The Australian Bureau of Meteorology has developed the One Minute Solar Data interface providing a range of solar statistics, including global, diffuse, direct and terrestrial irradiance and sunshine-seconds for 20 locations round Australia. […]
Category: Solar Choice News
Solar Choice’s news service about local, national and global developments about solar photovoltaics and related technology.
Electricity generation by distributed renewable projects to triple by 2017
Global installations of renewable distributed electricity generation, including solar photovoltaics (PV), small-scale wind, and stationary fuel cells, are set to triple in the next 5 years, reports Pike Research. The news comes on the heels of […]
Australia was the world’s residential solar PV leader in 2011
Australia led the world in residential rooftop solar photovoltaic (PV) installations for the year 2011, according to data from Australia’s own Clean Energy Regulator and the International Energy Agency (IEA). […]
Electricity market reform comes to the forefront of the clean energy debate
Prime Minister Julia Gillard has brought electricity market reform to the forefront of the clean energy debate, publicly calling on state governments to rein in rampant electricity prices. The crux […]
Cheapest electricity will come from renewables in 2030: BREE Report
The Federal Bureau of Resources and Energy Economics (BREE) has released its Australian Energy Technology Assessment (AETA) report (pdf). The report examines the current and future expected costs of 40 electricity […]
Australian rooftop solar PV capacity at 1.7GW: Clean Energy Regulator
Figures from Australia’s Clean Energy Regulator show that there are now 1.7 gigawatts (GW) of rooftop solar PV capacity throughout the country. In total, over 750,000 homes (about 10% of […]
China increases solar PV installation targets: 21GW by 2015
A June 2012 report by GTM research highlighted the massive glut of solar panel supply that currently exists globally, predicting that at current demand levels, the oversupply will continue until […]
NSW Solar Bonus Scheme benchmark rate range to be 7.7c-12.9c for 2012-2013: IPART
NSW’s Independent Pricing and Regulatory Tribunal (IPART) has announced the Solar Bonus Scheme benchmark buyback rate for solar power fed into the electricity grid in NSW for the financial year […]
Solar panel oversupply to continue to 2015
The oversupply of solar panels on the world market will not be absorbed until 2015, according to a recent report by renewable power consultancy GTM Research. Global production capacity for […]
Is Australia poised for a solar PV revolution?
A new report released by the Australian Energy Market Operator (AEMO), could mark the tipping point after which solar photovoltaics (PV) will transform from a technology widely seen as novel […]
SilexSolar announces permanent closure its solar panel plant in Sydney
SilexSolar has announced the permanent closure of its solar module assembly plant in Sydney, following the temporary shuttering of the facility last November. The company, a subsidiary of Silex Systems […]
Clean Energy Finance Corporation legislation introduced into parliament
Legislation to establish and fund the Clean Energy Finance Corporation (CEFC) has been introduced into the Federal House of Representatives by Climate Change Minister Greg Combet. The CEFC is a […]
Victoria Feed-in Tariff to be reduced by 31 Dec 2012 or sooner
The Victoria Competition and Efficiency Commission (VCEC) has released its draft report on its inquiry into Victoria’s Feed-in Tariffs, recommending sweeping changes that will effectively eliminate state government subsidisation for small- […]
Solar Flagships’ Solar Dawn Consortium re-states its case to Queensland Government
Queensland’s proposed Solar Dawn concentrating solar power plant has vowed to carry on despite the newly elected Liberal-National government’s vows to withdraw funding from the project. Under the previous Labour regime, […]
Scotland beats its own renewable energy target, expects lower electricity prices in the future
35% of the electricity generated in Scotland came from renewable sources in 2011, according to figures published by the UK’s Department of Energy and Climate Change. This puts Scotland ahead […]
90kW solar catamaran completes journey around the world
An ambitious project showcasing the potential of solar PV has just come to a close. Pulling into Monaco on 4 May 2012, MS Turanor PlanetSolar catamaran has become the first […]
Hybrid solar PV-geothermal power plant online in Nevada
A unique hybrid geothermal-solar photovoltaics (PV) plant is now producing power in Churchill County, Nevada. Although Nevada is home to a number of geothermal power plants, the hybrid Stillwater plant […]
Japan closes last nuclear plant, clearing the way for solar PV
The last remaining operational nuclear power plant in Japan has been shut down for routine maintenance and testing, leaving the country nuclear-free for the first time in over 40 years. […]
World-wide solar PV peak body founded: Global Solar Council
A number of major players from the global solar photovoltaics (PV) industry have announced the formation of a Global Solar Council (GSC). The goal of the GSC’s establishment is to […]
Origin Energy: Reduce the Renewable Energy Target
Origin Energy CEO Grant King has suggested that Australia should consider reducing its target of 20% renewable energy production by 2020 under the Federal Government’s Renewable Energy Target (RET). Thanks […]
The dark side of solar power: Super-black solar cell absorbs 99.7% of light
A collaboration between Natcore Tech and the US Renewable Energy Lab (NREL) has birthed the darkest silicon solar cells in the world. The cells absorb 99.7% of all light that […]
Solar Power and Electric Vehicles: Solar Power to Horesepower
Clearly the global solar panel industry has grown at a rapid rate over the last few years with Germany leading the way. However, the next step of this rapidly evolving […]
Quasi-mono Silicon Solar PV Panels?
A new type of crystalline silicon solar cell has been developed which may change the nature of the solar PV market: quasi-mono silicon. The two most popular types for solar […]
Final installation in Alice Springs Solar City project
The final solar PV installation in the Alice Springs Solar City project is approaching completion, bringing the installation phase of the project closer to a conclusion. With the […]
Big Solar Power for Port Augusta, SA
Renewable Energy thinktank Beyond Zero Emissions (BZE) has called for Port Augusta, South Australia’s ageing Playford B and Northern coal-fired power plants, which currently provide roughly 40% of […]
Queensland Government vows to halt domestic electricity price rises for 12 months
The Queensland government, under the new Liberal Premier Cameron Newman, has vowed to put an end to electricity price hikes for 12 months, beginning 1 July 2012. The staying of […]
Solar energy to be cost competitive with coal and nuclear by 2020: McKinsley
According to a recent report, Solar Energy is set to establish equivalent costs with brown energy sources by 2020. Poised to deepen the market share in clean energy sectors worldwide, […]
Largest wind turbine in the world installed off coast of Belgium
A wind turbine with a rated capacity of 6.15 megawatts (MW)–the largest in the world–has been installed off the Belgian coast. Altogether, 48 wind turbines of this size […]
Solar installations booming in Japan
Thanks in part to a strong national Solar Feed-in Tariff, over 1 million Japanese homes are expected to have gone solar as of March 2012, and the number of installations is […]
UNSW designs Solar BIPV roofing materials that regulate building temperature
The University of New South Wales’ School of Photovoltaic and Renewable Energy Engineering is in the process of developing building-integrated photovoltaic (BIPV) roofing materials which can also assist in regulating […]
First Tindo Karra 240 Solar Installation in Adelaide
The first installation using Australia’s own Tindo Karra 240 solar panels has been installed in Adelaide. […]
