Wind At War, Solar A Scapegoat In South Australia (Again)
The South Australian Opposition are drafting a Bill that would require all new wind farm development applications to include an independent electricity market impact assessment. The Liberals claim they fully support renewable energy, but the transition must be managed appropriately. “Spot prices in SA are on average 150 per cent higher than the national average […]
Bacteria Drive Microscopic “Wind Farm”
A team of Oxford University scientists have demonstrated how the natural movements of bacteria can drive what they describe as microscopic “wind farms” (sans the wind though). The discovery has the potential to open up a new field of study into biology-based engines for powering micromachines that are self-assembling and self-powered, such as optical switches […]
Energy Storage To Boost US Solar Jobs
A discussion paper released at Intersolar North America last week suggests the demand for energy storage in the USA could significantly boost solar power jobs in the near future. The Solar Foundation estimates approximately 27,000 solar and battery storage related deployment jobs in 2021 in the USA, including 9,000 storage installation jobs tied to solar, […]
The Truth About Australia’s Soaring Electricity Prices
Wind and solar has again been blamed for SA’s high power prices. Just because this is often repeated, it doesn’t’ make it true – in SA or elsewhere in Australia. A spike in the costs of wholesale power last week – which saw prices hit $14 per kilowatt hour at times – was due to […]
Sun Sizzled Snags In 10 Minutes – The Solar Dogger
It’s probably no threat to the conventional sausage sizzle hotplate and Weber mightn’t be shaking in its boots, but the Solar Dogger seems to be generating a bit of interest. We first covered GoSun cookers back in 2013, and the company appears to have been doing well since then. Among its wide range of solar […]
NZ Electricity Authority Accused Of Helping To “Kill Solar Power”
It appears New Zealand’s Electricity Authority is off Greenpeace’s Xmas card list this year over its reported treatment of owners of solar power systems. In a blistering attack on the Authority, Greenpeace NZ claims it is “not fit for purpose” and is working in cahoots with Big Energy to destroy the prospects for rooftop solar […]
1.55 Million+ Small Scale Solar Power Systems In Australia
The solar revolution continues in Australia, with home battery storage also starting to appear in the nation’s Clean Energy Regulator’s statistics. The latest figures from the Clean Energy Regulator (CER) reveal 5,293 small-scale renewable energy systems installed nationally last month, with a total generation capacity of 22.6MW. Of this number, 4,266 were solar panel systems, with […]
Energy Spend Of Australian Businesses Hits $64 Billion
New figures released by the Australian Bureau of Statistics indicates the nation’s businesses spent a whopping $64b on energy in 2014-15. Diesel represented the biggest spend at $19.83 billion, closely followed by electricity at just over $19 billion. Excluding self-generation, 71% of the total purchased electricity consumed by Australian businesses during the period was used […]
SA’s Wind Power Electricity Generation Bonanza
Blustery weather in South Australia has caused its share of headaches, but also provided a plethora of wind-driven electricity generation. According to Clean Energy Council Policy Manager Alicia Webb, the state’s 683 wind turbines supplied 83 per cent of South Australia’s electricity requirements in the 24 hours up to 4pm on Monday, 11 July. “Thousands […]
Australians Paying Top Dollar For Electricity
Australia has the world’s most overpriced electricity before tax according to a new report. An international comparison of Australia’s household electricity prices was prepared by CME for One Big Switch. The study compared power prices in all Australian states with prices paid by households in countries in Europe, Great Britain, Japan and the United States. […]