Markets & Policy

Electricity retailer Powershop is dropping the rates for its Victorian customers by 5%, as it adds “a diverse set of renewable generation” to its portfolio. Powershop is the retail arms of New Zealand-based utility Meridian Energy.

The Chilean National Energy Commission will become the country’s first public entity to use Blockchain technology. The new program will begin in March.

Australia’s large-scale and rooftop solar PV sectors now employ over 10,000 people. The findings were published today in Green Energy Market’s Renewable Energy Index for January 2018.

The next decade will see the Asia-Pacific region cement its position as the global leader for the deployment of non-hydro renewables, with over 500 GW of new capacity being added. BMI Research published the finding last week as a part of its Global Renewables Forecast.

The 10 members of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) are on track to make solar and other renewables account for 23% of the region’s total primary energy supply (TPES) by 2025, but governments will need to create better policy and investment frameworks to make it happen, according to the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA).

As the deployment of large scale renewable energy projects picked up the pace in 2017, the 2020 Renewable Energy Target of 33,000 GWh has been put within reach. The Clean Energy Regulator has reported “a healthy surplus” of renewable energy certificates in the Renewable Energy Target market.

Tasked with redirecting electricity generated in industry to households in north Queensland, Australia’s first large scale operating virtual power plant at work has welcomed big industrial players as customers.

Australia is on the cusp of a residential battery storage boom. The Climate Council published the forecast last week in its Fully Charged: Renewables and Storage Powering Australia report. BNEF confirms with pv magazine Australia that as a result of the rapid growth, Australia is alongside Germany as the fastest growing market for residential battery storage.

A New South Wales energy management company has won ARENA’s funding for a smart swimming poll pilot project, which holds a promise to both manage peak demand and save pool owners up to 30% of their household electricity use.

The South Australian Labor Party has increased its Renewable Energy Target to 75% by 2025. It also plans to introduce a target of meeting 25% of the state’s peak electricity demand with stored renewables – equating to 750 MW of storage capacity.