Small-scale utility solar thriving on path of least resistance
South Australia is seeing a surge of small-scale utility solar as the niche, particularly around the 5MW mark, can fly under the radar of much of the electricity network’s congestion woes. The newly completed Mannum Solar Farm Project is one such example.
Agrivoltaics in New Caledonia
The 16-greenhouse Focola project has been developed by French renewables developer Akuo and local utility company Enercal Energies Nouvelles on the Pacific Ocean territory.
AEMC decides against new rule on calculating transmission losses
The Australian network rule maker has ignored the plea of some of the biggest solar and wind project owners in Australia to change the way marginal loss factors (MLFs) are calculated. While it has acknowledged that transmission has failed to keep up the pace with renewable energy investment, it did not come up with any suggestion on what should be done to ameliorate the problem.
Central Highlands Water joins river of utilities flowing from the sun
Victoria’s Central Highlands Water becomes yet another tributary to the river of Australian water utilities to invest in solar. The utility’s community-driven Solar Initiative could see half of its energy needs met with solar PV.
Why go solar? We can think of at least 333 reasons
Australian researchers have compiled data from 173 studies which examined homeowner behavior when buying rooftop PV and identified 333 predictors related to the attitude, knowledge, tendency, awareness, willingness and intent of householders.
WA water corporation to roll out further 15 MW of solar
Western Australia’s government-owned Water Corporation has committed $30 million over three years for solar energy projects around the state.
Western Power launches Round 2 of stand-alone power system rollout
The Western Australian government-owned utility is continuing the rollout of its landmark off-grid program for regional properties looking to reduce or entirely remove the need for new poles and wires.
RACV partners with Enphase to boost its rooftop PV offering
The deal will see the U.S. technology company supply its smart microinverters as part of an RACV initiative to enhance its current residential and commercial solar offerings.
First Solar announces surprise fourth-quarter loss, considers sale of development business
‘First Solar, at its core, is a technology and module manufacturing company,’ said Mark Widmar, chief executive of the U.S. company.
45 renewable generators affected by West Murray connection woes
Many more renewable generators than originally thought are in a holding pattern as a result of oscillation problems in the weak-grid, high-resource area known as the West Murray. State Governments, AEMO and the renewables industry have hunkered down to find solutions that will also find application elsewhere in the grid as connection fever mounts.
