The Australian Labor Party will announce a commitment to supporting a Renewable Energy Target of 50% by the year 2030, according to an article in the Sydney Morning Herald and a press […]
Category: Solar Choice News
Solar Choice’s news service about local, national and global developments about solar photovoltaics and related technology.
Berkshire Hathaway subsidiary nabs record low PV tender below 4c/kWh
NV Energy (Nevada) and Austin Energy (Texas) last week agreed to two separate record-low solar farm PPAs below 4c/kWh. As the lower rate of the two PPA rates, NV Energy […]
Solar Impulse 2 sets record, flies emissions-free across the Pacific
The Solar Impulse 2 (SI2) solar powered-aircraft has just set a new distance record for emissions‑free flight by flying non-stop from Nagoya (Japan) to Hawaii. The voyage took all of […]
Queensland’s Ergon announces tenders for 200MW of large-scale solar
Queensland network operator Ergon Energy is set to tender for up to 200MW of large-scale solar capacity, as well as to accelerate its push into battery storage and electric vehicles […]
Solar-plus-storage already cheaper than grid electricity in Aus: BNEF
Rooftop solar and battery storage already offers a cheaper option for Australian households than electricity from the grid, according to a leading analyst from Bloomberg New Energy Finance. “Solar and […]
NSW energy storage market could boom as Solar Bonus payments wind down at end of 2016
Changes to rooftop solar tariffs in New South Wales could see the state become a leader in the uptake of residential battery storage, as 160,000 solar households prepare to lose […]
SA government match funding for Adelaide City Council solar-plus-storage incentives
The South Australian government has pledged to match Adelaide City Council funding to provide incentives for businesses and households to install energy storage and energy efficiency solutions, as well as […]
ACT large-scale solar-plus-storage program receives 30 applications
The ACT government’s next generation solar program has been been swamped by 30 submissions representing 967MW of potential solar plus storage capacity in response to its call for expressions of […]
Government directs CEFC to cease investing in rooftop solar finance deals
The federal government has moved to nix the Clean Energy Finance Corporation’s plans to fund rooftop solar leasing schemes in Australia. Although the government’s directive – handed to the CEFC as […]
CEFC signs deal to bring affordable solar & energy storage loans to Australian homes
Australia’s Clean Energy Finance Corporation has signed its first major deal with a non-bank lender that will target cheap loans for low-carbon products including electric vehicles, rooftop solar arrays and […]
Obama administration announces plans to boost solar uptake in USA
America’s Obama administration has revealed plans to triple the amount of rooftop solar installed on low-income housing, and boost the development of community solar projects, giving renters and apartment dwellers […]
Three in ten SE Qld homes installing solar: Energex
Households in south-east Queensland are installing solar at a rate of three in 10, according to the latest data from network operator Energex, which now has a total of nearly […]
Average Australian solar system size up to 5kW: Sunwiz
The size of the average solar PV system has reached 5kW for the first time ever, according to industry analysts Sunwiz. The increase – up from 4kW in 2013 – […]
Suntech’s Shi says regulators must adapt to the reality of affordable solar
The UNSW scientist who became the world’s first solar billionaire has urged energy market regulators to catch up with renewable energy technology and encourage its rollout, instead of impeding it.“Solar […]
ARENA will move to fund Aussie utility-scale solar to bring Aus up to speed with rest of world
The Australian Renewable Energy Agency has flagged a new round of big solar funding, in an effort to bridge the cost-gap between large-scale solar projects in Australia and the US, […]
As retailers & regulators seek to protect revenues, next major battleground for solar emerges
Australia’s solar industry looks to have a major battle on its hands, as pricing regulators and utilities take action to protect revenues and make rooftop solar less appealing for consumers. […]
SA announces $1.1m tender for energy storage on gov’t buildings
South Australia’s Labor government has announced a $1.1 million tender to install battery storage in several key government buildings, including parliament house and its flagship arts buildings in the North […]
VIC solar feed-in tariff faces further reduction
Victorian solar households face another cut to their solar feed-in tariff, after the Essential Services Commission recommended the rate for rooftop solar generation fed back into the grid be cut […]
Victoria, NSW will lead the way in residential energy storage uptake
NSW and Victoria will lead the adoption of battery storage by Australian households over the next two decades, the Australian Energy Market Operator has predicted. In its first ever analysis […]
Residential solar + storage system payback times: State by state
South Australian households planning to install rooftop solar and battery storage systems can look forward to the shortest payback period on the NEM, a new report by the Australian Energy Market […]
Solar-plus-storage will account for nearly half of Aussie electricity demand by 2040
A major new report from Bloomberg New Energy Finance has predicted that rooftop solar and battery storage will account for more than half of Australia’s electricity needs by 2040, as […]
Queensland’s Ergon decreases solar system size thresholds for network assessments
Queensland regional utility Ergon Energy has imposed a 3.5kW threshold on rooftop solar systems, making it more difficult and potentially more costly for households and businesses to install rooftop solar. The […]
Australian Energy Regulator rejects proposed fee on SA solar homes
A proposal by South Australia’s monopoly network operator to add a $100 a year tariff for households with rooftop solar has been rejected by the Australian Energy Regulator. As reported in […]
Could the Coalition turn RET towards large-scale solar?
In seeking to justify its push against wind energy, the creation of a “wind commissioner” and its dealing with the Senate cross-bench, the Coalition is trying to turn the renewable energy target […]
Rooftop solar to beat coal, demolish midday demand in SA by 2025
Rooftop solar PV capacity in Australia is expected to overtake that of coal fired generation within the next decade, according to new forecasts by the Australian Energy Market Operator, published on […]
RET deal details remain unsettled with questions about wood waste and wind
Last-minute wrangling over the inclusion of native wood waste in the Renewable Energy Target is threatening to delay passage of the amended legislation through federal Parliament’s Upper House, as the […]
Hot water storage helps maximise PV electricity use
Storing solar energy in the form of hot water is an effective and low-cost way of maximising the use of generated excess PV electricity. Australia’s net-metering arrangements and despicably low […]
Australia’s conservative districts also have the most solar: Solar Citizens
Australia’s rooftop solar market is still powering along nicely, adding another 11,865 systems in the month of May and bringing the nation’s total number of solar homes to more than […]
Testing complete, NSW’s Nyngan Soar Farm soon to be fully operational
Australia’s largest solar farm, the 102MW Nyngan Solar Plant in western New South Wales, is set to become fully operational in a matter of weeks after achieving the milestone of […]
UNSW adds fast chargers, Tesla Model S and BMW i3 to EV arsenal
The University of New South Wales (UNSW) has recently installed two additional electric vehicle (EV) fast chargers at the Kensington campus. The charging station, which sits behind the Tyree Energy […]
Aussie rooftop solar installations continue apace despite RET debacle
Australian households and businesses continue their rapid take-up of rooftop solar, even as new Renewable Energy Target legislation prepares to pass through the Senate, and despite the Abbott government’s latest […]
