ACU places Australia’s first clean energy sustainability bond
Australia’s first sustainability bond launched this week to fund a range of clean energy and green building projects. National Australia Bank (NAB) placed the $200 million bond for Australian Catholic University (ACU), an organisation dedicated to sustainable practices. This makes the ACU the first Australian issuer, and the first university in the world, to issue a sustainability […]
Power Grid Resilience 2017 debates renewables
Melbourne is hosting the 2017 Power Grid Resilience Summit, with strong emphasis on renewable energy potential. Driven by last year’s energy blackouts in South Australia, organisers will bring together stakeholders from government, energy companies and major energy users. Optimising the mix of traditional and renewable energies is high on the agenda. Organisers expect discussion and debate […]
Sunshine Coast goes 100% renewable energy with new solar farm
Sunshine Coast Council is now the first municipality in Australia to offset 100 per cent of its electricity with renewable energy. The new era began when Council flicked the switch on the new 15 MW Sunshine Coast Solar Farm. Mayor Mark Jamieson said the $50.4 million facility at Valdora, west of Coolum, would allow council to take […]
Screen printed batteries: a renewable breakthrough
Revolutionary screen-printed batteries were on display this week, signalling the future of renewable energy storage. Minister for Industry, Innovation and Science, Arthur Sinodinos, viewed the ground-breaking energy storage devices when he visited the University of Queensland on 24 July. The visit follows the announcement of a $2 million Federal Government commitment to a renewable energy partnership […]
Big banks cut coal but still finance fossil fuels: report
Despite slashing lending to the coal industry, Australia’s big banks are still financing fossil fuels on a significant scale, a new report reveals. The report, released by environmental finance group Market Forces, shows that the Big Four banks have lent $17 billion to the fossil fuels industry after giving public support to the Paris Climate Agreement […]
Shepparton Council says solar farm is a potential income stream
Local councillors say a solar farm project under consideration near Shepparton in Victoria could be a source of income. Greater Shepparton City Council says a site south of Mooroopna could become an income stream. The site could potentially produce a minimum of 10 MW of power if developed. It could also be a source of local […]
Value of solar rebate certificates drops $12 in one week
A continuing drop in a government renewable energy ‘rebate’ could affect the future price of solar power system installations. The trading value of Small-scale Technology Certificates (STCs) dropped from $37 to $25 in a few days over the past week. STCs are issued under the Renewable Energy Target (RET) scheme and are traded in an […]
Clean Energy Council launches Women in Renewables Leaders’ Pledge
Better gender diversity across the clean energy industry is the aim of a new initiative from the Clean Energy Council (CEC). The CEC launched its Women in Renewables Leaders’ Pledge this week. The launch was part of the Australian Clean Energy Summit in Sydney. Natalie Collard, who heads the Women in Renewables initiative, said many renewable energy […]
Australian clean energy investment powering ahead
Clean energy investments of more than $2 billion in 2016-2017 signal strong Australian business growth, statistics show. The Clean Energy Finance Corporation (CEFC) has contributed to $11 billion worth of renewable energy projects in its first four years, it was revealed this week. A government-owned Green Bank, the CEFC channels finance into key areas of renewable […]
Local governments leading nation on climate action: report
As federal authorities debate emissions targets, Australian councils and community groups are taking the lead on climate action. That’s according to a new report from the Climate Council: ‘Local Leadership: Tracking Local Government Progress on Climate Change’. The report finds one-in-five local governments across the nation now have 100 per cent renewable energy goals. The report shows Australia’s […]