Oceania

UK-based asset manager Foresight Group claims to have assembled the largest asset fleet of utility scale solar in Australia. After having acquired four solar projects in Queensland and initiated one Victorian project in less than two years, the fund noted that it had moved quickly to “capitalise on the opportunities.”

Western Australian regional utility Horizon Power is rolling out a new program to incentivize consumers to reduce their consumption during peak hours. The higher fixed tariff may penalize solar homes; however, it does presents an opportunity for battery storage.

The Spanish tracker manufacturer has announced that it has opened an office in Sydney in a bid to ensure its presence in all leading global PV markets.

Western Australia’s electricity provider Horizon Power is set to receive a financial shot in the arm to install various distributed energy technologies in 90 homes and businesses in the coastal town of Carnarvon, which is home to the state’s first utility-scale energy storage, currently under trial.

While known in the global solar sector as an Indian PV leader, if Adani Enterprises’ proposed Carmichael coal mine fails so too could the company. Analyst Tim Buckley says that if the coal mega project cannot be financed and has to be written off or sold cheaply, the company’s debt would be three times larger than the value of its assets.

The peak solar body has warned that the Australian Federal Government is planning to abolish STCs for commercial solar projects – threatening one of the fastest growing market segments.

The Clean Energy Finance Corporation (CEFC) will provide $150 million in debt finance for the 212 MW Lincoln Gap wind farm. The project will include a utility scale battery system capable of provider 10 MWh of ‘fast response’ storage capacity.

The first sonnen system to be installed in Australia under the sonnenFlat pricing structure will save the family $2,000 on their electricity bills. Installer Natural Solar made the claim on Friday, when announcing the landmark system.

Following hot on the heels of the WA energy minister’s approval to create a green power fund, the state-owned electricity provider is reportedly set to bring in a Dutch fund as an investment partner for its renewable energy projects.

A massive solar farm in the north-east Australian state of Queensland has received a green light from the Gympie Regional Council. The project aims to scale up to 800 MW of solar+storage capacity over the next four years.