LCOE from large scale PV fell 4% to $50 per megawatt-hour in six months
Analysts at Bloomberg New Energy Finance say the lowest-cost projects financed in Australia, China, Chile and the UAE in the last six months hit a levelized cost of energy of just $23-29/MWh and the best solar and wind projects will produce electricity for less than $20/MWh by 2030.
Despite solar woes, Tesla recorded its first profitable Q1
Tesla finished the first quarter of 2020 with a positive GAAP net income, driven by the profitability of the Model Y. However, the story was not so bright for solar, storage or corporate governance.
Australia’s biggest green hydrogen plant secures initial investment
The Arrowsmith Hydrogen plant is the first of many green hydrogen projects across Western Australia being developed by Perth-based company Infinite Blue Energy.
NSW government to fast-track approvals for Snowy 2.0 project
In a bid to boost the state’s economy and create jobs amid the Covid-19 crisis, the New South Wales government will accelerate the assessment of 24 projects, including the $4.6 billion Snowy 2.0 pumped hydro storage project.
Zero-emissions solutions are ready to roll, right when the economy needs them most
A major new report finds there is a pathway to zero emissions for every major economic sector in Australia. Over 18 months in the making, Decarbonisation Futures offers fresh ideas for how Australia can embrace the zero-emissions future that is visible on the other side of the pandemic, writes Amandine Denis-Ryan of ClimateWorks Australia.
Stepping on the gas
Australia’s leader, Scott Morrison, and several of his ministers, including the Minister for Emissions Reduction, Angus Taylor, try at every opportunity to push more homegrown gas into the country’s energy mix. With global gas at rock-bottom prices, they’re now touting a gas-led recovery. What’s right and wrong with this picture?
NSW amends laws to pave the way for rooftop solar and big batteries
The New South Wales government has amended legislation to allow for larger-scale solar systems to be installed on homes and commercial buildings without council approval and to facilitate the installation of utility-scale batteries.
Australian solar owners are saving more while staying at home because of Covid-19
Analyzing its fleet of solar sites, Solar Analytics has found that energy consumption in households due to Covid-19 confinement is up only slightly, if at all. While this is good news, the great news is that the onsite consumption of free solar power in these households is up significantly.
Thousands of South Australian households rush to install batteries
In the five weeks between subsidy step-down being announced and implemented under the $100 million Home Battery Scheme, more than 5,000 subsidies were approved.
Falling power prices could benefit mega-sized solar and wind projects
The Covid-19 pandemic will create a “perfect storm” for the wholesale electricity market as lower demand comes together with lower gas prices and large-scale solar and wind being commissioned to depress power prices, finds a report by Melbourne-based consultancy RepuTex.
