Saturday read: Return of the sun tax
Australia’s success with widespread residential take-up of solar PV installations may be facing a stumbling block, a new proposal by the Australian Energy Market Commission (AEMC), the rule maker of the nation’s grid. And for solar veterans, the development summons the ghoul of Spain’s infamous “sun tax.”
Check your mirrors: 3 things rooftop solar can teach us about Australia’s electric car rollout
Governments and car manufacturers are investing hundreds of billions of dollars on electric vehicles. But while the electric transport revolution is inevitable, the final destination remains unknown.
Consumers look at off-grid options amid talk of tariffs
Solar module manufacturer Q Cells Australia has revealed a growing number of residential customers are contemplating exiting the grid entirely as policy makers grapple with how to integrate increasing amounts of small-scale renewable energy technologies like rooftop solar PV and batteries into the electricity grid.
What’s been ‘lost’ amid the ‘solar tax’ outrage and how AEMC’s reforms benefit solar customers
As the Australian Energy Market Commission rifles through submissions on its reform package proposal, the Commission’s Chief Executive, Benn Barr, tells pv magazine Australia about some of the “profound changes” which have been overlooked and why he thinks two-way pricing is crucial.
Are oil and gas companies on the run?
Private sector fossil fuel spending on exploration is drying up just as modest rises in clean energy investments are being observed. With stock market investors increasingly embracing renewables, the IEA has observed positive signals in its latest energy investment report, but warned we are still doing far too little to keep global heating at bay.
Industry stakeholders unite against proposed solar PV export charge
A proposal which would allow network operators to charge rooftop solar PV owners to export their surplus energy to the grid has been opposed by key stakeholder groups in a joint submission to the Australian Energy Market Commission.
Hybrid Systems unveils ‘world’s biggest’ SPS factory as it targets growing market
Solar and battery microgrid specialist Hybrid Systems Australia has announced it will establish the “world’s biggest” standalone power system manufacturing facility in Western Australia as it looks to cater for growing demand for the technology.
Lightsource bp secures $330 million for QLD and NSW solar farms
Lightsource bp, the solar arm of oil major BP, has reached financial close on its 107 MW West Wyalong Solar Farm in New South Wales and its 214 MW Woolooga Solar Farm in Queensland, bringing the company’s Australian pipeline to over 1.5 GW (DC) and exhibiting the strength of green investment strategies.
New IEEFA report sees South Australia as world’s energy transition model
The Institute for Energy Economics and Financial analysis (IEEFA) has published a report in which it points to seven key lessons energy planners the world over can take from South Australia’s extraordinary renewable energy integration. However, even South Australia, IEEFA’s model, still requires thoughtful planning and policy for the path forward.
How the NEM works and why NSW’s commission is calling for reforms
New South Wales’ Productivity Commission has called on the state to reform its energy and water regulations, among other recommendations, in the White Paper report published this week.
