200 MW solar project nipped in the bud as VCAT hands down decision
In a major battle over land use, the Victorian Civil and Administrative Tribunal has decided to refuse a planning permit for the 200 MW Bookaar Solar Farm, near Camperdown.
Parliamentary inquiry into controversial Solar Homes rebate voted down
Labor MPs together with three crossbench MPs have voted down an inquiry in the Upper House on how the Victorian government’s Solar Homes program was put together and is being implemented. The push for an inquiry was promised to the solar industry by Opposition leader Michael O’Brien at a protest held in late July.
French solar-powered drone startup takes flight in Australia
Toulouse-based startup Sunbirds has set up an office, assembly workshop and maintenance centre in Brisbane. The company is providing solar-powered drones and drone-as-a-service solutions to surveyors, cattle stations and environmental monitoring companies.
UPC/AC Renewables invest in 550 MW of pumped hydro and solar in South Australia
AC Renewables, the energy arm of Philippines’ Ayala Corp, and Australia’s UPC Renewables have agreed to buy 51% in a 250 MW pumped hydro project and a neighboring 300 MW solar project, both located in South Australia.
175 MW Finley Solar Farm reaches construction milestone
Stage 1 or an equivalent of 85 MW has been installed and tested at the Finley Solar Farm, one of the many large-scale solar developments in the Riverina region.
Battery start-up RedEarth raises funding to cater to local demand
The Brisbane-based energy storage manufacturer has raised $4.75 million in Series A funding from the Queensland Government Business Development Fund and Australian institutional and family investors.
Victoria introduces legislation to boost VRET to 50% by 2030
The Andrews Labor Government is delivering on last year’s election promise to boost renewable energy in Victoria and is seeking to legislate increasing its renewable energy target to 50% by 2030.
Community solar to take Victoria town to 100% renewables
A 1.6 MW community solar farm will support the Victorian town of Natimuk to reach its target of being 100% powered by renewable energy. The project is underpinned by state government funding.
Advanced hybrid batteries get financial shot into the arm
A technology to manufacture “honeycomb” materials for energy storage applications from priority Australian mineral resources and AI-based hybrid of lithium batteries and hydrogen fuel cells with DC loss detection system are among the winners of the funding granted in the Cooperative Research Center Program (CRC-P) latest round.
Ib vogt launches EPC works on 109 MW NSW solar project
The German developer and EPC contractor has reached the final development milestone on a solar and battery project in the Riverina region and moved into construction phase.
