Installations

The Andrews Government has approved three new solar farms in the Shepparton region with a combined generative power of 175 MW. However, some residents are upset at the loss of prime agricultural land and the now redundant irrigation equipment which had been upgraded through government grants.

The two nations are due to sign an MoU today to set up the capacity in the north of Bangladesh along with 50 MW of wind power facilities in the south, near the port of Payra. China will supply an estimated $500m with the host nation freeing up land for the projects.

A mix of higher operating costs and ageing coal assets – plus historically generous solar tariffs – meant the utility banked more profit from the 1.53 TWh of solar electricity it sold in the first half than it did from 25.9 TWh of coal-fired power.

One of Victoria’s largest industrial solar power stations has been built at the Nine Mile Fresh apple processing and packing facility in South East Gippsland, a 1.4 MW system that will save the high-tech industrial agriculture business at least a third on its spiralling energy bills.

In an effort to replace two aging power plants, Hawaiian Electric Industries has launched a roughly 900 MW procurement, the largest in the utility’s history, across the islands of Oahu, Maui and Hawaii.

CQSola, the startup company of Australian energy innovators Ian and Tony Schirmer, will soon begin manufacturing a DC optimiser that promises to solve many of the inherent problems of solar farming, increase energy output, and drive greater insights into large-scale solar energy production.

Two reports have described how the world’s largest renewable energy market is moving towards maturity. According to the Brookings Institution, the Chinese clean energy market could become more open to Western investors and tech. A report by Fitch claims projects are moving back to inland provinces from coastal regions.

The Chinese-Canadian solar giant’s Operations & Maintenance (O&M) portfolio in Australia is now over 875 MWp after the company announced it had sealed deals with three solar PV plants coming in at a combined capacity of 300 MWp.

British developer RES Group receive development approval for 200 MW Avonlie Solar Farm in NSW’s Riverina. The project could have the ability to generate close to 80,000 homes with solar energy.

The University of Adelaide has begun construction on its new 1.2 MW solar farm which will be used to supply the Roseworthy Campus with clean energy and provide a practical source of study in the fields of solar PV, energy storage and solar site management.