Origin acquires large-scale solar farm development project in NSW
The owner of Australia’s biggest coal-fired generator has added another large-scale solar PV project to its renewable energy portfolio with the acquisition of the 60 MW Yanco Solar Farm being developed in the New South Wales Riverina region.
Rio Tinto mulls 4 GW of renewable proposals for its Queensland operations
Miner Rio Tinto has received offers to build more than 4 GW of solar and wind capacity after the company sought proposals to help it cut carbon emissions at its Queensland operations.
Study finds 100% renewables would pay off within six years
New research from Stanford University researcher Mark Jacobson outlines how 145 countries could meet 100% of their business-as-usual energy needs with wind, water, solar and energy storage. The study finds that in all the countries considered, lower-cost energy and other benefits mean the required investment for transition is paid off within six years. The study also estimates that worldwide, such a transition would create 28 million more jobs than it lost.
Australian storage gets Victorian dairy farm to 95% renewables, saving ‘at least’ $70k in bills per annum
Fourth-generation Victorian dairy farmers this week commissioned their 250kW rooftop solar system coupled with 520 kWh of battery storage from Australian company Energy Renaissance. The couple are forecast to save at least $70,000 annually with the system, cutting their grid reliance by 95% and hopefully inspiring neighbouring farms.
ACT details plan to ditch gas in shift to electric future
The Australian Capital Territory government has unveiled plans to phase out the use of fossil gas by 2045 at the latest and move the market towards a net zero emissions future by “electrifying Canberra with renewable electricity over the next two decades”.
Albanese points to certainty for renewables investors after climate change bill clears first hurdle
New legislation to enshrine Australia’s 2030 and 2050 emissions reduction targets into law has cleared the first hurdle with the Federal Government’s climate change bill passing through the parliament’s lower house.
Malaysia energy major targets early closure of coal plants
Malaysia’s largest electricity provider Tenaga Nasional Berhad has announced plans to fast track the closure of its coal-fired power plants to hasten the transition of its generation fleet from fossil fuels to renewable sources including large-scale solar PV and green hydrogen.
Solar is the cheapest power, and a literal light-bulb moment showed us we can cut costs and emissions even further
New research suggests we might be able to rethink the type of silicon needed to make high-efficiency solar cells, say researchers from the CSIRO, UNSW and Oxford University.
Solarwatt obtains ‘cradle-to-cradle’ certification for its glass-glass solar modules
The ‘cradle-to-cradle’ certification is considered a globally recognised holistic product quality standard. The assessment is made for five categories: material health, recyclability of materials, energy management and CO2 emissions, water management and social responsibility
Weekend read: ESG in action
The 2022 pv magazine Roundtables Europe focused on decarbonization throughout the continent. Linking sustainability to financial performance is a big part of this goal, as the second session, “Sustainability in action, raising the corporate bar,” attested to. During the panel discussion, four experts discussed end of life, circularity, material supply, project development, and the social community, as we approach terawatt solar scale.
