Majority of solar owners support upfront buyout of PFiTs so they can install battery systems
A survey conducted by Solar Citizens has found 76 per cent of solar owners on premium feed-in tariffs (PFiTs) support voluntary buy-outs to install battery systems. In the wake of findings that Australia is experiencing a solar boom, the Sydney based consumer advocacy group’s report says that households currently on the legacy premium feed-in tariffs […]
Mandatory solar panels for new Californian homes?
Developers will have to include mandatory solar panels in Californian homes if new building regulations are passed this week. The California Energy Commission is expected to approve the new regulations when it meets tomorrow. This would make solar installation compulsory in new dwellings. The code applies to all new homes, apartment buildings and condos up to […]
Tenants happy to pay a premium for rental properties with solar energy
A majority of tenants in Australia are willing to pay a premium for rental properties with solar energy to reduce power bills, a new survey shows. Two-thirds of renters would pay at least $5 more per week for a solar-equipped property, while 55 per cent are willing to pay at least $10 more, according to […]
South Gippsland solar farm turns former Victorian coal capital into renewable hub
A South Gippsland solar farm is turning the area that was once the site of Victoria’s State Coal Mine into a renewable hub. The 30 MW solar farm project at Wonthaggi was reported in the Bass Coast Post in April and now a video describing its details has gone live. The State Coal Mine extracted around […]
The implications of Australia’s rooftop solar boom
Australia now has a total of 1.85 million rooftop solar installations, data that confirms we are experiencing a rooftop solar boom. And it’s relatively recent; according to the Clean Energy Regulator there were only 118 solar panel installations in 2001. In 2017 there were 170,710. The implications of this boom, which saw its biggest increase […]
Origin Energy CEO: Australia should transition to zero emissions by 2050
Origin Energy CEO Frank Calabria says Australia’s National Energy Guarantee (NEG) should support more ambitious carbon targets to reach net zero emissions by 2050. Mr Calabria also told a Sydney business conference the boom in clean energy like solar power is bringing down electricity prices. Energy markets are quickly filling the gap left by the […]
Parkes harnesses Presley power as King of Renewable Energy
Parkes is claiming the crown as King of Renewable Energy as a 55 MW solar farm lights up the regional NSW town for the annual Elvis Presley festival. Because the farm’s 200,000 solar panels can power more than 20,000 homes, it provides double the energy needed to serve Parkes’ population. However, it will also cater […]
Laverton Steelworks to run on solar power as Sanjeev Gupta strikes energy deal
British billionaire Sanjeev Gupta has signed a deal that will see Victoria’s Laverton Steelworks in Melbourne’s western suburbs using solar power. The Laverton solar power deal has been described as a game-changer. Mr Gupta, Executive Chairman of GFG Alliance, recently acquired the steel works at Laverton. Yesterday, he signed a deal with French renewable energy […]
Australia’s first lithium battery recycling plant opens in Victoria
A new lithium battery recycling plant in Victoria is helping to reduce landfill and create jobs. The $2 million facility in New Gisborne is owned by Envirostream. It is the first of its kind for Australia, providing sustainable options for lithium solar battery disposal. This includes mobile phone batteries as well as home storage batteries including those […]
SunTenants ‘Solar for Renters’ plan launches in Moreland, Victoria
The Moreland Energy Foundation Ltd (MEFL) and SunTenants launched their Solar for Renters pilot program today. The pilot solar renters program will test out the ‘split incentive’ model for landlords and renters. Moreland is an inner-northern region of Melbourne, where around 38 per cent of homes are rentals. As there can be limited incentives for landlords […]