Community

Townsville in North Queensland is set to receive two new ‘solar trees’ as part of a beautification project designed to connect the city’s new stadium precinct with its CBD as the regional city looks to boost its economic recovery from the impacts of Covid-19.

Rugby League legend Johnathan Thurston signed on to become Australia’s first solar ambassador last year. The former Kangaroo’s half-back represents the joy, strength and peace of mind residential solar is bringing to Aussie families.

UNSW solar scientist Matt Edwards is passionate about making solar accessible and using it to displace reliance on diesel in our region. As CEO of startup BlueVolt, he’s “pretty stoked” that his Savo Solar Initiative has won the support of an international foundation, famous for seeding solar projects all over the world.

As utilities, networks and governments get their distributed-resource ducks in a row, the time is ripe for VPPs and microgrids to play a more powerful role in Australia’s energy system. The latest? SwitchDin, a DER innovator with globally acknowledged capabilities has attracted investment from Q Cells a PV manufacturer with chops and channels.

The federal government has announced funding for a series of microgrid feasibility studies that will seek to unlock more secure, affordable, and reliable energy for regional and Indigenous communities.

Okra Solar, the Aussie startup we last saw delivering solar mini-grids to remote communities via a shared ping-pong table, is emerging from Covid-19 lockdown with new investors and two new pieces of tech that will better enable solar energy access to the 900 million people around the world still lacking power.

An additional $2.9 million from the Australian Government’s Outer Islands Renewable Energy Project (OIREP) is making its way across the sea to the kingdom of Tonga in the form of solar power plants and energy storage. The project is helping Tonga to achieve its target of generating 50% of its electricity from renewable sources by 2020 and 70% by 2030. 

New research by digital services company, Accenture, finds global energy-utility executives feeling underprepared for the increasing frequency of extreme weather events caused by climate change. It’s time to expand the definition of reliability.

The ACT Government has allocated funding to undertake solar and sustainability upgrades on public and community housing and install solar batteries for two public schools as part of its fast-tracked infrastructure projects to support the local economy.

The Victorian Government’s Solar Homes program once threatened to cut a swath through the state’s solar installer base; now it’s found its feet and forms the framework for delivering $15.3 million in new funding to reduce emissions and costs to the state’s constituents.