Really Australia, it’s not that hard: 10 reasons why renewable energy is the future
Australia’s latest greenhouse gas figures released on Friday show national emissions fell slightly last year. This was by no means an economy-wide effort – solar and wind energy did most of the heavy lifting.
Photon Energy secures financing for two merchant solar plants in NSW
The two solar plants with a combined capacity of 14 MWp will represent the first Australian utility-scale PV projects in Photon Energy’s independent power producer (IPP) portfolio.
New rules pave the way for off-grid renewables to replace poles and wires
In a major reform of the energy rules, distribution businesses across Australia will be allowed to service remote areas with stand-alone power systems and avoid costly network upgrades.
Juwi to build renewable energy hub in regional Western Australia
The German-headquartered project developer has signed a deal with Pacific Energy’s subsidiary Contract Power to build a hybrid renewable energy project that will power the town of Esperance.
Perth-based Talga strikes deal with European lithium-ion battery giant
Perth-based graphite anode producer Talga has allied itself with European lithium-ion battery giant Farasis Energy Group as the market in Europe for sustainably sourced electric vehicles continues its rapid rise.
Chief Scientist says big batteries are not ready to fast-track energy transition
Australia’s Chief Scientist Dr Alan Finkel has claimed Australia will remain dependent on gas for up to another 30 years as it seeks to transition to a renewables-dominated grid.
NSW seeks expressions of interest for 3 GW renewable energy zone
Solar, wind and energy storage companies have until June 5 to express interest in building parts of the 3 GW renewable energy zone in New South Wales.
Solar leads Australia’s energy transition as renewables set new record
In 2019, renewables continued to undermine the dominance of coal on the Australian grid and surged on the back of a massive 46% year-on-year jump in solar power, according to the latest data from the federal Energy Department.
Cultana Solar Farm ramps up for construction start
Work on the long-awaited 280-megawatt Cultana Solar Farm in South Australia could begin as early as July.
Solar panel recycling: Turning ticking time bombs into opportunities
Australia has certainly demonstrated its appetite for solar power. Now, with the average lifespan of a solar panel being approximately 20 years, many installations from the early 2000’s are set to reach end-of-life. Will they end up in landfill or be recycled? The cost of recycling is higher than landfill, and the value of recovered materials is smaller than the original, so there’s limited interest in recycling. But given the presence of heavy metals, such as lead and tin, if waste is managed poorly, we’re on track for another recycling crisis. A potential time bomb could present itself as an opportunity, however, if the global EV industry showed an interest in the recovered solar products.
