Sustainability

Australia’s clean energy transition is predicted to accelerate in the coming years with a new report suggesting most Australian homes and businesses will have switched to solar PV modules paired with batteries by 2030 while the nation will have the highest penetration of renewable energy per capita in the world.

New South Wales, Australia’s most populace state and largest economy, has upped the green ante, today setting a new target which will see it rival clean energy powerhouse South Australia. The state government is seeking to spur more than $37 billion in private investment from its policies, hoping to double the state’s economy.

New South Wales households and businesses will soon be incentivised to install technologies and appliances which can operate outside peak demand times as part of a scheme the state government’s claims could save consumers $1.2 billion on electricity bills by 2040.

President Xi Jinping’s pledge this week at the United Nations General Assembly that China will not build new coal-fired plants abroad is welcome news; however, Asia’s transition to low carbon energies remains in dire need of policy reforms.

The urgent global need for tens of terawatts of solar capacity to replace fossil fuels by 2050 signals it’s time to hone in on developing the most sustainable technologies — before reserves of silver, indium and bismuth dry up.

Solar cell production could consume every ounce of the world’s known silver reserves within a few years. One industry guru and his UNSW colleagues have set out the case for carefully considering what happens next.

Buildings are considered to be a major driver of emissions. In addition to the predicted billions of square meters of space that will be built across the world over the next decade, most developments standing today will still be around in 2050. Thus, retrofitting existing structures is seen as a key sustainability target. In the fourth quarter of 2021, pv magazine’s UP Initiative will focus on the role that solar and energy storage can play in greening the world’s urban spaces.

The last of the New South Wales coal-fired power plants will be shut by 2040 at the latest after electricity gen-tailer EnergyAustralia announced it would bring forward the closure date of its 1.4 GW Mt Piper power station by two years.

In reportedly the largest ever contested resolution in Australian corporate history, 55% of AGL shareholders have this afternoon voted for the company to adopt Paris-aligned climate targets in both of its demerged businesses.

The sustainability claims of a crowdfunded ‘e-textile’ range launched by Art by Physicist are borne out by the fact each garment will be printed on demand.