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 […]
Australian Power Generation Emissions (Still) Climbing
In the June 2014 CEDEX report from Pitt&Sherry, the firm stated that month “may mark the low point of Australia’s greenhouse gas emissions for the foreseeable future”. It seems they were correct. Pitt&Sherry’s latest CEDEX (carbon emissions index) shows increases in emissions from generators in the National Electricity Market (NEM) up to the end of […]
US Navy To Test Vanadium Flow Battery Technology
The U.S. Navy has announced it will deploy Imergy Power Systems’ vanadium-based flow battery technology for a new Smart Microgrid project designed to optimise the storage and consumption of solar energy at military bases, college campuses and other institutions. The system will be rolled out at the Navy’s Mobile Utilities Support Equipment (MUSE) Facility in […]
Fujisawa Sustainable Smart Town Opened
The grand opening of a “smart town” in Fujisawa City, Japan that will support 1,000 solar powered households occurred last week. Covering 19 hectares and located on the outskirts of Tokyo, Fujisawa Sustainable Smart Town (Fujisawa SST) is being built on the concept of a smart community lifestyle taking into account such aspects as energy, […]
E.ON To Split And Focus On Renewable Energy
E.ON, a major investor-owned energy supplier with 35 million customers, has announced it will split the company up; with the new entity focusing on renewables. “We are convinced that it’s necessary to respond to dramatically altered global energy markets, technical innovation, and more diverse customer expectations with a bold new beginning,” said E.ON SE CEO […]
Yingli Panels To Help Power Europe’s Largest Solar Park
Europe’s largest solar park, to be built on 250 hectares of land near Bordeaux, France, will be powered in part by Yingli solar panels after an agreement was reached between project developer Neoen and the Chinese solar giant. Located in the town of Cestas, the 300 MW photovoltaic solar facility will host up to 25 […]