The two solar plants with a combined capacity of 14 MWp will represent the first Australian utility-scale PV projects in Photon Energy’s independent power producer (IPP) portfolio.

In a major reform of the energy rules, distribution businesses across Australia will be allowed to service remote areas with stand-alone power systems and avoid costly network upgrades.

The German-headquartered project developer has signed a deal with Pacific Energy’s subsidiary Contract Power to build a hybrid renewable energy project that will power the town of Esperance.

Australia’s Chief Scientist Dr Alan Finkel has claimed Australia will remain dependent on gas for up to another 30 years as it seeks to transition to a renewables-dominated grid.

Solar, wind and energy storage companies have until June 5 to express interest in building parts of the 3 GW renewable energy zone in New South Wales.

In 2019, renewables continued to undermine the dominance of coal on the Australian grid and surged on the back of a massive 46% year-on-year jump in solar power, according to the latest data from the federal Energy Department.

Australia has certainly demonstrated its appetite for solar power. Now, with the average lifespan of a solar panel being approximately 20 years, many installations from the early 2000’s are set to reach end-of-life. Will they end up in landfill or be recycled? The cost of recycling is higher than landfill, and the value of recovered materials is smaller than the original, so there’s limited interest in recycling. But given the presence of heavy metals, such as lead and tin, if waste is managed poorly, we’re on track for another recycling crisis. A potential time bomb could present itself as an opportunity, however, if the global EV industry showed an interest in the recovered solar products.

The Spanish EPC contractor has signed its fourth contract in Australia to build the 39 MW PV array 40 kilometers north-west of Orange.

The ACT Government has allocated funding to undertake solar and sustainability upgrades on public and community housing and install solar batteries for two public schools as part of its fast-tracked infrastructure projects to support the local economy.

A massive project, which promises to transform baseload power in New South Wales, is finalizing planning, development studies, and offtake agreements. The initial target for Project NEO is to deliver 1000 MW of green hydrogen using solar, wind, and hydrogen fuel cells.