Victoria

The Victorian government will fund a floating solar project, an initiative to locally manufacture solar batteries, and install a portable renewable energy system for community services during emergencies as part of its Latrobe Valley program.

ARENA will give $22.8 million in funding to Viva Energy to build a renewable hydrogen and EV charging service station opposite its petroleum refinery in Geelong, Victoria.

The famous Melbourne Cricket Ground is claiming an Australian first with energy retailer EnergyAustralia saying the iconic sports ground in the Victorian capital is the first major stadium in the nation to be run entirely on 100% renewable power.

Australian company Natural Solar has seen a 400% increase in battery installs across Australia within two years. The company’s CEO Chris Williams told pv magazine Australia that Victoria has led demand, growing 350% in the second half of 2021 alone. Williams believes the surge has been driven by several compounding factors.

The Victorian government will be expanding its Solar Homes rebate program into the world of Virtual Power Plants (VPPs), announcing on Tuesday that households who install a battery and sign up to the pilot before July 2022 will receive a rebate of over $4000.

The proposed 1.5 GW Marinus Link transmission project, which would link Tasmania and the Australian mainland via an undersea electricity interconnector, has reached another milestone with the launch of a new engineering survey which aims to identify the most suitable corridor for the cables.

Thai-owned Ratch Australia has revealed plans to develop a 70 MW solar PV and large-scale battery energy storage project in the heart of Victoria’s coal country after receiving planning approval from the state government for the $105 million Morwell Solar Farm.

Melbourne Airport, one of the Australia’s busiest travel, transport and freight hubs, has revealed plans to expand its solar PV energy portfolio just days after formally unveiling one of the nation’s largest behind-the-meter solar farms.

U.S.-based hydrogen vehicle maker Hyzon has announced Melbourne will soon be home to its Australian headquarters as part of a newly formed partnership with RACV, which will see the pair develop a purpose-built facility for Hyzon out of RACV’s Noble Park operation in the city’s south east.

Australian financial institution Bendigo and Adelaide Bank has turned to solar PV to improve its bottom line with a 200 kW rooftop system installed atop its major corporate site in Bendigo in regional Victoria.