A Bright Future For Solar In Queensland
Queensland’s solar power industry is back on track after three years of neglect under the former government said Minister for Energy and Water Supply Mark Bailey recently. Under the Liberal National Party, Queensland saw the biggest job losses of any Australian state according to the Minister. “For three years, the previous Newman government didn’t just […]
$6.73 Trillion – The Cost Of Fossil Fuel Subsidies In 2015
Post tax energy subsidies reached USD $4.9 trillion globally in 2013 and are projected to reach $5.3 trillion (AUD $6.73tn) this year – 6.5 percent of global GDP – states a Working Paper recently published by the International Monetary Fund (IMF). The massive figure includes the costs imposed on governments through air pollution and events […]
Renewable Energy Employed 7.7 Million In 2014
The number of people employed in the renewable energy industry globally had grown by 18% last year according to the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA). IRENA says more than 7.7 million people worldwide are now employed by the renewable energy sector. Where once Europe and the USA dominated, the landscape has rapidly changed. Further underlining […]
Wind Farm For The English Channel
Wind turbines will soon dot the English Channel after an agreement between energy giant E.ON and the UK Green Investment Bank to build the Rampion Offshore Wind Farm, 13 kilometres off the Sussex coast. Comprising 116 3.45 MW turbines, the project will have the capacity to generate 400 MW of electricity and deliver 1,300 gigawatt […]
Solar Inverter Manufacturers Get Busy
It appears brighter days are ahead for the world’s leading manufacturers of solar inverters. Sungrow Power Supply Co., Ltd. says just in the first quarter of 2015 the company exported 230 MW of inverters to overseas markets, compared to a total of international sales of 293 MW in 2013 and 430 MW in 2014. “These […]
Plan To Run Melbourne’s Trams On Solar Power
Melbourne has the largest tram network in the world – and it could soon be running on the power of the sun. According to Wikipedia, the Melbourne tramway network consisted of 250 kilometres of track, 493 trams, 25 routes, and 1,763 tram stops as at May last year. While trams may be an efficient and […]
1.1 Billion Still Without Electricity
A great deal of progress has been made in bringing access to electricity to people around the world, but more than a billion are still relying on polluting fuels for light says the World Bank. Nearly 3 billion people also still cook using polluting fuels like kerosene, wood, charcoal and animal dung. A new report […]
Renewable Energy Target Review Impasse Ends
Are we there yet? Nearly. The battle-weary participants of the Great Renewable Energy Target Review Rumble of 2014/15 may soon be able to rest. The Abbott Government has decided to back down on its insistence of reviews of the RET every two years – an issue that was the most recent deal breaker for Labor […]
Moth Eyes, Lotus Leaf Biomimicry To Boost Solar Efficiency
The atomic structure of a moth’s eye and lotus leaves have inspired scientists from the USA’s Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) to create new water-repelling, anti-reflective glass coating that could increase the efficiency of solar panels by up to six per cent. “While lotus leaves repel water and self-clean when it rains, a moth’s eyes […]
Power Bills Set To Jump In Western Australia
From July 1 this year, households in Western Australia will again need to find extra money to deal with increasing electricity costs – and some seniors will cop an added hit. Western Australia Treasurer Dr Mike Nahan handed down the 2015 WA State Budget last Thursday and in it was an unwelcome electric shock – […]
