Another remarkable year: 2019 saw renewables records tumble
With 4.4 GW of new renewable energy capacity installed and almost a quarter of Australia’s electricity supply now coming from renewable energy sources, 2019 was another year of extraordinary growth, according to the latest edition of the Clean Energy Australia report. As rooftop solar continued its record-breaking streak, big PV made up more than two-thirds of Australia’s large-scale renewable energy capacity installed last year. Meanwhile, the battery storage sector started to gain momentum.
Vietnam finally unveils new FITs for large-scale, rooftop, floating PV
Hanoi has set new feed-in tariff rates for utility-scale, rooftop and floating PV projects, ending a long period of policy uncertainty. The government has announced the new rates, which are broadly in line with industry expectations, roughly 10 months after the expiration of its old tariffs.
RayGen announces major equity investor in Photon Energy
Melbourne solar Thermal Hydro tech company RayGen has announced a strategic partnership with global developer Photon Energy. The boost comes only weeks after added ARENA funding and signals a major push toward a solution to the problem of solar intermittency.
Ooh, aah, Dubbo goes solar
Dubbo, birthplace of Glenn McGrath, has announced its membership in the Cities Power Partnership (CPP) program as it looks to transition to renewable energies, particularly solar.
Katoomba student’s sortie for solar in NSW schools
Katoomba High School student Estelle Dee is collecting signatures for a petition to NSW Energy and Environment Minister, Matt Kean, for the installation of solar panels at every NSW public school within the next three years.
CEC: ‘Unlikely and difficult’ new solar installs classified as ‘essential’
With the Australian solar industry fast heading towards a significant downturn, the Clean Energy Council has reported that it will be “unlikely and difficult” for new rooftop solar installations to be classified as an essential service if restrictions are tightened. Despite the apparent gloom, industry experts advise that there are opportunities as householders look to invest in their homes during the Covid-19 crisis.
WA orchard goes off-grid with Redflow batteries in the face of bushfire blackout threat
After decades of continual blackouts and bushfires the Murrays decided enough was enough. They installed Redflow batteries to team up with their solar installation to take their farm off-grid and independent.
Tanking Australian dollar and COVID-19: Threats and opportunities for solar and storage
The impact of COVID-19 will leave its mark on our society and economy while a sliding Australian dollar is likely to make imported goods more expensive. In its webinar held on Thursday, the Smart Energy Council is discussing business tips on how to weather the storm over the next six months. And a question arises: Can residential and commercial solar and storage buck the trend against the economic recession which is on the way?
ARENA boosts funding for RayGen’s “solar hydro” power plant
The Australian Government and the Australian Renewable Energy Agency (ARENA) are set to fund RayGen Resources Pty Ltd (RayGen) to the tune of $3 million toward a feasibility study for a 4 MW “solar hydro” power plant in north-western Victoria.
Subiaco goes solar
The City of Subiaco has adopted a Corporate Carbon Reduction Plan that will see it powered entirely from renewables by 2025.
