Why capacity factor is an increasingly simplistic way to compare solar farm performance
Capacity factor is often discussed when evaluating and comparing the efficiency and performance of solar farms. However, looking just at this metric can be misleading as it ignores many underlying technical and commercial factors, as solar farm specifications almost never align for a simple apples-to-apples comparison.
Shifting behaviour to enable a renewable future
The Australian energy grid is on the cusp of a big bang moment. The combination of market factors and situations we’re currently seeing will lead to a thrust of innovation. Renewable energy and smart devices are here to push forward the way we consume energy and drive a change for the better of our energy bills and for the environment.
The politics of an unsettled energy transition
University of Sydney researchers Sophie Webber and Gareth Bryant highlight the key challenges of land, labour and finance in achieving a renewable energy transition in Australia.
Solar power can cut living costs, but it’s not an option for many people – they need better support
As the cost of living soars, many Australian households are turning to rooftop solar to cut their energy costs. A Pulse of the Nation survey last month showed about 29% of Australians have installed or are considering installing solar panels on their homes. The same survey shows one in five Australians can’t afford to adequately heat or cool their homes.
Diversity is power
The gap between men and women working in the energy sector today is stark, but the issue is finally emerging as an international priority. GridBeyond’s Sales Director for Australia, Lisa Balk, shares her experience and solutions ahead of International Women’s Day on March 8.
Oil and gas companies needed to make green hydrogen a reality
Think about oil and gas companies and climate change and chances are you’ll think dark thoughts. It’s true Exxon Mobil had remarkably detailed knowledge of global warming in the 1970s. Some seeded doubt by funding climate denier organisations and scientists and invented greenwashing.
Australia’s energy market operator is worried about the grid’s reliability. But should it be?
The Australian Energy Market Operator this week released an update to its annual assessment of reliability, the so-called Electricity Statement of Opportunities. This has been reported as the market operator forecasting “power shortages”, or the network being “at risk of supply shortages”.
Darwin to Dili: Contrasting challenges in Timor-Leste during an energy transition
Dan Lee learns about energy poverty, and some of the unique challenges of the transition during a trip to Timor-Leste as part of a delegation of eight students from the University of Queensland’s Master of Sustainable Energy program.
Superconducting cables offer solution to loss of electricity in grid
For most of us, transmitting power is an invisible part of modern life. You flick the switch and the light goes on. But the way we transport electricity is vital. For us to quit fossil fuels, we will need a better grid, connecting renewable energy in the regions with cities.
Win-win: how solar farms can double as havens for wildlife
Australia’s renewable energy transition has prompted the construction of dozens of large-scale solar farms. The boom helps reduce Australia’s reliance on fossil fuels, but requires large areas of land to be converted to host solar infrastructure.
