The rise of the energy “prosumer” will lead to a revolution in Australia’s energy market, the Australian Energy Regulator says – and the consequences for some in the industry could […]
NSW Club industry choosing solar power, with help from Solar Choice
Solar Choice and Clubs’ Sustainable Futures NSW have teamed up to introduce the Solar in Clubs Program. Working alongside Clubs’ Sustainable Futures, Solar Choice aims to help the growing number of […]
Magellan power’s Solar Smoother deployed at Carnarvon’s new Police Complex
WA-based power product engineering company Magellan has seen its Australian-made Solar Smoother put to use for the first time at a new Police and Justice Complex in regional WA. Carnarvon, whose […]
‘The Green Electricity Guide’ reveals electricity retailers’ stance on renewable energy
Earlier this year Greenpeace released ‘The Green Electricity Guide’ – an online resource aiming to “help inform Australians about which electricity retailers really are as [environmentally-friendly] as they say they […]
Xenophon, while withholding comment on RET, says small-scale solar should be expanded
As the Abbott government attempts to wrangle its proposed changes to the Renewable Energy Target, the future for the solar industry brightened a little, after independent senator Nick Xenophon signalled […]
Fluidised bed reactors to enable low cost silicon solar cells
In order to make crystalline silicon solar cells, cell producers need micron-thin wafers of exceptional purity. The majority of base silicon material–referred to as ‘polysilicon’–used for producing high purity silicon […]
Who owns the generation capacity in Australia? WattClarity takes a look
A chart recently published by electricity market watchdogs WattClarity yield fascinating insight into where Australia’s electricity originates–and who owns the power plants that produce it. Abundantly clear in the chart–which […]
Commercial PV Price Index – October 2014
In addition to the Residential Solar PV Price Index that Solar Choice publishes monthly, we also publish pricing data for commercial systems (10kW, 30kW, 50kW and 100kW). This article contains […]
Energy storage costs could beat conventional generation costs by 2017
The cost of battery storage could beat that of conventional energy generation within two to three years and could go as low as $100/kWh, a new report has found. In […]
China leads as world solar PV market approaches 20GW in Q4 2014
New data on global solar installations has shown that the world is on track to reach 200GW of cumulative capacity, with the amount of PV added in the fourth quarter […]
Let there be light: Australian churches switching on solar power
Homes and businesses are not the only ones investing in solar power in Australia: with electricity prices soaring and environmental concerns at the forefront of the minds of many, religious […]
Prof Ray Wills says 80% of world’s energy needs will be met through self-generated renewables by 2040
A WA academic and energy advisor has predicted that 80 per cent of the world’s energy will come from self-generated renewable energy, like rooftop solar, by as soon as 2040. Ray […]
Residential Solar PV Price Index – October 2014
With the exception of Brisbane and (in some cases) Perth, average solar PV prices have continued to drop across all of the cities included in Solar Choice’s monthly analysis, falling down […]
PM’s cabinet considering rejection of RET Review recommendations: Financial Review
The Prime Minister’s office looks set to disregard the key recommendations handed to the government by the Renewable Energy Target Review panel last month, according to the Australian Financial Review, with […]
‘Socket parity’ just around the corner for solar-plus-storage in many countries: Citi
Solar power could reach “socket parity” in some countries as soon as 2020, and utility-scale grid parity in large parts of the world by 2030, according to a major new […]
Japanese PV installers choosing wooden racking for solar panel ground-mounting
PV installers in Japan are increasingly opting to use wooden racking for large ground-mounted installations as a way of improving overall environmental appeal and stimulate the local forestry industry. Japanese […]
360 Storage: Smart solar panel energy storage options for the Australian market
Solar PV system component wholesaler Solar 360 has recently launched its own branded line of energy storage products onto the Australian market under the banner of 360Storage, further widening the range of […]
Australian investment in large-scale renewables took a nose-dive in 2014 due to RET uncertainty
A report from Bloomberg New Energy Finance shows that Australia is on track to record its lowest level of asset financing for large-scale renewables since 2002, with just $193 million […]
The value of solar for military operations
The Obama administration has made clear its intentions to position the US at the forefront of renewable energy research and application. This show of leadership has spawned an interesting relationship […]
Will thin film solar cells ever overtake crystalline silicon?
“Do people think that crystalline silicon technology headed the way of the dinosaurs?” This is a question that SunPower co-founder Dr Dick Swanson asked the audience at the 40th annual Photovoltaic […]
Perth suburb votes to mandate on-site solar for all new-build homes & major renovations
The City of Nedlands in Western Australia will make it compulsory to install at least 1.5kW of rooftop solar or other on-site renewable energy generation capacity on all new-build, or […]
Solar Council teams up with QLD Council of Unions and Queensland Conservation in support of RET
The Australian Solar Council has joined forces with the Queensland Council of Unions and Queensland Conservation to back the nation’s Renewable Energy Target (RET) and to push for strong solar […]
Solar Choice brokers 30kW solar system for ISCAR headquarters in Sydney
Precision carbide metal tool manufacturer ISCAR, the largest of the 15 companies comprising the IMC (International Metalworking Companies) Group, has had a 30kW solar PV system installed on the roof of […]
Rooftop PV frequently meets 1/4 of daytime electricity demand in SA
Rooftop solar PV is currently accounting for around 25 per cent of electricity demand in South Australia, for large parts of the day, new data has shown. Two graphs, taken […]
Rally for Renewables draws hundreds outside Abbott’s office in Manly, NSW
On Friday 26 September around 250 renewable energy supporters gathered outside the office of Prime Minister Tony Abbott in Manly, NSW to participate in the Rally for Renewables. The purpose […]
Conergy to build 2MW heart-shaped solar plant in New Caledonia
The Australian arm of German solar giant Conergy has announced it will be building a 2MW solar PV plant in New Caledonia – a project that aims to send a […]
Solar PV saving tens of thousands of Aussie businesses over $64m/year
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 […]
Australian solar capacity could grow from 3.5GW to 14GW by 2020: Citigroup
The Australian solar market could be headed for a total capacity of 14GW of rooftop and utility-scale solar by the end of the decade, according to new analysis. In a […]
Under the sea: ‘Energy Bags’ add to electricity storage options
Canadian firms Thin Red Line Aerospace and Hydrostor are set to trial underwater compressed air energy storage (UW‑CAES) systems off the coast of Toronto. As part of the process, electricity […]
National Rally for Renewables delivers strong message to MPs across Australia
Renewable Energy Target supporters are turning out for events across Australia today as part of the National Rally for Renewables, a campaign coordinated by pro-renewables groups, peak bodies and industry […]
2014 brings expansion for robotic solar tracking manufacturer QBotix, with 80MW of supply now under contract globally
The futuristic robotic sun-tracking technology innovated by California-based QBotix is gaining traction in markets around the world, as the company’s good news streak stretches through 2014 with announcements of supply contract […]
