Commonwealth puts $20 mill into Amber, helping energy customers ditch exxie fossil fuels for renewables
That’s the Commonwealth Bank of Australia we’re talking about, not the Commonwealth Government … but someone has to lead the way. Sustainability-savvy CBA is placing an investment bet on innovative energy retailer, Amber.
Smart meters allow excess midday solar energy to be soaked up locally in ‘innovative’ NSW program
A new program has launched on the New South Wales south coast enabling solar generated on residential rooftops to be consumed locally by hot water systems through smart meters alone, helping manage the growing problem of variable electricity in the grid without requiring new infrastructure.
Victoria bans door-to-door sales for solar companies, introduces $1 million fine for wrongful disconnections
Victoria’s state government has introduced new rules for solar businesses and energy retailers banning on door-to-door sales of products and announcing penalties of up to $1 million for retailers that wrongfully disconnect the electricity of vulnerable Victorians.
Stop removing your solar panels early, please. It’s creating a huge waste problem for Australia
Charles Darwin University’s Deepika Mathur, and Imran Muhammad of Massey University in New Zealand reveal surprising results from their study into why Australians are retiring solar panels before their time, and what it means for our material footprint and the environment.
Water-free, portable cleaning bot for rooftop solar
India’s Aegeus Technologies has developed an autonomous, water-free cleaning bot for rooftop solar installations. The bot weighs 5 kg (with battery) and can be operated remotely through a web-based app. It uses an air wash technology to clean the panels, ensuring no need for water or any harmful chemicals.
UNSW digs the data: How much solar energy is lost through automated inverter settings?
In a huge data-crunching project designed to inform rooftop solar-export policy and regulations, UNSW technical and social researchers delve into the costs and effectiveness of inverter standards.
IEA calls for solar PV additions to reach 630 GW by 2030
According to the International Energy Agency, most of the global reductions in CO2 emissions between now and 2030 would come from technologies available today. In a recent report, the agency sets what it described as a “cost-effective and economically productive” pathway resulting in an energy economy “dominated by renewables like solar and wind.”
‘Software as a service, that’s the key’: why major solar business CEO says its all about data
In 2020, Anson Zhang, the CEO of Australia’s largest solar distributor, One Stop Warehouse, launched Discover Energy – entering the electricity retail space. The decision, Zhang told pv magazine Australia, confused many. Why would a company dominating solar supplies pivot to retailing. The simple answer: data.
Large scale solar generation exceeds gas for first time, rooftop solar pushes peak demand to five year low
Evidence of Australia’s energy transition and the force with which renewables are pushing fossil fuel generators out of the mix are now glaring, with a raft of new reports highlighting different records and trends testament to the seismic shift.
Why rooftop solar failed to find its legs in India
Poor and piecemeal implementation of net metering policies is a major roadblock for the uptake of rooftop solar system in India, according to a new report by Asian Development Bank.
