More Electricity Price Rises For Western Australia
Households in Western Australia could be facing electricity price rises of seven per cent each year for the next three years – and perhaps even more. ABC reports the state’s new Energy Minister, Ben Wyatt, wants electricity prices to match cost. “If you are not at [cost reflectivity] it costs the taxpayer a significant amount […]
Australian Solar Supporter Survey – Have Your Say
With more than 1.6 million solar power systems now installed throughout the nation, this year’s Solar Citizens Supporter Survey could see a record number of responses. Solar Citizens is an independent non-profit community based organisation with a mission of advocating for solar energy, system owners and those wanting to go solar in Australia. The annual […]
ACCC To Review Australia’s Retail Electricity Market
The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission has been tasked with reviewing retail electricity prices across the nation. We recently reported on a Grattan Institute study that found retail electricity prices in Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane and Adelaide have almost doubled over the past decade. In the case of Victoria, the report expressed concerns the profit margin […]
Solar Powered Synthetic Tactile Skin Unveiled
In the not too distant future, amputees could regain the benefits of a sense of touch through motorised prosthetic limbs featuring solar powered synthetic skin. After developing a graphene based ‘electronic skin’, also known as tactile skin, researchers at the University of Glasgow have been tinkering with using solar energy to power it. Their synthetic […]
Big Solar Energy Plan For Oregon
The U.S. state of Oregon could source as much as 10 percent of its electricity requirements from solar energy by 2027 according to a recently unveiled blueprint. Oregon, with a population of around 4 million, currently has 226 megawatts of solar installed, enough to provide for the electricity requirements of 25,000 homes. Nearly 50 percent […]
Queensland Battery Storage Recommendation Change Welcomed
Australia’s Clean Energy Council has welcomed a recent change in recommendations by the Queensland Electrical Safety Office (ESO) concerning home battery installations. The CEC says the ESO had previously recommended all residential energy storage units should be installed in a separate external enclosure. Aside from this being overkill in the opinions of many in the […]
Jupiter Icy Moons Explorer To Run On Solar Juice
The European Space Agency’s Jupiter Icy Moons Explorer (JUICE) is a step closer to spending three-and-a-half years examining the environment surrounding the gas giant, assisted by solar power. The ESA recently announced that earlier this month the project had reached a stage where a prototype craft can now be constructed, which will be subjected to […]
New South Wales Claims “National Solar Leader” Status
The New South Wales government says the state could boost its national lead in solar power projects with 12 new solar farm proposals in the pipeline. The dozen solar farm projects, if approved, would add more than 1,000 megawatts of solar capacity; enough to supply the electricity requirements of 365,000 homes across the state. “The […]
500,000+ Solar Power Systems In Queensland
Queensland continues to have the largest number of small-scale solar power systems installed in Australia by a wide margin and recently passed a major milestone. The latest data from Australia’s Clean Energy Regulator indicates Queenslanders have collectively installed more than 500,000 solar panel systems, crossing the halfway mark of the Palaszczuk Government’s goal of 1 […]
Rooftop Solar Australia’s Largest Renewable Energy Employer
A new report from the Australian Bureau of Statistics shows the equivalent of 5,570 workers were directly employed full-time in the nation’s rooftop solar sector in 2015/16. While the bigger picture wasn’t an entirely happy one, our solar industry is still an Australian success story and will continue to be. ABS estimates direct full-time-equivalent (FTE) […]