Oceania

New data on the Victorian government’s Solar Homes program show the demand for rebates for solar panels, solar hot water, solar batteries and no-interest loans has been well spread across the state.

The Australian Energy Market Commission (AEMC) has made a final rule to improve publicly available information about new utility-scale projects, making it easier for wind and solar developers to decide on where to locate new generators and avoid cost blowouts amid grid congestion and connection challenges.

Australian renewables developer Windlab has announced further delays on its landmark energy park in north Queensland after its EPC contractor failed to secure a fully functioning connection agreement.

The Clean Energy Council (CEC) has released an extensive report on the benefit of sharing options for renewable energy projects. In addition to highlighting the benefits of sharing for both project proponents and local communities, the report provides pathways to models of benefit sharing.

The Clean Energy Finance Corporation (CEFC) has released its 2018-19 Annual Report on its investment into Australia’s clean energy transition. The report laud’s CEFC investment and provides optimistic reading for the energy transition.

A 5 MW solar farm near Cessnock in the NSW Hunter Valley region, long-time coal country, is nearing completion. The solar farm, at Lovedale’s Crowne Plaza Hunter Valley, is set for operation by the end of November.

The Australian utility-scale PV and wind industries have just gone through a record two years of construction and commissioning. More specifically, writes Rystad Energy’s David Dixon, utility-scale PV has transformed from a megawatt-scale market to one measured in gigawatts. The resultant boom in utility-scale PV in the country has attracted developers, EPCs and OEMs, from at home and across the globe.

The state government is on a lookout for a new electricity supplier for 100% of its load. Its goal is to lock in a contract which would deliver more affordable, reliable and cleaner electricity in South Australia.

Lightsource BP has signed financing agreements to develop its first utility-scale solar project in Australia. The 200 MW solar farm, near Wellington, New South Wales, is the largest single plant to be financed by the U.K. solar developer to date and one of the biggest projects in Australia to use bifacial PV.

Welcome to Australia’s largest national showcase of renewable energy at the Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre. Follow pv magazine live to keep updated on the latest Aussie solar PV and storage developments and trends from this year’s event, as they happen. Stay tuned!