South Australia’s grid backup battery ‘very encouraging’ – Australian Energy Market Operator
The Australian Energy Market Operator (AEMO) has given the Tesla Powerpack grid backup battery in South Australia a big thumbs up, reports Business Insider Australia. While some members of the federal government mocked the battery, assigning it ‘gimmick’ status, AEMO’s operations manager Damien Sanford describes it as “very encouraging”. This is mainly due to the battery’s […]
Victorian renewable energy projects growth to create thousands of jobs
Victoria is on target with renewable energy projects to meet the Victorian renewable energy target of 40 per cent by 2030, according to Green Energy Markets analysis. According to the Guardian, figures show Victoria’s renewable energy boom will create over 6,000 annual jobs at the current rate of growth. (An ‘annual job’ is one person working […]
Tathra spells out climate change message once again
Residents of the town of Tathra on NSW’s far south Sapphire Coast decided to spell out the climate change message personally last weekend. A 2,000-strong contingent turned up to write ‘Keep Tathra Cool’, ‘Decrease CO2’ and ‘Climate Action Now’ on the Lawrence Park oval in three human signs. Fourteen local fire trucks and a taiko […]
Queensland government sets new guidelines for solar farms
The Queensland government has released a solar farm guide to help local government authorities make the most of cost-cutting solar energy. The 25-page Queensland solar farm guide provides detailed guidance for the development of solar farms that supply 5 MW or more electricity to the grid. The Sunshine State is living up to its name as […]
Grand Final weekend: AFL clubs scoring a solar power advantage
This Saturday is that one day in September, those monumental hours when football stops a city, if not a nation. This year the AFL Grand Final will witness a clash between home-town favourites Collingwood and the West Coast Eagles at the MCG. But even though there can be only one Grand Final winner – go […]
Solar and battery storage top Victorian election energy policy wish list: CEC
Targeted solar and battery storage initiatives top the Victorian election energy policy wish list from the Clean Energy Council (CEC). The independent body recommends solar for renters, new-build solar installations and battery subsidies for low-income households. According to CEC Chief Executive Kane Thornton, the state election in November is a great opportunity to extend Victoria’s […]
AGL firm on Liddell coal plant closure, despite government pressure
The fate of the Liddell coal-fired power station seems certain after owner AGL Energy confirmed it will close the facility in 2022. The statement was made by AGL Energy interim chief executive Brett Redman at the company’s AGM this week. It comes after months of pressure from the Coalition to keep the plant open. Redman […]
Soaring petrol prices spark interest in electric vehicles
Many small businesses are considering switching to electric vehicles as petrol prices in Australia reach a 10-year high. Companies are considering going electric as rising petrol prices drive the trend, reports the Sydney Morning Herald. According to Ryan Felsman, an economic analyst at Commsec, the stockbroking firm operated by the Commonwealth Bank of Australia, national […]
Goulburn community solar farm on hold, government indecision blamed
The 1.8 MW Goulburn Community Solar Farm is in limbo thanks to procrastination by state and federal governments, says a local clean energy group. Community Energy for Goulburn (CE4G) had been planning the project for four years. The aim was to build a 5,000 solar panel farm with a solar monitor on a 2.5 ha […]
Curtin University finds smarter way to turn solar energy into clean fuels
Researchers at WA’s Curtin University have developed a cheap, eco-friendly way to make solar hydrogen fuel from sunlight. The researchers used nanocrystals as highly efficient catalysts to transform sunlight into low-emission hydrogen. They describe their breakthrough in detail in the journal Advanced Materials. Previously, the only way to harvest solar energy for clean fuels was […]
