Community

The future is bright for community solar finds Arcadia, a utility data technology provider, in a new report. The report says the success of community solar is a result of US states strengthening support programs, federal legislation increasingly being implemented, and that billions of dollars are being invested in solar projects for all income levels.

New South Wales electricity distributor Ausgrid is exploring the potential of solar-powered microgrids to enhance energy security for communities during extreme weather events and extended outages with construction having started on what will be the company’s first microgrid.

Two new PV bike-path projects are now operating in the Netherlands under an initiative launched in 2018 by Rijkswaterstaat, the Dutch water management agency.

One of Australia’s largest property developers has joined forces with Energy Bay, which specialises in distributed renewable energy solutions for property landlords. Energy Bay is making it possible for Stockland to utilise the energy produced at its properties with large rooftops and low energy use, such as its warehouses, to provide extra energy for its high-energy use properties.

A study by engineers at UNSW, published in the Renewable Energy journal, shows that aerosols and greenhouse gas emissions reduce the productivity of photovoltaic installations and that this differs according to the global region.  

The Philippines Department of Energy says the Maharlika Consortium – representing three companies – will develop two microgrid hybrid solar and diesel generator power plants for “underserved” communities located on Panlaitan island and the island of Mindoro.

Cue, a town in Western Australia’s midwest, has installed 259 kW of solar and a 336 kWh battery system to wean itself off diesel. The installation is part of Horizon Power’s Midwest Solar Program and belongs within a much larger state-wide transformation.

A solar and battery energy storage project that will deliver a major boost to the renewable energy system that helps power a remote community on Bathurst Island off Australia’s northern coastline is rapidly nearing completion with a team of four workers taking just four days to roll out 1.2 MW of solar.

Researchers from the Australian PV Institute are part of an international group of scientists that have devised a list of recommendations to support the creation of solar neighborhoods. In a recently published study they highlight the importance of legislative frameworks and advanced computing.

The Australian Energy Market Commission (AEMC) has proposed increasing price caps on the country’s main electricity market. This is meant to allow investors to respond to fill gaps created by ageing coal generation.