Australia

In the aftermath of January’s blackouts in Victoria and South Australia, public policy think thank Grattan Institute underlines that blaming renewable energy for supply failures is wrong and dangerous. The new report flies in the face of repeated claims by the Coalition government that renewables are undermining the reliability of electricity system.

A $2.2 million trial run by Jemena, AusNet Services, and UNSW Sydney will explore how existing network infrastructure can better integrate with solar power, as Australia’s rooftop PV uptake goes from strength to strength.

The Australian Renewable Energy Agency (ARENA) has awarded $9.6 million in grants for five projects and seven studies into the role of distributed generation assets on the grid – and how to expand their penetration.

Australia’s more than 1,300 golf clubs can each spend upwards of $100,000 a year on electricity bills in the process of managing their greens and running their clubhouses. Today AEES Group announced an exclusive partnership with Golf Management Australia, to provide customised energy-efficiency audits and solar solutions that can reduce Australian clubs’ carbon footprint, and their grid-derived energy by up to 60%.

Call them aspiring sun gods: In the lead up to the 2019 New South Wales election on 23 March, Shadow Minister for Energy and Climate Change Adam Searle and the NSW Liberal & National Government Energy Minister Don Harwin have both announced solar policies that support NSW householders to install rooftop solar-PV systems and thereby reduce their energy bills.

In an Australian first, Canada’s Hydrostor is delivering a 5 MW / 10 MWh compressed air energy storage facility, which will store excess solar and wind power at a closed underground mine in South Australia.

The 240 MW Prairie Solar Farm in Victoria has moved forward with a planning permission and the 315 MW Clarke Creek Solar Farm in Queensland has received a material change of use permit.

Australia’s renewable sector is driving the country towards its Paris commitments well ahead of schedule. The Australian National University (ANU) published the findings today, concluding that on the current trajectory the country is on track to hit 50% renewable electricity in 2024 and 100% in 2032 – at a net cost “of approximately zero.” Despite the good news, the Clean Energy Council warns that current federal government policy may result in the country squandering the opportunity.

The Central Goldfields Shire Council has given its tick of approval for the construction of the Carisbrook Solar Farm, proposed by Germany’s ib vogt.

Elliott Green Power (EGP) has completed the construction and grid connection of its 95 MW Susan River Solar Farm in South East Queensland. The utility scale array is part of a three-project, 300 MW portfolio EGP is developing in Queensland and New South Wales.