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 […]
Category: Solar Choice News
Solar Choice’s news service about local, national and global developments about solar photovoltaics and related technology.
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
South Australia, meeting 33% target early, ups state renewable energy target to 50% by 2020
South Australia’s Labor government has boosted its renewable energy target to 50 per cent by 2025, up from the 33 per cent target it has already met, six years ahead […]
Move to ‘net carbon zero’ by 2050 doable, affordable and necessary for Australia and 14 other countries: UN
Fifteen of the world’s biggest economies – including Australia – could move to “net carbon zero” by 2050, according to a major new analysis released on Tuesday. The report – Pathways […]
310,000 turn out for historic climate march in NYC
Over 300,000 people turned up on the streets of New York City on Sunday 21 September for what is being called the larges climate change action rally in history. [Update […]
Renewable microgrids could see boom in regional Asia-Pacific
Remote parts of the Asia Pacific region, including rural Australia, could soon see a boom in regional microgrids with heavy integration of renewable energy technologies, according to a recent report from […]
Google to invest $145m USD to transform spent oil field into 82MW solar farm
Internet search engine giant Google is investing $145 million in a renewable energy project that will see an old oil and gas field in California transformed into a solar farm. […]
Solar Council launches new peak body for energy storage: Energy Storage Council
The Australian Solar Council has launched a new peak body for the energy storage industry. The newly minted Energy Storage Council will be administrated by the the Australian Solar Council, […]
Labor, Greens & PUP stand up for RET at first Save Solar Community Forum in Sydney
The Australian Solar Council has declared its first Save Solar Community Forum a success, with representatives of Labor, the Greens and the Palmer United Party (PUP) coming together under one […]
‘Hydrangea’ solar panel beautifies PV energy production
University of Tokyo professor, Hiroshi Segawa, has developed a solar cell designed as a floral artwork. Besides looking great, the hydrangea‑inspired dye‑sensitised solar cell generates and stores enough energy to […]
Shorten: Abbott must reject Warburton review as prerequisite for deal on RET
In a show of support for Australia’s rooftop solar industry, the leader of the opposition, Bill Shorten, has called on the government to ignore the recommendations of the latest RET […]
Labor affirms support for unaltered RET
The Australian Labor Party has reaffirmed its support for the Renewable Energy Target in its current form, with ALP leader Bill Shorten saying that the RET review panel’s report containing […]
Climate Change Authority chief recommends maintaining RET but extending timeframe
The chairman of the Climate Change Authority has weighed in on the debate over Australia’s Renewable Energy Target, arguing it should be kept at its current level, but extended over […]
Over 15,000 Australian businesses have gone solar thanks to RET: Clean Energy Council
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 […]
Future of Utilities – Part 1: The death of base-load generators
As the uptake of renewable energy continues, solar and wind customers around the world are facing resistance from electricity utilities. The ‘Future of Utilities’ series aims to introduce various concepts […]
“Cheap vs clean” dichotomy no longer relevant as renewables build up steam globally: IRENA
Doubling the world’s share of renewable energy capacity would have the effect of nearly halving global carbon emissions compared to 1990 levels, a new report has found. The report, released on […]
China to introduce solar leasing-style financing to open up distributed solar opportunities
China is looking to adopt a similar solar leasing model to that which has dominated the rooftop PV market in the US, in an effort to encourage more homes and […]
Uncertainty about RET, already plaguing renewables investment, could also drive up electricity prices for consumers
Electricity prices could jump dramatically if the future of the Renewable Energy Target (RET) is not settled by the next election, according to analysis published by Bloomberg New Energy Finance […]
Solar grid parity comes to Chile, other countries not far behind
Large-scale solar has reached grid parity with wholesale electricity prices in one South American country, and will soon do so in other countries around the world, a new European study […]
Cheaper and lighter battery design a win-win for storage
UK-based Cenex have recently developed an electric vehicle (EV) battery that is 41% lighter than standard EV batteries. In addition to the reduced weight, the ‘EV-Lite’ battery decreases the cost […]
Solar Citizens, Solar Council deliver letter from 500+ solar companies to government urging sense on the RET
Representatives from Australia’s solar industry have delivered a letter to the Abbott government calling on it to back jobs and investment in the solar industry by maintaining the 41,000GWh Renewable […]
