Solar-plus-storage for the Cook Islands
Around 4.2 MWh of energy storage capacity will be connected to a solar and diesel micro-grid on Rarotonga, the largest of the islands in the South Pacific nation. Three 40-foot containers with a total power output of 4.8 MVA will be used as a power reserve and for grid support by utility Te Aponga Uira.
Australia’s first large scale solar garden – city dwellers of the world, unite!
Almost a third of Australians are locked behind the solar barrier, they’re renters, tenants, urban apartment-dwellers who don’t have the luxury of installing their own solar PV. However, now city-dwellers can participate in the solar transition too, by becoming members of the Haystacks Solar Garden which operates in much the same way as community garden.
A new book seeks to swell the ranks of renewable-energy advocates
The global renewable-energy transition needs a massive injection of community advocacy and engagement if countries are to have any effect on global warming. Industry analyst and commentator Ketan Joshi hopes to seed confidence among people still sitting on the fence to argue for and support renewable developments in their communities.
Community solar project breaks ground in Australia’s bush capital
Achieving net-zero emissions for Australia is a community undertaking. In Canberra, SolarShare has over several years helped citizens without access to rooftop PV possibilities, to invest in the means to their clean future.
APY Lands set for solar and battery transition
The South Australian Government has announced a $9 million investment towards the transition of Anangu Pitjantjatjara Yankunytjatjara Lands from diesel reliance to the self-reliance of solar and energy storage. The contract is good news for one of the most continuously culturally fecund regions in the country.
Sydney councils are doubling their solar generation
Blacktown City Council and Inner West Council are not wasting any time when it comes to meeting their carbon-neutrality and solar uptake goals. Both councils are currently in the process of doubling their current solar capacity in single swoops.
Wollongong council launches solar carpark tender
Wollongong City Council is looking to install solar panels on its Stewart Street multi-story carpark as part of its continued focus on sustainability and net-zero emissions targets.
Solar for parking machines
New Zealand researchers have proposed a way to assess the technical and economic feasibility of PV-powered parking machines. Solar might be an ideal solution, but the siting of the machines is critical and should be planned in advance, in line with available solar radiation and potential shading.
Kalgoorlie high school set to be first in Schools VPP pilot project
The Schools Virtual Power Plant pilot project, part of the WA Government’s $66.3 million investment in solar and batteries in its WA Recovery Plan from the impacts of Covid-19, will see ten schools transformed into VPPs. The two year trial is expected to bring reduced electricity bills to schools, improved grid stability, and increased solar uptake in the local community.
How solar is securing rural bushfire ‘last resorts’
The Hepburn Recreation Reserve has been recently fitted out with a solar installation accompanied by a Tesla Powerwall 2. The combined system is not only a great result for the local sports clubs, it also helps Hepburn Shire on its way to 100% renewables, and what is more, also secures the important facility as a ‘last resort’ for the community during a bushfire.
