They encourage Australian business and communities to work together to find creative and clean energy solutions.
Energy Matters was a proud finalist in 2014, shortlisted in CEC’s Solar Design and Installation Awards.
Finalists are judged under two main categories – the CEC Innovation Award and the CEC Business Community Engagement Award.
CEC Innovation Award finalists
After the Victorian Government agreed to purchase the large-scale generation certificates from the Kiata Wind Farm for a five-year period, one energy company was able to negotiate finance with NAB for the project over 19 years – an unprecedented result for the market at the time.
A solar installation for the Sustainable Building Research Centre at the University of Wollongong saw the national solar provider recognised for pushing the boundaries of solar installation design.
Meanwhile, a network in WA designed an app that allows customers to track and peg real-time energy use.
The same network was nominated in the Business Community Engagement Award for its social media campaigns.
CEC Business Community Engagement Award
Finalists include the Climate Council, which developed a strategy to combat the misinformation surrounding the role of renewable energy in the September 2016 state-wide blackout in South Australia.
One network investigated the use of stand-alone power systems in regional WA as an alternative to replacing hundreds of kilometres of overhead powerlines in areas with very few customers.
The 2017 Australian Clean Energy Summit is on July 18-19 at the Hilton Sydney.
