The federal government’s massive Snowy 2.0 pumped hydro project has been given environmental approval, clearing its last regulatory hurdle just days before a key by-election in the local New […]
Category: Solar Panel & Renewable Energy Policies
Solar Choice articles about solar pv, solar power policy and renewable energy policy. Solar Choice is Australia’s solar power installation brokering and solar quote comparison service. Contact Solar Choice for a free comparison of solar power quotes.
City of Sydney completes switch to 100 per cent renewable supply
The City of Sydney has officially switched to 100 per cent renewable electricity, with the council now sourcing the equivalent of all of its power needs both directly, from […]
Residential Solar PV Price Index – July 2020
Average residential solar system prices have slightly increased to $1.05 per watt ($/W) this month on the back of several factors, including changes to the composition of the Solar Choice […]
Australian solar and wind forecasting technology to be live tested on S.A. grid
The Australian Renewable Energy Agency has thrown its funding weight behind a trial of Australian made solar and wind energy forecasting technology – a live test on the renewables-heavy […]
Smoke and high-temperature cut-outs hit solar and wind output in summer from hell
The complex task of keeping the lights on in Australia’s main grid over the 2019-2020 summer was further complicated by two unexpected new problems, according to the Australian Energy […]
Australian researchers claim new record for direct ‘solar-to-hydrogen’ solar cells
Australian researchers have claimed a new world record for solar panels that can directly split water using sunlight, by demonstrating an “unprecedented” 17.6 per cent solar to hydrogen efficiency using […]
New wind and storage projects unlocked as Marinus Link fast-tracked under ‘JobMaker’
Plans to add a second electricity transmission link between Tasmania and mainland Australia will be fast-tracked by the Morrison government as part of its JobMaker infrastructure stimulus plan. The Marinus […]
Residential Solar PV Price Index – June 2020
Average residential solar system prices have remained constant $1.04 per watt ($/W) this month on the back of several factors, including changes to the composition of the Solar Choice installer […]
Rule changes that could shift balance of power in clean energy transition
A rule change that will pave the way for the establishment of a new ‘wholesale demand response mechanism’ allowing large energy users to trade reductions in electricity use for […]
Microgrid feasibility funding awarded to 17 projects in first round of federal scheme
Seventeen microgrid projects scattered across five Australian states and territories have been named as the winners in the first round of the federal government’s $50.4 million Regional and Remote […]
AEMO pushes for minimum standards for solar, battery storage and EVs
The Australian Energy Market Operator is seeking to develop a minimum set of technical standards to tackle Australia’s still-booming rooftop solar uptake, and the challenges emerging in managing the […]
Australia’s biggest wind farm starts sending power to the grid
Australia’s largest wind farm to date, Goldwind Australia’s 530MW Stockyard Hill project in western Victoria, has begun sending power to the grid. The project’s developer, Goldwind Australia, said on […]
Renewables share overtakes gas generation for first time, as coal falls to record low in 2019
New data has revealed that more electricity was produced from renewable energy sources Australia-wide over the course of 2019 than from gas – a first for the nation’s grids as […]
Sun Cable plans Darwin big battery storage, precursor to world’s biggest solar and storage project
Plans to install a 100MW/200MWh big battery storage on the outskirts of Darwin have been put forward by Sun Cable as a precursor to much grander plans to build the […]
Covid Commission’s gas plans evoke outrage from environmental groups
A proposal to prioritise the gas industry in Australia’s post-Covid 19 economic recovery plan has provoked outrage from environmental groups, amid accusations the government-appointed group behind the proposal has clear […]
Massive 1000MW “baseload” wind, solar and hydrogen plant pitched for NSW
One-thousand megawatts (1000MW) of combined wind, solar and hydrogen fuel cell generation plant has been proposed for New South Wales in a $3.5 billion renewable “baseload” power plan from Infinite […]
Solar Panels Bendigo: Compare costs & installers
Data from the Australian Photovoltaic Institute finds that 15.3% of dwellings in Bendigo already have solar panels installed, with the majority of those being residential installs under 10kW in capacity. […]
Experts warn of growing fossil fuel influence in Morrison’s Covid-19 response
Australian environmental groups have issued fresh warnings over the level of influence the nation’s fossil industry continues to exert over policy and regulation in Australia, including over tax cuts and […]
Commercial Solar PV Price Index for May 2020
With heavy activity in Victoria and shifts in solar technology to half cut solar modules, price updates from several companies have resulted in a slight upwards shift in average dollar […]
Switching to renewables could cut industry energy costs by almost a quarter
A wide-scale shift to wind and solar by Australia’s major industrual energy users could cut their collective energy costs by as much as $1.6 billion per year, a new report […]
Massive Pilbara wind and solar export hub gets environmental green light
Western Australia’s environmental watchdog has given its blessing to plans for a massive renewable energy generation and export hub based in the state’s Pilbara region. Environmental approval for […]
Major contractor quits Australia solar market after huge losses on projects
Greek-based contracting group and renewables developer Ellaktor has become the latest to quit the Australian solar market after posting huge losses from its construction portfolio of projects in […]
Residential Solar PV Price Index – May 2020
Average residential solar system prices have slightly decreased to $1.04 per watt ($/W) this month on the back of several factors, including changes to the composition of the Solar Choice […]
Solar, wind and battery storage now cheapest energy options just about everywhere
A new report has shown that large-scale solar PV and onshore wind are now the cheapest form of new-build energy generation across two-thirds of the world’s population. The BloombergNEF […]
Massive hydrogen project gets green light after securing $300m investment
A $300 million renewable hydrogen project proposed for Western Australia has succeeded in securing investment funding, paving the way for a massive expansion of the nascent industry in Australia. Perth-based […]
Solar Panels Mandurah: All you need to know!
Sunshine can deliver plenty of solar power in Mandurah, WA Mandurah is, like much of Australia, a place blessed with ample sunshine and receives on average 4.3 peak sun hours […]
Solar Panels Ballarat | Compare costs & installers | Solar Choice
Currently 11.9% of dwellings in Ballarat have solar panels installed according to data from the Australian Photovoltaic Institute. This article provides independently verified facts and guidance on the costs and […]
Why Big Oil is paying top dollar to dump its fossil fuel – and what that means for renewables
The global oil market crash-landed in uncharted territory this week when the cost of oil in the US went negative, forcing companies to pay up to $US36 ($A57) for […]
South Australia could meet state Liberals’ 100 pct renewables target 5 years early
The latest generation forecast report from the Australian Energy Market Operator has suggested South Australia might reach its 100 per cent renewable electricity target by 2025/26, five years earlier […]
New “super peak” contracts open new markets for batteries and hydro
The deal, brokered by Renewable Energy Hub, amounts to a “super peak swap” totalling 25MW in 2021 and 2022 with government-owned utility Snowy Hydro. “What makes this contract different is […]
Why Australia needs to aim for at least 75% renewables by 2030
A new report has mapped out how Australia can, and should, reach net zero emissions across its entire economy by as early as 2035 – starting with the decarbonisation of the […]