Highlights

The two nations are due to sign an MoU today to set up the capacity in the north of Bangladesh along with 50 MW of wind power facilities in the south, near the port of Payra. China will supply an estimated $500m with the host nation freeing up land for the projects.

A mix of higher operating costs and ageing coal assets – plus historically generous solar tariffs – meant the utility banked more profit from the 1.53 TWh of solar electricity it sold in the first half than it did from 25.9 TWh of coal-fired power.

A tribute to Guy Sella has hailed ‘a brilliant man’ and ‘a revolutionary trailblazer’ who was ‘vibrant and energetic’ yet ‘down-to-earth and approachable’.

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.

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.

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.

In partnering with the National Maritime Museum in Sydney, SunMan has found an ideal showcase for the capabilities of its innovative eArche lightweight solar panels. A crush of CBD businesses cranes in to consider PV’s latest possibilities. 

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.

The Clean Energy Finance Corporation (CEFC) and the Bank of Queensland Finance Division (BOQF) are teaming up to provide $100 million in financing for clean energy upgrades to their facilities, equipment and fleets. The BOQF Energy Efficient Finance will provide loans at a 0.7% discount, drawing on the CEFC funds, to businesses looking to invest in upgrades and equipment that will reduce emissions and deliver savings on energy costs.

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.