Woolworths’ solar power plan continues after $400 million green bond issue
Woolworths’ solar power plan continues to make headlines after it raised $400 million in the first green bond issued by a major Australian retail chain last month. Moree in northern New South Wales is the latest Woolworths supermarket to go solar. The Moree rooftop solar array of 99.96 kW comprises 357 solar panels. In 2018, […]
Labor pledges $1 billion for solar panels on schools as Bill Shorten ups the stakes on energy
Labor will fund a $1 billion roll out of solar panels and batteries on thousands of public schools if it wins May’s federal election. This solar powered schools initiative throws down the gauntlet to the Coalition on renewables. The Canberra Times reports the plan, announced Tuesday, would create virtual power plants (VPPs), to deliver energy back […]
Next federal government could turn Australia into clean energy superpower: Clean Energy Council
The Clean Energy Council (CEC) is calling on Australia’s next federal government to turn the nation into a global clean energy superpower. The CEC today sent an open letter to politicians ahead of the May 18 federal election. In the letter, the industry group points out that Australia’s 2020 Renewable Energy Target (RET) has driven […]
Tasmanian electricity bills expected to rise over next five years: Energy Regulator
The Australian Energy Regulator (AER) has given TasNetworks the green light to cover grid costs – which will see Tasmanian electricity bills rise as a result. Households in the Apple Isle will see “moderate” increases because of extra spending to ensure network safety and reliability. The AER will allow the government-owned power distribution company to […]
Labor beats Coalition on election climate ‘scorecard’ but both trail the Greens
Labor beats the Liberal-National Coalition, but trails the Greens according to the Australian Conservation Foundation’s climate election scorecard. The ACF is running the climate action survey to compare party climate credentials ahead of the May 18 federal election. The Coalition comes in at a lowly 4 per cent while the Greens top the table with […]
Caffeine perks up interest in perovskite solar cells
A simple cup of coffee inspired a research breakthrough that could see perovskite solar cells replace silicon ones. Graduate student Rui Wang from UCLA was drinking coffee with colleagues in March last year. Wang decided to test whether caffeine’s chemical structure could solve perovskite’s key problem – its inability to cope with harsh sunlight. His […]
Victorian water corporations choose solar power to cut emissions and costs
Thirteen of Victoria’s public water corporations have banded together to purchase solar energy in an effort to cut water industry carbon emissions. The venture will operate under a new organisation called Zero Emissions Water Ltd (ZEW). It’s the latest in a suite of climate-friendly announcements from the Andrews Labor Government. Under the deal, the corporations […]
Australian farmers’ election plea: ‘Fix the energy disaster killing agriculture’
An agricultural lobby group wants the next Federal Government to promote smart technology like solar panels and battery storage to support competitiveness. Agricultural energy costs are proving a challenge to farmers. The Ag Energy Taskforce 2019 Federal Election Policy says farmers are now battling to supply the nation’s food and other resources as energy bills […]
‘Renewable energy is the solution for Australia’ – finance expert reveals why
Cheaper, cleaner and industry-building – three reasons why a renewable energy solution is the answer to Australia’s energy future. Then there’s the “baseload myth“. The issues come from a report by the Institute for Energy Economics and Financial Analysis authored by Tim Buckley, director of Energy Finance Studies. In ‘Why Renewables are the Solution for […]
Western Australians brace for more electricity bill hikes
Households in Western Australia are bracing for new power bill hikes – an additional 2 per cent to annual bills. According to The West Australian, this means power bills have increased by around 20 per cent since Mark McGowan’s Labor Government took office in 2017. The increase also represents a 100 per cent increase in […]
