University of Tokyo professor, Hiroshi Segawa, has developed a solar cell designed as a floral artwork. Besides looking great, the hydrangea‑inspired dye‑sensitised solar cell generates and stores enough energy to […]
Shorten: Abbott must reject Warburton review as prerequisite for deal on RET
In a show of support for Australia’s rooftop solar industry, the leader of the opposition, Bill Shorten, has called on the government to ignore the recommendations of the latest RET […]
Labor affirms support for unaltered RET
The Australian Labor Party has reaffirmed its support for the Renewable Energy Target in its current form, with ALP leader Bill Shorten saying that the RET review panel’s report containing […]
Giant outback solar farm to electrify SE Asia: an idea so crazy it might just work
Would you believe me if I told you that we could power our nation’s energy use by covering less than 0.01% of Australia with solar panels? It sounds crazy but […]
Climate Change Authority chief recommends maintaining RET but extending timeframe
The chairman of the Climate Change Authority has weighed in on the debate over Australia’s Renewable Energy Target, arguing it should be kept at its current level, but extended over […]
Over 15,000 Australian businesses have gone solar thanks to RET: Clean Energy Council
More than 15,000 Australian businesses are saving a collective $64 million a year on their energy bills after installing solar PV, a new report has found. According to a report […]
Future of Utilities – Part 1: The death of base-load generators
As the uptake of renewable energy continues, solar and wind customers around the world are facing resistance from electricity utilities. The ‘Future of Utilities’ series aims to introduce various concepts […]
“Cheap vs clean” dichotomy no longer relevant as renewables build up steam globally: IRENA
Doubling the world’s share of renewable energy capacity would have the effect of nearly halving global carbon emissions compared to 1990 levels, a new report has found. The report, released on […]
Commercial PV Price Index – September 2014
This month’s commercial pricing figures include for the first time charts detailing historic trends since Solar Choice began keeping track in May 2014. The tables below provide an indicative look […]
China to introduce solar leasing-style financing to open up distributed solar opportunities
China is looking to adopt a similar solar leasing model to that which has dominated the rooftop PV market in the US, in an effort to encourage more homes and […]
Uncertainty about RET, already plaguing renewables investment, could also drive up electricity prices for consumers
Electricity prices could jump dramatically if the future of the Renewable Energy Target (RET) is not settled by the next election, according to analysis published by Bloomberg New Energy Finance […]
Solar grid parity comes to Chile, other countries not far behind
Large-scale solar has reached grid parity with wholesale electricity prices in one South American country, and will soon do so in other countries around the world, a new European study […]
Cheaper and lighter battery design a win-win for storage
UK-based Cenex have recently developed an electric vehicle (EV) battery that is 41% lighter than standard EV batteries. In addition to the reduced weight, the ‘EV-Lite’ battery decreases the cost […]
Solar Citizens, Solar Council deliver letter from 500+ solar companies to government urging sense on the RET
Representatives from Australia’s solar industry have delivered a letter to the Abbott government calling on it to back jobs and investment in the solar industry by maintaining the 41,000GWh Renewable […]
Coalition hints at openness to compromise on Renewable Energy Target: Financial Review
Officials in the Coalition have hinted that the government is unlikely to seek to eliminate Australia’s Renewable Energy Target (RET) and that a compromise with the Opposition in which the […]
Solar PV Price Index – September 2014
Average residential solar system prices took a dip across the board between August and September, with almost no instances in which they increased. The trend was likely spurred by the recent […]
Royalla Solar Farm developer FRV to quit Australia if RET Review recommendations implemented
The global solar developer behind Australia’s largest solar farm has warned that it would up cease doing business in this country if the Abbott government implemented the recommendations of the […]
Nearly 3000 new small-scale rooftop solar system installed in Queensland in August
Households in Australia’s sunshine state of Queensland continue their rush to rooftop solar, with the latest data showing another 2,794 systems of 5kW or less were added during the month […]
Lazarus, with an Abbott bypass: What PUP’s support means for the RET
Palmer United senator Glenn Lazarus last week reaffirmed his party’s support for Australia’s Renewable Energy Target following the release of the RET review panel’s report recommending that the scheme be […]
Colourful options for India’s solar future: Beehives, pigeons, horses and/or elephants
India has the potential to grow its solar PV capacity by more than 140GW over the next decade if it chooses the right policy path, a new report has found. […]
RET review recommendations would kill commercial solar market if implemented
Australia’s commercial-scale solar market would quickly evaporate if the federal government adopted the policy changes recommended in the RET Review report, industry insiders have warned. Solar PV installers and analysts […]
Global renewables industry could face 5 year downturn due to policy uncertainty and mixed market signals: IEA
The global renewable energy industry was headed for a five-year downturn, if governments and utilities in developed countries didn’t rise to the challenge of increasing deployment, a new report from […]
What the Renewable Energy Target review panel’s report means for those thinking about going solar
The panel tasked with reviewing the Renewable Energy Target has recommended that the scheme “should be substantially reformed” in its report on the topic released yesterday, confirming earlier reports to this effect. Among the more […]
Over 30% of SA electricity came from renewables in 2013/2014, 1 in 4 homes now have solar
South Australia has delivered on its 2020 renewable energy target six years head of schedule, with the state’s share of wind and solar nearing 33 per cent in 2013/14. Official […]
Samoa gets 546kW solar PV plant as South Pacific solar usage grows
South Pacific Island efforts to reduce dependence on costly and polluting diesel fuel continue, with the installation of 546kW of solar PV across the islands of Samoa – the independent […]
UNSW’s ‘stacked’ silicon-perovskite technology promises to double solar cell efficiency
An innovative solar project being developed by researchers at the University of New South Wales is aiming to more than double the efficiency of solar cells. The project, headed up […]
As solar industry braces for RET review results, solar boom looks imminent
The Australian Solar Council, in preparation for the the announcement of the recommendations of the Renewable Energy Target (RET) review panel, has urged installers across the country to ‘sell solar’ in […]
Vector say NZ solar customers motivated by environmental & energy independence concerns
A New Zealand energy network operator has challenged the view among established utilities that saving money is the main motivation behind the growing uptake of rooftop solar. Vector, which runs […]
Solar Choice teams up with Diamond Energy for solar savings
Australian solar installation brokerage Solar Choice has brokered an exclusive offer for its residential consumers with Victoria-based clean electricity retailer Diamond Energy to deliver increased savings on solar power for customers in […]
Google drives inverter innovation with $1M challenge
Google has recently launched a $1M dollar competition aimed at miniaturising DC‑to‑AC inverters. The competition is open to all groups and contestants are asked to design a 2kW inverter with […]
Electric vehicles will help revolutionise solar & home energy independence: UBS
Electric vehicles and the proliferation of battery storage will solve the problem of intermittent supply for rooftop solar, and make it viable without subsidies, a new report has predicted. The […]
