Australia

South Australia’s coal-fired electricity industry is in its final chapter with the sale of the 65-year-old Port Augusta power station site expected to reach settlement by the end of the month.

The German energy storage provider has begun shipping batteries produced in the former Holden factory in Adelaide’s north to New Zealand. Sonnen batteries will be available exclusively through the manufacturer’s local partner, Taspac Energy.

The “new safety code” handed down by the Palaszczuk Government last month is set to cost jobs, delaying installations and making some projects unviable – warn installers. 

With the submission of its Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) report to the NSW Department of Planning and Environment (DP&E) this month, the massive Wollar Solar Farm project in NSW is edging closer to becoming a reality. 

The Australian government’s green bank continues to invest in energy efficient homes for low income families with a new funding granted for solar and battery-powered dwellings in regional New South Wales.

Six Aboriginal communities in WA’s Kimberley will see 400-600 kW solar arrays installed, supplanting diesel electricity generation. The program will be rolled out by Horizon Power, and ams to reduce the subsidy paid to the regional utility for the provision of power to remote sites. 

The Clean Energy Council is continuing to push back against new laws in Queensland that will compel solar installation work to be carrier out by a licensed electrician for arrays larger than 100 kW. It convened an “emergency roundtable” in Brisbane today to address the new rules. 

The latest figures from the Australian Energy Market Operator (AEMO) show that solar continues to eat into the share once firmly held by coal on the back of a dramatic increase in installations over the past 12 months. The trend was backed by energy storage facilities which continued to gain foothold as providers of frequency control and ancillary services, lowering overall costs in the first quarter of 2019.

In what is being claimed to be an Australian first, Natural Solar has installed a solar PV and storage system to Specialist Disability Accommodation (SDA) in South Australia, with an innovative approach to providing backup power supply. Natural Solar reports that the battery systems retain 20% charge at all times to ensure backup power supply. 

Australia’s Clean Energy Finance Corporation has invested more than $500 million in 12 climate bond issuances since it began investing in 2012, establishing a leadership position in this rapidly evolving investment channel.