Commercial solar prices continue to drop steadily month-by-month, according to data from the Solar Choice installer network. Prices in the tables below incorporate incentives available for systems up to 100kW in […]
Residential Solar PV Price Index – November 2014
Average residential solar system prices have leveled out, changing little between October and November according to figures from the Solar Choice installer network database. This follows about four months of […]
A gift from above: UAVs for solar farm quality control
BQ Energy has adopted Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) as monitoring tools for their solar farm projects. The ‘DJI Phantom 2’ UAVs are fitted with a ‘GoPro HERO3’ camera, allowing users […]
Queensland’s Energex suggests buyout of 44¢/kWh feed-in tariff recipients as alternative to network upgrades
A Queensland network operator has raised the prospect of buying back the high feed-in-tariffs locked by tens of thousands of rooftop solar households in the state in until 2028, so […]
Queensland network operator Energex says it can handle more solar
Queensland power company Energex has bucked the trend of network operators calling for a slowdown in rooftop solar uptake, saying it could cope with a significant increase in PV capacity, […]
Rooftop solar meeting 13% of household electricity demand in Queensland
Around 13 per cent of residential energy in south-east Queensland is now produced by rooftop solar, according to new data, with solar households generating the equivalent of more than half […]
ACT Enviro Minister Simon Corbell receives Banksia Sustainability Award for large-scale solar feed-in tariff program
The ACT government’s game-changing solar auction scheme has taken out top prize in this year’s Banksia Sustainability Awards, making it the overall winner of one of Australia’s most important environmental award ceremonies. […]
Stonewalled by Coalition, Labor abandons negotiations on RET
In a move described by the Australian Solar Council as ‘a sign of strength’, the Labor Party has walked out on negotiations over the future of the Renewable Energy Target […]
UBS analysis shows solar-plus-storage already viable in Australia
Cost-competitive solar plus storage has arrived in Australia, according to new analysis from investment bank UBS, bringing with it the potential to dramatically reshape the country’s energy industry. The analysis […]
Could more Japanese homes turn to energy independence to escape big utilities?
Echoing the situation here in Australia, more homes Japanese homes could end up leaving the grid to avoid purchasing power from utilities, according to a piece in the Japan Times. […]
Make it snappy – SMASH Solar aims to halve PV installation time
SMASH Solar have received US$1.5M of funding from the US Department of Energy (DoE) to further develop their snap-together PV mounting system. The product is designed to simplify mounting structures […]
Australia-China solar panel anti-dumping investigation further delayed until March 2015
An investigation by the Australian Anti-Dumping Commission (ADC) into certain crystalline silicon solar panels imported from China has been put off until next to next year due to the ADC’s […]
Construction at Moree Solar farm gets underway
Construction of one of Australia’s largest solar PV plants, the 70MW Moree Solar Farm in northern NSW, is officially underway, after a ceremonial turning of sod at the site on Thursday. […]
UNSW solar pioneer Prof Martin Green foresees PV as #1 energy source globally by 2050
A world-leading Australian solar PV researcher has predicted that the cost of photovoltaic technology will fall by another 50 per cent over the next decade, making it a game-changing energy […]
Solar Choice brokers 30kW solar system for Slades Beverages in Melbourne
The Solar Choice Commercial team has played a key role in helping iconic Australian soft-drink pioneers Slades Beverages in going solar, brokering a 30kW solar system for the company’s Melbourne […]
53MW Broken Hill solar plant receives planning approval
A 53MW solar power plant planned for Broken Hill in NSW has been given the final go-ahead by the state’s department of planning and environment, after approving the Construction Environmental […]
Brazilian solar auction draws globally low bids, cheaper than coal, gas
Brazil’s first “solar only” energy auction has attracted bids among the lowest in the world, bringing the South American nation closer to achieving the world’s cheapest solar contract prices – […]
IKEA’s love affair with solar extends deeper into Europe
IKEA has again shown itself to be a leader in retail innovation by announcing the sale of PV systems in its stores in The Netherlands. IKEA has also outlined plans […]
Tesla looking to power Australian ‘supercharger’ stations with solar PV
US electric vehicle company Tesla Motors is looking to power its Australian network of EV supercharging stations with solar. Tesla Superchargers currently allow Model S owners to travel for free between […]
Sunshine Coast Council moves close to building Australia’s largest solar farm
The development of Australia’s first local government-owned utility-scale solar farm is one step closer to being realised, after the lodgement of a updated development application this week. Queensland’s Sunshine Coast […]
70kW solar array for Vector Aerospace headquarters in Brisbane
Solar Choice Commercial has managed the tender for a 70kW solar PV system at Vector Aerospace‘s Australian headquarters in the suburb of Eagle Farm in Brisbane, Queensland. The system is expected […]
Low bids in Indian auction show utility-scale solar is cheaper than imported coal
The results of India’s latest solar auction have confirmed that solar PV is cheaper than imported coal when it comes to generating electricity for Indian users. A tender for 500MW […]
Solar Choice brokers 100kW rooftop solar array for Wangi District Workers Club, NSW
Solar Choice Commercial has brokered a 100kW rooftop solar system for the Wangi District Workers Club on Lake Macquarie, just south of Newcastle, NSW. One of the club’s building committee members […]
South Australia’s Tonsley industrial site to become home to Australia’s largest rooftop solar plant
South Australia could soon boast Australia’s largest single rooftop solar array, with the government this week issuing a call for proposals to install PV panels on up to 25,000 square […]
Australia still lagging behind other nations in uptake of large-scale solar
Australia is still lagging behind the pace on large-scale solar, with the latest data revealing it has not moved from its position at number 31, behind the Dominican Republic, despite […]
Coalition maintains position on ‘real 20%’ RET, but could small-scale solar take the hit instead?
Although it may to some degree be a matter of political posturing in order to ensure room for negotiations, the Coalition government is quite vocally holding firm on its call […]
Enphase to release modular battery storage units
Enphase have released details of their plug-and-play AC battery storage units, designed as part the Enphase ‘Energy Management System’ (EMS). They are designed to be easily installed and modular, such […]
Solar Choice brokers 70kW of rooftop solar for Mildura Early Learning Centres
Two early learning centres in the remote Victoria/NSW border town of Mildura have both gone solar with the aid of Solar Choice Commercial. The Mildura Central Child Care Centre on Lime Ave was […]
Over 1 gigawatt of new solar was installed under small-scale RET in last 14 months: Green Energy Trading
Continued uncertainty over the future of Australia’s Renewable Energy Target has boosted the nation’s uptake of rooftop solar, according to a new report, helping to push the total amount installed […]
Renewable Energy Target state-of-play: What you need to know
Sydney Morning Herald Environment Editor Peter Hannam has provided a lucid overview of where things stand with the Renewable Energy Target (RET). The piece is worth a read for anyone who […]
Super-fast charging for new lithium ion battery
Researchers at Nanyang Technological University (NTU), Singapore, have developed a fast‑charging long‑life lithium ion battery which has the potential to significantly boost electric vehicle (EV) and portable electronics performance. The […]
