Solar power grant for Victoria’s Vietnamese community
Solar power uptake in Victoria’s Vietnamese community is receiving a funding boost. The Australian Vietnamese Women’s Association (AVWA) and the Yarra Energy Foundation will receive a $100,000 State Government grant to buy solar systems. The project will use a Vietnamese language campaign to target 86,000 Vietnamese residents and businesses. It will, therefore, increase uptake of […]
Majority of Australians disagree with keeping Liddell coal-fired station open
Most Australians disagree with the Turnbull Government’s bid to keep the Liddell coal-fired power station open. A ReachTEL poll released by the Climate Council asked what should happen after the NSW station’s planned closure in 2022. The Federal Government wants to keep the ageing facility open at a cost of nearly $1 billion. However, 77 […]
Home battery storage will be commonplace next decade: poll
A new poll shows most Australians think renewable electricity and home battery storage is key to affordable, reliable energy. Commissioned by the Climate Council, the ReachTEL poll found 74 per cent of 1,928 respondents across Australia expect household batteries will be commonplace in the next decade. When asked why they were adding batteries to their […]
Western Downs’ solar obsession continues with 250 MW solar farm
Queensland’s Western Downs solar boom continued this week, with the approval of a 250 MW solar farm west of Toowoomba. Western Downs Regional Council gave the green light to the project, which is located 23 km south-east of Chinchilla. It is the tenth solar farm approved in the region in the last 20 months. The […]
Brisbane Airport to get Australia’s biggest rooftop solar system
By this time next year, Brisbane Airport will have a 6 MW rooftop solar system – the largest in Australia. The new Brisbane Airport Corporation (BAC) solar PV system will generate more than 9.3 million kWh per year. That’s enough energy to power 1,700 homes for one year. The 6 MW system will include 22,000 […]
IEA’s Key World Energy Statistics: a snapshot of global energy use
The 2017 Key World Energy Statistics report from the International Energy Agency gives a snapshot of energy production and use throughout the world. The report shows growth in the production of renewable energy and slight decreases in fossil fuels. Here’s a look at some of the major findings: Energy production 2015 Fossil fuels accounted for […]
Fall in STC price may affect the future cost of solar
In the first half of 2017 there was a 23% increase in small-scale solar system installations in Australia. While this is good news, it has also led to an oversupply of Small-Scale Technology Certificates (STCs). This, in turn, has reduced the trading price of STCs from $40 to their current price (as at early September) […]
Extreme weather impacts Australia’s ageing energy system
Extreme weather events driven by climate change are stressing Australia’s ageing energy system, a new report shows. Hot and Dry: Australia’s Weird Winter, produced by the Climate Council, explores the impact of 2017’s warmest winter on record. It claims the nation’s ageing energy infrastructure won’t be able to cope with more frequent and longer heatwaves. […]
One in five Aussie properties have a solar power system
One in five Australian homes and businesses generate their own electricity via solar power system, new figures show. Data released by the Clean Energy Regulator (CER) also shows 23 per cent more Australians have embraced rooftop solar over the last 10 years. The monthly CER figures show numbers of installations under the Renewable Energy Target’s […]
New solar accreditation rules keep installation quality high: CEC
The requirements are tightening up for installers seeking Clean Energy Council (CEC) accreditation. The CEC oversees the training requirements and accreditation of solar installation companies across Australia. It also stresses the importance of installers staying ahead of training and new technology. This week, more ongoing changes were announced by the industry monitoring body. The upgrade […]