Australia Reaches 4GW Solar Capacity
Australia has reached an impressive milestone – 4GW of solar photovoltaic (PV) capacity according to the Australian PV Institute (APVI); with the vast majority of this figure small scale solar panel installations. Installed capacity has quadrupled since 2011 says APVI and Australia’s systems are generating an estimated 5,250 gigawatt hours of solar electricity per year. […]
First Zero Emissions Electric Car To Compete In Dakar Rally
Renewable energy company Acciona has unveiled what will be the first zero emissions electric vehicle to participate in the grueling Dakar Rally. In late November, Acciona 100% EcoPowered passed the technical and administrative checks made by the rally organisers. The vehicle features a 220 kW (300HP) synchronous electric motor that weighs only 80 kilograms. An […]
Researchers Achieve Record Sunlight To Electricity Conversion
Researchers at the University of New South Wales have reported converting over 40% of the sunlight hitting a solar panel system into electricity, the highest efficiency ever recorded. The result has been independently confirmed by the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) at their outdoor test facility in the United States. “We used commercial solar cells, […]
Sundrop Farms Inks Agreements With KKR And Coles
A farm near Port Augusta in South Australia that uses concentrated solar power to generate the heat, electricity, and desalinated water needed for its growing operations has announced two major deals in the last week. Last Thursday, Sundrop Farms announced global investment firm KKR has provided growth capital to expand Sundrop Farms’ glasshouse facility and […]
UK Solar Can Thrive Without Subsidies By 2020
Solar power in the UK will thrive without subsidies by 2020 as plummeting hardware costs and a mature supply chain transform the British solar industry says a new report from Berlin-based think tank THEMA1. Using evidence based on price signals and business activity in the German solar market, the report found all three technologies in […]
NAB Launches Australian First – Certified Green Bonds
National Australia Bank has unveiled a “climate bond” investment product, intended to raise a minimum of $150 million for Australian renewable energy facilities. NAB states it is the first such bond to be launched on the local market and is also the first bank-issued bond to be certified in compliance with international Climate Bonds Standards. […]
Desolenator – Solar Powered Water Desalination
Makers of the Desolenator tout it to be an easy to use, low cost, solar powered and fairly portable water desalination system. It can even make sea water drinkable. “Water, water, every where, Nor any drop to drink,” laments the Rime Of The Ancient Mariner. Things have certainly changed since the times of those fabled […]
Sunswift eVe 2.0 – Australia’s 1st Street Legal Solar Car?
The University of New South Wales’ Sunswift team are preparing to take their record-breaking eVe solar car to the next level – making it street legal. If successful, it will be Australia’s first road registered solar car. The Sunswift team has been a part of the Australian solar car scene for years – we first […]
One In Five Australian Households Have Solar Installed
One in five Australian households use solar energy according to the latest figures from the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS). “We started publishing statistics on solar electricity in 2011”, said Karen Connaughton from the ABS, “and back then the numbers were pretty small – only about five per cent of households.” “Jump just three years, […]
89% Of Australians Want Renewables Target Maintained Or Boosted
A new ReachTEL poll has found 89% of Australians believe the nation’s 41,000 GWh Renewable Energy Target should stay the same or be increased. The poll, commissioned by WWF-Australia, found solar continues to enjoy massive popularity with 80% supporting rooftop solar power systems and 70% large-scale solar farms. Wind farms certainly don’t have the opposition […]
