Woolworths becomes world’s first retailer to issue green bonds
The Australian supermarket giant is issuing green bonds to fund the development of low-carbon supermarkets and the installation of solar at its stores and distribution centres.
WA battery research facility secures $25m of federal funding
The Perth-based Future Battery Industries Cooperative Research Centre (FBICRC) will address industry-identified gaps in the battery industry value chain, support battery deployment and optimise the circular economy for battery recycling.
Victorian government to cap solar rebates in response to overwhelming interest
Due to the immense success of the program — and with rebates now almost fully subscribed — Solar Victoria will accept a final 2,000 applications before the end of June, the state government has announced. New solar rebates will be available in the next financial year.
Energy platform connects small solar farms with buyers
An online platform to connect medium to small-scale solar energy producers with independent electricity buyers will launch in the coming months in South Australia.
Northern Territory rolls out 10 MW of PV to power remote communities
Construction has been completed on the Solar Energy Transformation Program (SETuP), which has been touted as Australia’s largest rollout of solar power to remote communities to date.
Flinders University to roll out more solar on rooftops, shelters and walkways
Building on its existing PV fleet, South Australia’s Flinders University has announced a fresh investment of $1.45 million to source one-third of its electricity needs from solar.
SolarReserve fails to secure funding for Aurora solar thermal plant
The Port Augusta concentrated solar power project billed as the world’s biggest has ground to a halt. Although it was granted additional time, U.S. firm SolarReserve failed to achieve financial close and proposed selling the 150 MW project to a third party.
AEMO’s VPP integration trial, decentralized energy exchange secure funding
The Australian Renewable Energy Agency (ARENA) will underpin two innovative distributed energy projects – a trial to integrate a virtual power plant into the National Energy Market and a digital marketplace for grid services provided by rooftop solar arrays, batteries and EVs owned by Australian homes and businesses.
2018 smashed renewables records across the board, CEC finds
A new report from the Clean Energy Council confirms 2018 shattered all records in terms of investment in renewables and capacity additions. The CEC finds that more than 2.3 GW of new renewable energy projects were completed in 2018. Both large-scale and rooftop solar experienced their best ever year.
ING to lend $37m to Sunseap to build 50 MW in Asia
The Dutch banking group will serve as sole mandated lead arranger for the S$50 million loan. A unit of Singapore-based developer Sunseap will use the funds to build a 50 MW portfolio of rooftop PV projects.
