Finally, the nation votes: Is this the Climate Change election?
Tomorrow, Saturday May 18, Australia votes to elect the nation’s next Federal government. The ABC’s Vote Compass shows a majority of Liberal-National Party Coalition, Australian Labor Party and Greens voters want to make this the “climate change election“. Accordingly, the Climate Council has studied the three largest parties’ policies on climate change and renewables. Let’s take one last […]
UK Labour releases plan to nationalise energy grid, deliver solar to 1.75M homes
In a radical move overnight, UK Labour has released a plan for energy grid nationalisation. As well, it will be making a big push to install solar on over a million homes. The move would see the UK’s £62 billion (AU$117 billion) energy infrastructure grid pass into public hands. This would include both electricity and gas […]
Master Electricians Australia: New solar installation laws will hurt Queensland solar industry
Master Electricians Australia (MEA) has joined the fight against a new state regulations, which it says will hit the Queensland solar industry hard. The regulations mean only licensed electricians can now handle solar panels on solar farms – a job requiring no electrical skill. MEA CEO Malcolm Richards also claims the new solar farm regulations […]
Green light for solar project in Sanjeev Gupta’s billion dollar renewables scheme
The first solar project in Sanjeev Gupta’s $1.3 billion renewable energy program has been green-lit by the South Australian government. The 280 MW Cultana Solar Farm, announced by British billionaire Sanjeev Gupta last year, will break ground in October, reports pv magazine Australia. The project is developed by SIMEC Energy Australia to deliver power to the […]
Victorian Solar Homes rebate: Hotly-anticipated July 1 re-opening affects solar installation quote levels
The current dip in Victorian solar installation quote applications is due to customers waiting for the second phase of the government’s Victorian Solar Homes rebate program to start. That’s the verdict of market consultancy SunWiz, following a recent national analysis of solar quote applications. The data shows the usual dip in solar quote applications over Easter. […]
Sustainable Melbourne Fund goes national to green up Australian business
The Sustainable Melbourne Fund (SMF) has partnered with Bank Australia to help business and agriculture across the nation ‘go green’. The $200 million joint venture will assist commercial and agricultural enterprises anywhere in Australia to invest in sustainable infrastructure. Contrary to the name, SMF does not restrict its activities to Melbourne. Rooftop solar power installations […]
Noosa joins Cities Power Partnership push for 100 per cent green energy
Noosa Council has joined the Cities Power Partnership (CPP) to push for 100 per cent green energy across Australia. This enhances Noosa’s solar power credentials, which are already good for this Queensland community. Angry with Federal Government inaction on climate change, the CPP coalition of local governments says urgent climate action is essential to avoid […]
NSW Riverina solar farm with battery storage boosts local jobs
A new Riverina solar farm in the southwestern New South Wales rural region has been approved by the NSW government. Along with the capacity to generate electicity, there is also 25 MW of battery storage. The $130 million, 100 MW West Wyalong Solar Farm will create around 150 jobs during construction. On completion, it will […]
Low-income families in NSW benefit from 7-star solar-powered community housing
Low-income families in regional NSW will soon be enjoying 7-star solar-powered community housing thanks to a new agreement. The Clean Energy Finance Corporation (CEFC) will invest up to $95 million to help Housing Plus develop 220 new community houses using technology which is highly energy efficient. Housing Plus is one of the largest providers of […]
Queensland solar crisis: Industry calls emergency roundtable on ‘destructive’ new solar farm installation rules
The Clean Energy Council (CEC) will convene an emergency roundtable to address new rules giving licensed electricians exclusive rights to install solar panels on Queensland solar farms. State Industrial Relations Minister Grace Grace last month issued the amendment to the Solar Farm Code of Practice. The regulation does not affect residential solar installations. The regulation, which […]
