Pernod Ricard becomes first Australian winemaker to switch to 100% renewables
All of the winemaker’s Australian sites are now using renewable electricity thanks to the completion of the nation’s largest combined winery solar installation and a 10-year power purchase agreement to source renewable electricity.
Meat production facility installs Australia’s second biggest rooftop PV array
A $280 million meat production recently unveiled by Hilton Foods Australia in south-east Queensland, is sporting one of the country’s biggest rooftop solar arrays.
Aquarius, Let the Sunshine In – Aquatic research facilities turn to solar
Three NSW government facilities for aquatic and agricultural research and development are reducing their grid-dependence by utilising solar PV.
SunMan’s flexible solar panels installed on Noosaville Library
The 72.5 kW curved-roof solar installation will generate almost half of the Noosaville Library’s electricity needs. The flexible panels used for the installation are manufactured by Dr Shi Zhengrong’ firm SunMan.
Another shopping center set for solar transformation
In a matter of weeks, Brisbane’s Calamvale Central will become the first facility in Retail First’s privately-owned shopping centre portfolio to be powered by rooftop PV. More installations are expected to follow.
Macquarie commits to powering its global operations with 100% renewable electricity by 2025
The bank has become the latest Australian signatory of The Climate Group’s RE100 initiative, joining a growing pool of businesses in the global transition to a zero-carbon grid.
Western Australia to consume its carbon budget 20 years too early, report finds
Under the business-as-usual scenario, Western Australia could use up its Paris-Agreement 1.5°C compatible carbon budget within 12 years but a massive ramping up of renewable energy capacity would unlock significant economic opportunities for the state, finds a report by Berlin-based science and policy institute Climate Analytics.
University of Wollongong sets benchmark for sustainable buildings in Australia
The University of Wollongong’s Sustainable Buildings Research Centre has become the first building in Australia to achieve full marks under the world’s toughest sustainability standard for buildings, the Living Building Challenge. With 468 solar panels to support net-zero energy, an onsite rainwater system to enable net-zero water performance, and use of environmentally safe and reused building materials, the building is a demonstration of the value of the research the SBRC team carries out.
State of play: Leaders and laggards in Australia’s renewables race
South Australia has won this year’s state and territory renewables race, with the Australian Capital Territory and Tasmania hot on its heels. As the state governments continue to step up action on climate change, the Federal Government is acting as an obstacle to investment, finds the Climate Council.
Part 5: WA experiences rooftop disruption beyond the NEM, ACT shines
In late September, Western Australia’s government-owned electric utility registered an approximate AUD 657 million ($442.8 million) loss – much of it attributed to asset and contract writedowns. However, the utility was quick to blame rooftop PV for eating into its revenues, while fixed costs remained unchanged or increased. Revenues for the utility were down 4.7% for the year, to AUD 2.8 billion.
