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 […]
Aussie renewable energy industry speaks out against PM’s anti-RET intentions
Australia’s renewable energy industry has hit back at reports the Prime Minister is pushing for the Renewable Energy Target to be abolished, warning that this would leave the nation “dead […]
SunPower to trial solar leasing program in Australia
America’s second-largest PV manufacturer, SunPower, is set to test its rooftop solar leasing program in Australia, with the launched this week of a pilot program in Melbourne. The Nasdaq-listed solar […]
Coalition would need to ‘get the Greens convinced’ in order to abolish RET: Palmer
In an encouraging sign that he will not be backing down (or backflipping) on his promise to support the Renewable Energy Target (RET), Clive Palmer has sarcastically commented that the Coalition will […]
Solar PV and renewables save water
A report released last month by the CNA Corporation think-tank has detailed the massive reductions in water usage that solar PV and other renewable energy technologies enable. Often disregarded as […]
Solar panels & energy storage: What to consider
Energy storage is an option whose appeal is growing globally–and Australia is no exception. But energy storage is seldom considered as an option in isolate: the vast majority of those […]
Silex Systems, citing RET uncertainty, suspends plans for Mildura 100MW demo CPV plant
Plans for a first-of-its-kind, 100MW concentrated solar power plant in Mildura have been shelved, after the Australian Renewable Energy Agency agreed with the project’s developer to withdraw funding. The plant, […]
Government still looking to scrap RET rather than ‘compromise’ and weaken it: Financial Review
The Australian Financial Review, in a front-page article on the topic, says that the Prime Minister and his closest cohorts still harbour intentions of scrapping the Renewable Energy Target (RET) […]
Sharp enters energy storage market with SmartStorage
In a major boost to the growing market for grid and renewable energy storage, Japanese PV manufacturer, Sharp, has recently debuted a new grid connect energy storage solution dubbed ‘SmartStorage’. […]
Citigroup: Energy diversification a necessity, solar’s rise a certainty
A leading investment bank has predicted a bright future for the global solar market, with continued rapid expansion driven by “pure economics.” In a new report from Citigroup, the bank […]
ARENA to put $450k towards development of Aussie-designed portable hybrid solar generator
An Australian-designed, off-grid renewables solution is a step closer to being realised, after winning further funding from ARENA. The Australian Renewable Energy Association has announced it will put $450,000 towards […]
Record efficiency for UCLA ‘plastic’ tandem solar cell
Researchers at the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) have set a new record for organic polymer solar cells, with a device efficiency of 11.5%. The record-breaking ‘plastic’ solar cell […]
16,000 new rooftop solar systems installed in July 2014, including 14MW commercial capacity
More than 16,000 Australian households and businesses installed rooftop solar systems in July, adding a total of 70MW of small-scale PV capacity to the national total. The latest data from […]
Setting a record, South Australian renewables met half of state’s electricity demand in July
Solar power and wind energy combined to produce nearly half of South Australia’s electricity demand during the month of July – a record for a major developed economy. Data shows […]
Phinergy extends electric car range with metal-air battery technology
Phinergy, an Israeli battery technology start-up, and aluminium producer, Alcoa, have recently revealed a prototype electric car with a 1,100-mile driving range that is powered by Phinergy aluminium-based metal-air battery […]
Commercial PV Price Index – August 2014
August 2014 marks the 4th month that Solar Choice has published pricing data for commercial solar PV systems (10kW, 30kW, 50kW, 100kW). As of yet there has been little fluctuation […]
UNSW solar car sets new speed record
The ‘Sunswift’ solar car team, comprised of engineering students from the University of NSW (UNSW), have set a new record for the fastest electric vehicle (EV) over a distance of […]
Solar PV Price Index – August 2014
Average solar system prices continued with little fluctuation between July and August. Although some regional variability was still observable, numbers held remarkably steady in all cities and across all system […]
Sonnenbatterie energy storage systems
Sonnenbatterie is a German manufacturer of energy storage devices with a focus on electricity self-sufficiency. The company, whose name means ‘solar battery’ in German, offers products that not only store […]
China ups solar PV capacity target to 13GW, with focus on distributed generation
China has flagged a new national solar installation target of 13GW for 2014, a target it hopes to meet through the development of distributed PV generation. The new target – […]
Solar Choice’s 22kW demo system to tackle voltage rise, integrate energy storage
As a demonstration project for Solar Choice’s 80,000 residential solar customers on how to maximise roof potential for solar energy despite restrictions from utilities, Solar Choice’s Managing Director, Angus Gemmell, […]
With Moree Solar Farm’s future secured, ‘great opportunities’ await NSW large-scale solar
Moree Solar Farm, the ground-breaking 56MW PV tracking plant slated for development in the NSW farming district, is set to begin construction within months after finally securing financial closure this week. […]
Areva announces withdrawal from solar thermal business, leaving questions about Australian projects
French nuclear giant Areva has announced that it is pulling the plug on its solar thermal business, citing weak sales and falling revenues across nuclear and renewables. The move casts […]
Moree Solar Farm reaches financial close, construction to begin ‘immediately’
One of the largest solar farms in Australia’s pipeline has reached financial close and will begin construction immediately, according to a press release from its developer, FRV. Moree Solar Farm […]
Indian ‘ultra-mega’ projects set to help drive down solar costs
The Indian government has signed up to a plan to help fund some of the world’s largest solar PV parks across, increasing the energy poor nation’s total solar capacity by […]
