Policy

The Queensland government has laid down regulations for solar farms that will allow only licensed electricians to install or remove PV panels. But the new rules will put hundreds of local jobs at risk and could bring some projects to a standstill, the Clean Energy Council (CEC) has warned.

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.

More than 11 million PV inverters will be shipped in 2019 alone, and most of these will be connected to a software platform and controlled by the inverter companies. This creates an opportunity for suppliers to create new models and revenue sources, writes Cormac Gilligan, research and analysis manager at IHS Markit. And indeed, in recent years inverter suppliers have been rapidly developing ‘Internet of things’ software platforms to take advantage of this.

One of the main pillars of the Coalition government’s climate policy, the $2 billion Climate Solutions Fund, has undergone unexpected changes in the final 2019 budget. While the government previously pledged to spend $2 billion over the next 10 years to help ensure Australia meets its emissions target under the Paris Agreement, the budget has revealed that the funding will be spread over 15 years, cutting the amount spent annually by more than 30%.

In a briefing looking into the renewable energy investment boom, BIS Oxford Economics estimates solar and wind will attract $20 billion of private investment in FY18 and FY19, spread over more than 70 projects. The consultants warn investment will slow beyond 2020 pointing to the upcoming Federal election as critically important for the future of Australia’s renewables pipeline.

Following the decision to require retailers taking part in the Solar Homes program to be signatories to the Clean Energy Council’s Solar Retailer Code of Conduct, the Victorian government has set specific requirements for inverters that will be installed under the program.

A new major aspect of Labor’s climate policy announcement on Monday was a national electric vehicle (EV) target with half of the cars on the Australian roads to be electric by 2030, and fuel emissions standards for all vehicles.

With solar panels already installed on dozens of its buildings, the City of Sydney has upped the ante with the goal to source 100% of its electricity needs from solar PV and wind. The commitment has been endorsed by Council this week, and a new 100% renewable electricity contract will be negotiated in the coming months.

The Coalition government has announced funding to support up to 50 off-grid and fringe-of-grid feasibility studies investigating whether building a microgrid can be a cost-effective solution. The studies will also look at whether existing off-grid capabilities can be upgraded with more up-to-date technology.

New polling from The Australia Institute shows that almost 70% of South Australian voters regardless of political leanings want to see the state transition to 100% renewable energy by the year 2030.