Victoria

Mildura Rural City Council will install a solar system with up to 99 kW of capacity at its Mildura South Regional Sporting Precinct, which is currently under construction. A spokesperson for Mildura Council told pv magazine Australia 50% of the system’s savings will be provided to a local group to deliver its ongoing sustainability programs for the community.

The Victorian government has commissioned the Australian Energy Market Operator (AEMO) to seek tenders for six new grid upgrade projects to prepare for the influx of clean energy associated with the state’s western Renewable Energy Zones (REZs).

The City of Melbourne is planning a network of co-ordinated community batteries to be installed at council sites across the city, aiming for a potential capacity of 5 MW by 2024.

Victorian solar company RACV Solar has continued its expansion strategy with the acquisition of Great Ocean Solar and Electrical, a solar and battery installation business based on the Bellarine Peninsula in the state’s southwest.

Australian renewable developer Maoneng has revealed details for its 240 MWp/480 MWh big battery proposed for Victoria’s Mornington Peninsula which has now opened for public exhibition.

There is a big concern in the industry right now for even the top tier solar companies. As the demand for installers and systems is ever increasing, the number of good solar installers are not. 

The small town of Yackandandah in northeast Victoria is one step closer to being powered by 100% renewable energy with the state’s first behind-the-meter, community-owned solar PV and battery energy storage system the latest addition to its community’s energy generation strategy.

The Victorian government has allocated $1.1 million in funding to Indigenous groups to determine how they want to be part of Victoria’s renewable energy boom. Fortescue has likewise awarded $350 million to a majority-owned Aboriginal business in Western Australia, its single largest contract under its Billion Opportunities program.

Lumea is planning the first big battery to be financed without any government support at Melbourne’s Deer Park Energy Hub.

Gannawarra Solar Farm, Victoria’s first large-scale solar farm integrated with a big battery, has forayed into the world of agrisolar by integrating sheep grazing on site. The sheep are reportedly loving the shade offered by the panels, which has allowed them to graze even during the hottest parts of the day, with the animals unperturbed by the solar farm’s tracking devices.