Innovators Amber Electric raise $2.5 million in seed funding
A group of Australian investors led by venture capital fund Square Peg has backed the Melbourne-based start-up which aims to revolutionise the way Australian households buy electricity by passing through wholesale rates.
Eric Luo: China will see just 20-25 GW of solar per year through 2025
The GCL System chief executive made comments that fly in the face of an expected solar gold rush in China that analysts predict will start this month. Though rising overseas demand will address overcapacity fears, according to Luo, the soundbite is sure to chill PV boardrooms across the world’s biggest solar market.
New AER report finds energy affordability still major difficulty for Australians
The Australian Energy Regulator (AER) released its Affordability in Retail Energy Markets report today. The findings show a disproportionate energy cost burden on low-income households and its impact in driving uptake of rooftop PV.
Victoria solar rebate snapped up in under one hour
Even with the boosted solar rebate offering, this month’s first round quota was taken up in minutes. Another 3,250 rebates are due to be released on Tuesday, September 17.
Blue Mountains home to one of NSW’s first passive houses
“The Sapphire” is one of the first passive houses in New South Wales (NSW). Located in the Blue Mountains’ village of Foulconbridge, “The Sapphire” is a carbon zero house utilising an SMA Energy System consisting of a Sunny Boy solar inverter and a Sunny Boy Storage battery inverter providing clean solar power.
Solar Victoria portal crashes as expanded rooftop PV rebate opens
Only hours after the release of the boosted September allocation of rooftop PV rebates, Solar Victoria’s application portal crashed, leaving applicants frustrated.
Canadian researchers have done the math on optimizing PV output
Mathematicians at Canada’s University of Waterloo who turned their attention to solar power have developed an algorithm they say offers better control over PV plant output. The researchers estimate the algorithm could improve the output of a 100 MW power plant by almost a million kilowatt-hours per year.
Solar Victoria heeds solar industry activism, frees up 23,000 solar PV rebates
The Victorian Government has heeded solar industry and customer concerns and wrought substantial changes to the Solar Homes Rebate Program, including a significant increase in rebate allocations and a streamlining of the laborious online application portal.
The Chinese solar market is changing shape
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.
Solar that pays for itself drives rapid Smart Energy expansion
Byron Bay’s Smart Energy has expanded rapidly across Australia from its base in the Northern Rivers on the back of a high-quality workmanship and a business model that allows customers to pay for their solar with the savings it provides.
