Oceania

The Victorian government has boosted its solar rental scheme with interest-free loans in addition to two rebates per financial year landlords were already able to access.

The Australian federal government is fast-tracking the world’s biggest solar and storage project in the sun-drenched Tennant Creek region that aims to power Darwin and export solar from the outback to Singapore and eventually Indonesia via a submarine transmission link.

A team of international researchers featuring ANU’s Prof Frank Jotzo has published a study on the ‘just transition’ from coal to renewable sources of energy. The paper looks at comparative examples of transitioning economies, taking account of political realities, and ultimately shows that a ‘just transition’ is just about the only transition worth having.

1000 sites into the Sunburnt Country and McDonald’s has had the bright idea of investing in solar. The fast-food giant has begun construction on its 1000th Australian site, a ‘sustainable flagship’ which utilises rooftop solar and other sustainable practices as a possible model for fast-food franchises going forward.

The new deal with one of the leading solar wholesalers in Australia will make Sungrow’s suite of products available to a greater number of residential and commercial customers.

New system strength challenges have been identified in North Queensland putting the output of nearly 800 MW of additional solar projects at risk.

The New South Wales town of Parkes, famous for its involvement in the Apollo 11 Moon landing, is set to play a part in another scientific wonder, the transition to renewable energy, after the NSW Government approved the development of the 80 MW Quorn Park Solar Farm. A small step in the plan , but a giant leap for the planet.

The Western Australian Government’s $5.5 billion WA Recovery Plan was released yesterday, the plan features $66.3 million in renewable energy investment, most of that to go on solar and batteries, along with a significant top up of the Clean Energy Future Fund.

Atlassian Co-Founder, Scott Farquhar, says the company’s new headquarters in Sydney’s planned tech precinct will host thousands of workers and embody “the best new ideas”, including a solar-energy-generating facade — inspiration for a post-COVID, yet still warming world.

“Accelerating the uptake of renewable energy for the industrial sector is a critical part in Australia meeting its long-term emissions reductions commitments,” said ARENA CEO Darren Miller at the announcement of $300,000 funding to support a collaborative industrial transition initiative.