Installations

As Queenslanders ready to head to the polls, the Clean Energy Council has reminded all parties about the economic opportunity presented by the state’s solar and wind resources.

The Australian renewables sector was not immune to a host of challenges that marked the first half of the year, but the pipeline of renewable energy projects in the country reached new heights. While new construction dipped to a four-year low and financial close remained out of reach for a great number of projects, the second half of the year is looking more positive, according to Norwegian consultancy Rystad Energy.

It was a series of firsts, including a profitable full year and Megapack turning a profit that factored into CEO Elon Musk explaining that he has “never been more optimistic or excited about the future of Tesla.” Austin is confirmed as the site of the next Gigafactory.

Hesta, a leading industry superannuation fund trusted by 860,000 Australians, has joined a host of other major investment firms nationwide calling on the Federal Government to encourage large-scale renewable investment by setting an emissions target and cleaning up its strategy.

Researchers at Monash University will conduct a desktop study to explore issues and strategies associated with connecting inverter-based generation such as batteries, solar, and wind into weaker parts of the National Electricity Market.

New economic modelling from Accenture’s AlphaBeta has found 76,000 clean jobs just waiting to be created over the next three years if a green recovery from the twin recoveries from the Black Summer Bushfires and Covid-19 were implemented. The Plan, commissioned by the Climate Council, breaks down potential jobs in the hardest hit regions and occupations.

A 50 MW solar farm at a vacant site in Karrabin is on the verge of construction after Ipswich City Council approved the project’s Materials Change of Use application. Ipswich may have once been Queensland’s ‘cradle of coal mining’ but solar is a sure sign of growing up.

A dispatchable hybrid solar project has been proposed by the Australian solar thermal specialist to power the community and resources sector in the Mount Isa region of Queensland.

SA Water’s highly ambitious $300 million solar uptake is proving a golden goose as a partnership with Succession Ecology to revegetate almost a tonne of native seedlings under large-scale solar arrays proves a win-win. The ground-mounted modules mean native vegetation can return to formerly agricultural land, and the native scrub itself protects PV panels from soiling.

Logan City Council has passed the 1 MW milestone of solar capacity on Council-owned buildings after the completion of a 100 kW install atop Logan North Aquatic Centre. The Council has plans to more than double that mark in the next year alone, however, some planned installations may fall victim to Covid-19 inspired cutbacks.