Plans to build a huge hybrid renewables project in Western Australia’s Pilbara region have grown even bigger, with a new target of 15GW of wind and solar laid down by […]
Developing Solar Farms in Australia
Large-scale solar power on the rise The number of solar farms under development in Australia has exploded in recent years. After several years of market and policy uncertainty and with […]
Changes requested to the Victorian Solar Rebates
A push to change the eligibility criteria for Victoria’s rooftop solar rebate is being resisted by state government, despite increasingly urgent appeals from industry to review the scheme. The push […]
Is home solar battery storage worth it? (updated 2019)
This article has since been updated for 2019. Click here to see the updated version. Since 2015 Australians have been talking about home battery storage being on the cusp of […]
Solar prices up 13% in Victoria in July 2019
The Solar Price Index for July 2019 as published monthly by Solar Choice noted a 13% rise in residential solar prices in Victoria following the re-opened rebate scheme being snapped […]
Residential Solar PV Price Index – July 2019
Average residential solar system prices continue to sit at about $1.05 per watt ($/W) for the second month in a row, including changes to the composition of the Solar Choice […]
Australia’s emissions now well behind Paris trajectory
A surge in Australia’s first-quarter greenhouse gas emissions is increasing the gap between reality and the targeted trajectory the federal government continues to insist will be met “in a canter,” […]
ABB to exit solar inverter business
ABB have announced yesterday (9th July) that they have signed an agreement to sell their Solar Inverter business to FIMER S.p.A. for an undisclosed amount. ABB’s solar inverter business has […]
Innovation: Use sunlight and air to create mineralised water
SOURCE is the worlds first and only Hydropanel, a technology that uses only sunlight and air to make pure mineralised drinking water for every person, every place. With a large […]
Sydney Northern Beaches’ Solar Businesses in Panel Discussion
On Tuesday 25th of June, Balgowlah RSL played host to over 250 local community members who came to see a panel discussion of Solar businesses based in the Manly Solar […]
Victorian Solar Rebate snapped up within hours of re-opening in July 2019
Pent-up demand for the Victorian state government’s rooftop solar rebate has seen the scheme’s July quota for applications fully subscribed in just days. The first full year of the $1.3 […]
NSW government approves Shoalhaven Pumped Hydro expansion
The New South Wales government has waved through the first stage of plans for Origin Energy’s $300 million major upgrade of its Shoalhaven Pumped Hydro Storage Scheme. State planning minister Rob […]
Solar Choice brokers 100kW Solar PV system for Flower Power
Solar Choice has successfully brokered a 100kW Solar PV System for Flower Power via their landlord Fitzpatrick Investments. Flower Power is a family owned company selling garden services and products […]
Twice defeated, Queensland government “finally” calls for solar industry round table
The Queensland government will meet with the state’s solar industry for an “urgent industry roundtable,” after its latest efforts to enforce controversial new panel installation rules were defeated in the […]
Clermont Solar Farm connects to the grid in Queensland
Wirsol’s 89MW Clermont Solar Farm has become the latest big solar project to start sending power to the grid in Australia, from its location north of Emerald in Queensland. The […]
Australia’s biggest manganese metals project may go 90% renewables
A mining company looking to exploit what could be Australia’s largest manganese metals resource are seeking to tap renewables to make the project competitive with their Chinese rivals. Element 25 […]
Wind, solar and battery microgrid at W.A. gold mine an “Australian first”
An innovative renewable microgrid that will combine 18MW of wind with solar and battery storage to power a remote Western Australian gold mine has won $13.5 million in grant funding […]
Hybrid & ‘battery-ready’ solar systems: What’s the go?
As more and more Australian households investigate (and install) solar battery storage, the more we get questions about battery-ready or hybrid solar & battery storage systems. What is a hybrid/battery-ready […]
How do lithium batteries work? [Animated Infogaphic]
Lithium has become the chemistry type of choice for grid-connect home solar battery storage in Australia (although lead acid still rules the off-grid space – for now). There are actually […]
New study says Australia could host up to 179 gigawatts of rooftop solar
Australia could host more than 20 times its current 8GW of residential and commercial rooftop solar capacity, with room for as much as 179GW, a new report has found. The joint […]
Western Riverlands Poultry 340kW Solar Project Complete
Construction of the 340kW solar PV project at the Western Riverlands Poultry Farm based in Mogumber, WA has now reached completion in June 2019. Western Riverlands Poultry is leading […]
Australia has to look forward on energy, says Zibelman: “We have no choice”
Australia’s exit from from coal and transition to renewable energy is tracking faster than almost anyone has predicted, the manager of Australia’s National Electricity Market has warned. “We have to […]
Residential Solar PV Price Index – June 2019
Average residential solar system prices have decreased to $1.05 per watt ($/W) this month on the back of several factors, including changes to the composition of the Solar Choice installer […]
Sydney Opera House turns to wind and solar, may add battery for perfect match
Australia’s iconic Sydney Opera House has inked a deal to source its electricity from a major wind farm and a large solar project, and may add batteries later, in a […]
Inverter maker SolarEdge adds “smart panels” to rooftop offering
Israel-based inverter maker SolarEdge has branched into the other key ingredient to rooftop solar systems – the panels – with the launch of its own PV offering on the Australian […]
A Virtual Power Plant case study: Vermont USA
As Solar Choice is currently undertaking the early stage preparations and structuring for a Virtual Power Plant (VPP) that can be made available for household, commercial and government premises across […]
Backup power with home solar battery storage: What are your options?
Home battery storage is becoming increasingly popular in Australia, and one of the most in-demand features is backup power, which provides electricity to a home even when the grid is […]
Off the grid: AEMC paves way for stand alone systems to replace poles and wires
Australia’s energy market rule-maker has paved the way for network operators to deliver stand-alone power systems based around solar and batteries that will deliver big savings to all consumers. A […]
Australia to reach 50% renewables by 2030, despite Coalition scare campaign
Booming rooftop solar uptake and a big pipeline of large-scale wind and solar project are likely to deliver 50 per cent renewables for Australia by 2030, despite the Coalition’s policy […]
Why doesn’t my electricity retailer give me a 25c solar feed-in tariff?
Why don’t retailers offer higher solar feed-in rates? Does it matter if feed-in tariff rates are low? What are some of the alternative approaches to conventional feed-in tariffs that are beginning […]
9 things you should know if you’re considering home battery-storage
For several years now, home solar battery storage has been a hot topic in Australia, and 2019 looks set to be the best year yet for batteries. If you’re actively […]
