News

Renewables developer MPower has commenced work on two 5 MW solar farms in South Australia expanding its portfolio of smaller utility-scale projects.

As the country grapples with devastating bushfires, the number of Australians concerned about climate change has climbed. Almost four-fifths of those surveyed last week said they were concerned about climate change, an increase of five percent from July, according to think-tank The Australia Insitute. The polling comes hot on the heels of the Bureau of Meteorology’s 2019 Annual Climate Statement, showing there is every reason for concern and confirming 2019 was both the warmest and driest year on record for Australia.

Researchers at the University of Newcastle have developed a solar-powered atmospheric water generator, a clean and economical solution to the worsening perennial problem of global water scarcity.

University of Queensland researchers have quantified the amount of on-site renewable energy generation utilised by the nation’s water industry. The results are interesting if not already anachronistic due to the rapid pace of advancement in the world of solar PV.

The Dutch water management agency plans to install solar panels along both sides of the A37 highway in Drenthe province, as well as on the median strip, to cover 300 hectares in total. The project is part of a plan to build projects on state land, as the domestic PV industry continues to search for alternative surfaces on which to deploy solar.

Norwegian solar panel manufacturer REC Group has upped the ante with new warranty deals and reduced the annual power degradation of its products. In addition to a brand new, triple 25-year warranty exclusively offered by certified REC Solar Professional installers, it has extended coverage form 10 to 20 years for its TwinPeak and N-Peak products.

President Ursula von der Leyen has outlined plans to fund her Green Deal with a mix of EU, member state and private sector contributions. Now it is over to individual nations and the European Parliament.

Renown think-tank Beyond Zero Emissions has published a new report looking directly at the near-future for fossil-fuel industry dependent towns and communities like Collie in WA. The report suggests that Collie has great hope for renewal, a hope founding on the state’s rapid transition to renewable energies.

Abu Dhabi-based renewable energy group Masdar is sailing into the southeast Asian market with its, and Indonesia’s, first floating solar power plant. The project is to be the largest of its kind in South East Asia.

The final tally was 2.13 GW of sub-100kW systems registered in 2019 following a record installation surge in December, according to solar analyst SunWiz. This represents a jump of a 35% year-on-year and puts the grand total at 10 GW.