Australian Renewable Energy Agency (ARENA) funding new solar technology to reduce solar costs
ARENA supports new, cheaper solar technology to reduce cost of renewable energy in Australia, IBT By Darwin Malicdem on December 07 2015 The Australian Renewable Energy Agency (ARENA) is aiming to reduce the cost of renewable energy in the country by providing a funding boost to an innovative solar cell technology. The new perovskite solar cells could significantly be cheaper than and as efficient as existing solar cells.
ARENA will be providing about $892,000 to CSIRO for the development and application of guidelines for assessing the performance of the perovskite solar photovoltaic (PV) cells. The materials of perovskite can be used in solar cells with a less cost and labour intensive process compared to silicon.
ARENA aims to accelerate the development of perovskite solar PV cells in the country. “If perovskite solar cell technology matures to commercialisation, it has the potential to provide cheaper power from the sun,” said ARENA CEO Ivor Frischknecht.
CSIRO is planning for new methods and guidelines applicable to perovskite solar cells, as international standards to measure solar PV cell performance are only applicable for silicon wafer cells…….http://www.ibtimes.com.au/arena-supports-new-cheaper-solar-technology-reduce-cost-renewable-energy-australia-1490089
Queensland Premier says “focused on solar and wind’ but also ‘committed to coal’
Queensland to boost renewable energy target in wake of Paris climate agreement, Palaszczuk says, ABC News 13 Dec 15 By Jessica van Vonderen Queensland will look to lift its renewable energy target in the wake of the Paris agreement to tackle climate change.
Envoys from 195 nations agreed on the weekend to transform the world’s fossil fuel-driven economy within decades and slow the pace of global warming to well below 2 degrees Celsius.
Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk said her government was focused on wind and solar farms, while maintaining a commitment to coal……
University of Queensland’s Matt McDonald, a reader in international relations who attended the negotiations in Paris, told 612 ABC Brisbane there were lots of discussions about mining, in particular the proposed $16 billion Carmichael coal mine in central Queensland.
“It does raise a series of questions about whether Australia and businesses really want to commit to that scale of investment into fossil fuel, given all the signals that are pushing in the other direction,” Mr McDonald said.
“So there’s a lot of concern about a future of that type of mining program.” http://www.abc.net.au/news/2015-12-13/firm-focus-on-renewables-palaszczuk-says/7024762
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