Solar Saves Lives: The U.S. solar industry launches major hurricane relief effort
The Solar Foundation and 20 solar companies and organizations have joined forces with the Clinton Foundation, Operation Blessing and others to help bring power and clean water to Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands.
Queensland: Gympie council grants permission for 350 MW solar farm
A massive solar farm in the north-east Australian state of Queensland has received a green light from the Gympie Regional Council. The project aims to scale up to 800 MW of solar+storage capacity over the next four years.
BayWa r.e. connects pilot PV+storage project in Zambia
The renewables arm of the agricultural giant BayWa has completed an 86 kW PV + storage project, which will power irrigation equipment for farmers in Zambia. BayWa r.e. notes that demand for offgrid systems, including storage, for irrigation and other agricultural systems is set to grow.
Melbourne Energy Hack winners develop marketplace to open underutilised rooftops to PV
‘Solar Air-BnB’ model emerges from 2017 Melbourne Energy Hack. Consumers that do not have access to rooftop for a PV installation can be connected to roofs that are currently free of PV in the innovative solution.
RES reaches financial close on 68 MW PV plant in Queensland
RES Australia has announced financial close on the Emerald Solar Park, a 68 MW PV project to be located in the Central Highlands region of Queensland. The project is the first in Australia to be supported by a PPA with a corporate off-taker.
Solar costs will fall 60% over next decade to fuel PV adoption, says IRENA head
The International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA) forecasts as much as 90 GW of new solar additions annually across the globe over the next few years, driving a 60% reduction in costs.
Interview: China’s PV developers see opportunities in Australian market growth
Chinese PV component suppliers and project developers are continuing to push strongly in to international markets and are eyeing up new opportunities in Australia. Tenders, hybrid arrays and agri-PV all represent opportunities.
SolarEdge targets “waking” C&I market
The highest rooftop penetration rates globally have not discouraged optimizer and inverter supplier SolarEdge from continuing to push hard into the Australian PV marketplace. Describing the market as “mature” and featuring “deep and rich sales models”, SolarEdge Founder Lior Handlesman said there are still plenty of rooftops to which solar can be added, in particular in the commercial and industrial (C&I) segment.
Australia: AEMC shies away from “solar tax”
Although proposed in the report’s draft, the Australian Energy Market Commission’s final report on the Distribution Market Model does not mention imposition of charges for export of energy from distributed generators.
Australian EPCs face survival of the fittest
As competition increases, some players are likely to exit Australia’s EPC market despite a surge in projects entering the pipeline, finds SERA.
