Northern Territory flicks switch on Alice Springs VPP
Smart technology that controls energy flow on power grids could soon be the norm in the Northern Territory with a trial launched in the outback town of Alice Springs that will test the economic and energy efficiency of a rooftop solar-driven virtual power plant.
Victoria tips in $10 million to tackle solar panel waste challenge
With Australia’s appetite for solar energy fuelling a projected surge in end-of-life solar panels, the Victorian government has launched a $10 million program to help deal with the more than 180,000 tonnes of PV panels expected to enter the state’s waste stream by 2035.
Queensland charges ahead with big battery rollout
A new $8 million large-scale, network-connected battery at Tanby on Queensland’s Capricorn Coast is expected to help facilitate the continued integration of renewables, including rooftop solar PV, into the state’s energy system.
Shift in energy system helps Victoria smash emissions targets
Victoria’s ongoing transition to renewable energy sources, including the installation of hundreds of thousands of rooftop solar PV systems, has helped the state “smash” its 2020 emission reduction targets on the path to net zero by 2050.
Solar PV employed about 3.4 million people in 2021
A new report published by the International Energy Agency shows solar PV provided employment for approximately 3.4 million people in 2021 with almost half of the workers employed in China, about 280,000 in North America, over 260,000 in Europe, and some 50,000 in Africa. The vast majority of workers were employed in manufacturing and installation of new capacity, with solar jobs paying lower wage premiums than the nuclear, oil, and gas industries.
US poised to hit 336 GW of solar by 2027
Solar capacity in the United States is expected to grow from 129 GW today to 336 GW by 2027, according to the country’s Solar Energy Industries Association and research firm Wood Mackenzie.
Australia’s first solar garden for renters launched
Haystacks, Australia’s first large-scale solar garden, to be built in the New South Wales Riverina region, has opened its solar “plots” to purchase for NSW households unable to install rooftop systems.
UTS seeks to unlock urban roof space for solar farms
The University of Technology Sydney has outlined details of a solar PV project it says demonstrates the potential of commercial and industrial rooftop space for use as solar farms with benefits beyond satisfying the host building’s energy needs.
Solar eclipses coal as primary fuel source in Australian grid
Australia has been provided with a glimpse of its renewable energy future with solar displacing coal as the number-one fuel source in the national electricity market for extended periods in recent days.
India’s solar pump capacity hits 691.4 MW
The Indian government’s PM KUSUM Scheme supports farmers in installing standalone solar pumps and solarizing existing grid-connected agriculture pumps.
