11 October REneweconomy News
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SolarEdge presenting large-capacity commercial inverters at Australia’s All EnergySolarEdge is presenting its new large-capacity commercial inverters at All Energy.
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600MW pumped hydro project proposed for northern NSWA 600MW pumped hydro facility with six hours storage – a $1 billion project – proposed to tap into renewable energy hub in northern NSW.
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Netherlands to close all coal-fired generation by 2030Netherlands decision to close coal plants include those only completed in 2015 – the phase-out combines with rise of renewables and the impact of improved efficiency that put old models at risk.
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Adani signs PPA for Rugby Run solar plant, but won’t say with whoAdani Australia says it has a contract with Rugby Run solar farm in Queensland, but does not reveal who.
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Liddell extension could be more expensive than solar plus storageRepuTex says extending life of ageing Liddell coal generator would result in higher costs than new large scale solar project with battery storage.
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Get smart: AEMO unveils 200MW “virtual power plant”AEMO and ARENA unveil a 200MW “virtual power plant” from demand response initiatives featuring incentives for commercial and household users, battery storage, and a range of Australian monitoring, smart meters and voltage control devices,
New $400 million solar farm for Port Augusta.
European energy giant Enel to build $400m solar plant in Port Augusta http://www.adelaidenow.com.au/news/south-australia/european-energy-giant-enel-to-build-400m-solar-plant-in-port-augusta/news-story/94dfb0cd8 Adam Langenberg, Political reporter, The Advertiser, October 9, 2017 EUROPEAN energy giant Enel has received final approval for a $400 million solar farm on the outskirts of Port Augusta.
9 October REneweconomy news
RenewEconomy-
Another blackout, another tweet, and Tesla’s Musk sets out to save another gridCould Tesla come to the rescue of Puerto Rico’s hurricane decimated grid with solar and battery storage? Twitter says, “let’s talk.”
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CleanTech Index: Even the miners are supporting it now!Australia’s CleanTech Index outperformed the ASX in September and in Q1 of the financial year – just as it has over the last three years.
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The case against Tesla and battery storage just hit peak stupidAFR’s Chanticleer column writes article about battery storage so absurd and stupid it beggars belief that it was published. Such is the state of the energy debate in Australia. It’s not just politicians and vested interests that are letting consumers down, it’s the media.
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Coalition wrestles with internal demons on clean energy targetCoalition had sought to dodge CET because renewables were too costly, now it is arguing they are too cheap. But Frydenberg says renewables without storage are a “costly burden.”
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Know your NEM: Frydenberg’s election losing speechIf a CET is abandoned, it will be NSW that will be thrown under a bus. Victoria and QLD have renewable share policies that incentivise new generation. NSW has no policy and despite being an energy importer is not getting its share of new generation investment.
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Building and precincts to go carbon neutralThe Turnbull Government today launched the National Carbon Offset Standard for buildings and precincts
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World Solar Challenge is an adventure in engineering and enduranceThe World Solar Challenge begins this weekend when more than 40 solar cars brave the Australian Outback on a 3000-kilometre journey from Darwin to Adelaide.
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S.A. tender attracts 60 proposals for “next-gen” renewables and storageS.A. gets 60 proposals for batteries, bioenergy, pumped hydro, thermal, compressed air and flywheel technologies in response to its tender for next-gen renewables and storage.
Australia’s choice: renewable energy superpower or Asian Pacific rust belt
It’s our choice: renewable energy superpower or Asian Pacific rust belt, Guardian
Pat Conroy, 6 Oct 17,
If we stop fighting change, Australia can be the land of endless energy powering generations of manufacturing industries The shift to decarbonise our economy is portrayed by opponents of such a shift as the death of Australia as an energy superpower.
Nothing can be further from the truth.
As the world decarbonises, if we plan well, Australia can not only continue to be an energy exporting superpower, we should also enjoy a manufacturing boom.
We need to acknowledge that exports of coal for power generation, that is thermal coal, will decline significantly over the next few decades. We will continue to export metallurgical coal, which makes up 65% of our coal exports by value, for a long time to come as there is no other way of manufacturing steel. However, we are in position to replace the thermal coal exports with liquid sunlight.
Around the world, scientists and policymakers are working on the concept of “Power2gas”. Power2gas is driven by a simple issue: how to store and transport solar and wind power for later use.
This is a great way of using solar or wind power when there is a surplus of electricity supply in the grid, for example in the middle of the night, when the wind might be blowing hard but people and factories don’t need the power. The electricity is practically free, and it is a very cost-effective way of producing hydrogen from water.
This hydrogen can then be used to fuel cars or to bulk out natural gas to be burned to create electricity; both options are completely carbon neutral……..
The shift to renewables also offers Australia the opportunity to revitalise the manufacturing sector.
As the world decarbonises its electricity supply, the nations that can transform into manufacturing powerhouses are those with the cheapest energy, which will be the nations with the best renewable energy resources.
Australia has the highest average solar radiation per square metre of any continent in the world.
This power can be made reliable and despatchable when coupled with gas peaking plants initially and then pumped hydro and battery storage.
In this scenario Australia can be the land of cheap and endless energy which could power generations of metal manufacturing and other energy intensive manufacturing industries.
We are also well poised to be the capital of mining and processing of key inputs for the renewables revolution. We are the second largest producer of rare earths, we supply 41% of the world’s lithium and we have 12.4% of global copper reserves. These are all crucial materials for clean energy and battery manufacture.
At the moment Australia as a renewable energy export superpower, land of energy intensive manufacturing and home of “renewable metals” processing is merely one of many potential outcomes.
If we continue to bury our heads in the sand and fight change, another outcome is almost assured. In this scenario, we will become the rust belt economy of the Asia Pacific. The home of high electricity prices, the home of broken down, old power plants, the home of unrealised potential and the home of a very gloomy future. It is our choice.
- Pat Conroy is the federal member for Shortland and shadow assistant minister for climate change and energy and shadow assistant minister for infrastructure https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2017/oct/05/its-our-choice-renewable-energy-superpower-or-asian-pacific-rust-b
9 October REneweconomy news
RenewEconomy-
California rejects gas peaker plant, seeks clean energy alternativesCalifornia regulator rejects proposal to refurbish a gas peaking plant, paving the way for a solar plus storage solution instead.
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Carnegie turns wave energy focus to Albany after winning W.A. grantCarnegie wins WA tender for wave energy project, switching focus to Albany for a potential 100MW facility but apparently delaying deployment of first 1MW unit.
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Disasters must force insurers into climate actionIf ever you needed to quantify the cost of a decade of toxic debate around energy policy, insurance industry earnings would be a good place to start.
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New Energy Solar to acquire 130MW portfolio of PV plants from Cypress Creek RenewablesFourteen plants will serve customers in North Carolina and Oregon.
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General Motors pledge for “all EV future” will keep Big Oil up at nightGM, Ford, and China strongly embrace electric cars, signaling trouble for Big Oil.
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Why are we still pursuing the Adani Carmichael mine?Why, if Adani’s gigantic Carmichael coal project is so on-the-nose for the banks and so environmentally destructive, are the federal and Queensland governments so avid in their support of it?
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EVs and storage: Lithium’s wild ride and why it will be bigger than LNGThe market for lithium, storage and gigafactories will rival that of Australia’s LNG boom. It will be a wild ride, particularly for Australian lithium companies, but Australian policies remain a disgrace because the government wants to censor talk about carbon.
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Australia Defence looks to solar power to cut costs, lift securityDefence Department seek solar power to reduce costs and improve energy security at satellite tracking base, in first major push into solar power.
6 October More REneweconomy news
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Australia adds 97MW rooftop solar in September, set for record 1GW in 2017Australia maintains strong pace of rooftop solar installations in September, and is now set to break through the 1GW annual instal milestone for the first time in 2017.
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CS Energy signs 10 year agreement with Kennedy Energy ParkAnother page in Queensland’s renewable energy boom story has been turned with Queensland Government-Owned generator – CS Energy – entering a 10 year-agreement with the 60 megawatt Kennedy Energy Park.Stunning new low for solar PV as even IEA hails “age of solar”Saudi solar tender attracts stunning low bid of $US17.9/MWh, as even the conservative IEA hails a “new era of solar.” And while Australia currently enjoys an investment boom, a new report by Climate Council says “politics” is the only major barrier to a high penetration renewable grid.
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Samsung chosen for new 30MW battery storage facility in S.A.Samsung batteries to be used in new 30MW battery storage project next to create reenables-based micro-grid in South Australia.
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Australia’s first solar farm co-located with wind park begins productionGullen Range solar farm is the first to be paired with a wind farm, but is just one of a number of wind-solar hybrids planned for Australia.
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In energy and transportation, stick it to the orthodoxy!At most, the current orthodoxy – despite its renewable energy, electric vehicles and energy efficiency – will result in flat or gently declining emissions. It’s time to stick it up the orthodoxy!
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US plan to defibrillate failing coal plants is part of a global trendRick Perry’s plan to require increased payments to some coal plants is part of a global trend as the coal lobby desperately tries to rescue failing coal plants.
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Many utilities believe cyberattacks could bring down the electric distribution gridCoupled with anticipated risk to employee and customer safety and physical assets, unprepared distribution utilities must act now to improve cybersecurity capabilities.
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Romilly Madew wins prestigious international sustainability awardRomilly Madew, CEO of GBCA, has been awarded the prestigious WorldGBC Chairman’s Award for her work to advance sustainable building globally.Energy Efficiency Market Report: Slow transition for lighting creditsSpot market jumps to highest levels since May as staged transition unveiled to changes in credits for lighting upgrades.
6 Oct REneweconomy news
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Utilities scramble to catch up with stunning fall in renewable energy costsWhile it may take decades yet for renewables to become the dominant form of generation globally, their presence today is permanent, economically rational and their advance inevitable.
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Tritium boosts EV charger production seven-fold at Brisbane plantTritium unveiled new facility that will lift manufacturing of EV charging stations 7-fold, while QLD government unveils its long term EV strategy.
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Greens push 20GW energy storage target to shift debate from baseloadGreens unveil plan for 20GW of energy storage by 2030, providing incentives for storage at household and grid level, and try to move the energy debate beyond the limited scope of baseload vs renewables.
ARENA, CEFC back plan to recycle EV-batteries for household storageA Melbourne company that has found a way to recycle EV batteries for use in household and grid-scale storage gets some money from Turnbull’s innovation fund.Australian household electricity prices may be 25% higher than official reportsThe IEA may be underestimating Australian household energy bills by 25% because of a lack of accurate data from the federal government.Renewable energy markets un-moved by bizarre push for coalOnce upon a time political divisions on energy policy would have had a significant impact on the renewable energy market. This time, however, it has been largely ignored. -
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Investec Australia supports Australian green energy sectorInvestec Australia Limited’s Infrastructure Finance & Investment team has added to its local funding of green energy by helping a UK developer of solar projects expand in Australia.
Queensland council saves $1.9m in grid costs from single Tesla Powerpack
A Queensland local government council has installed what is believed to be Australia’s first off-grid solar and battery storage system to use a Tesla Powerpack, to maintain local drinking water quality around the clock.
http://reneweconomy.com.au/queensland-council-saves-1-9m-grid-costs-single-tesla-powerpack-90623/
4 October REneweconomy news
RenewEconomy-
He may already had one, but prime minister Malcolm Turnbull has just been given a blueprint by the Trump administration on how to protect dirty “baseload” coal, and extend his fight against the energy future.
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Australia’s New Energy Solar completes US$62.5 million private placement.New Energy Solar Fund and New Energy Solar Limited are pleased to announce the financial close of an issue of US$62.5 million of senior secured 24-year amortising notes in the US private placement market.
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Tesla post record deliveries, but Model 3 production not yet jumpingQ3 was Tesla’s best quarter ever for deliveries but Model 3 deliveries were lower than anticipated, due to production restraints.
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CEFC provides $98.5m debt finance to Victoria solar farmCEFC to provide all debt finance for Victoria’s largest solar farm to “accelerate” project.
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Know your NEM: Gas deal underlines attraction of renewablesOrigin gas deal underlines one of the main advantages of renewables: they provide security against rising fossil fuel prices.Graph of the Day: How wind energy trumped Liddell in SeptemberAustralia wind farms enjoy record output in September, with average capacity factor of 49.5% – significantly more than the Liddell coal generator.Brisbane Airport to be world leader for biojet fuelBrisbane is set to become one of a handful of hubs around the world for sustainable aviation fuel.Tech Mahindra and Power Ledger unite to unleash the power of MaaSTechnology trials in Microgrid-as-a-Service aimed to impact the urban population in India.
Australia’s farmers need action on climate change, and for renewable energy
Our farmers must rally for climate change action, http://www.bordermail.com.au/story/4958579/our-farmers-must-rally-for-climate-change-action/ With no clear action on climate or energy policies, Australian farmers are scratching their heads and wondering how they can drive change.
The Federal Government is failing to help. They are talking about extending the life of old, polluting coal-fired power stations; more subsidies and taxpayer assistance to the fossil fuel industry; and pressuring states to frack more gas – an industry that directly competes for prime agricultural land.
They can’t be thinking of our interests. Farmers are the ones already impacted by climate change – look no further than heatwaves and severe rain shortages in parts of the country. We are also dealing with soaring energy costs.
As individuals we can get drowned out, but collectively our voice carries weight. If our views are to be heard, however, we must start talking to elected representatives before it’s too late.
Farmers are looking to renewables and storage to cut their energy costs. If you think that should be encouraged, then speak out. Farmers directly benefit from large-scale renewable projects. Wind turbines alone generate approximately $20 million worth of passive income for us.
Agriculture is one of the most climate-exposed industries in the country. If you think farmers should be supported to cope with what’s happening now, and steps taken to avoid worse impacts into the future – then speak out!
The future of farming won’t be assured without a fight. Add your voice. Verity Morgan-Schmidt is CEO of Farmers for Climate Action
2 October REneweconomy news
RenewEconomy-
Tesla opens first Adelaide storeTesla is bringing scalable energy products and services including the award-winning Powerwall to customers with the opening of its first store in Adelaide at Westfield Marion.
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How lakes can generate electricityScientists develop new ways to harness energy from evaporation.
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A year since the SA blackout, who’s winning the high-wattage power play?It’s a year to the day since the entire state of South Australia was plunged into darkness. And what a year it’s been, for energy policy geeks and political tragics alike.
National Party President Larry Anthony runs a firm that lobbies for coal industry !
Nationals Interest: Larry Anthony, the party president who runs a lobbying firm, The Age, Patrick Begley, Mario Christodoulou, 30 Sept 17,
A lobbying firm run by National Party president Larry Anthony is pushing the interests of energy firms as the Coalition grapples with looming gas shortfalls and bitter infighting over renewable energy policy.
Santos and Delta Electricity this year joined the client list of SAS Consulting Group, the government relations firm founded and co-owned by its executive director, Mr Anthony.
“Through our extensive networks we create powerful, purposeful connections for businesses and organisations,” the SAS Group website says.
The first line of Mr Anthony’s SAS Group biography refers to his presidency of the Nationals, “one half of the ruling Coalition government”.
A leading expert on lobbying said the party president’s absence from the public register of lobbyists “so undermines the intent of the lobbyist code of conduct as to make it nearly useless”………
After a federal conference debate moderated by Mr Joyce and Mr Anthony this month, the Nationals passed a motion urging the government to freeze and then phase out renewable energy subsidies…….
When he became party president in 2015, Mr Anthony was criticised for lobbying for the Shenhua Watermark mining project. At the time, he said he had removed himself from lobbyist registers and had no conflict of interest.
“We do a lot of things aside from government relations – media, communications, stakeholder relations, et cetera,” he said. “But executive director? Yes, I might have to come off that.”
Two years later, he remains an executive director.
The SAS Group website has promoted the fact Mr Anthony attended the Liberal National Party’s Queensland convention in July. Asked whether his party presidency helped to attract clients, Mr Anthony said: “I don’t know about that, but my name is synonymous with the National Party.”
His father, Doug, served as party leader from 1971 to 1984 and his grandfather, Larry snr, was a Country Party minister…….
The lobbyist code of conduct prohibits lobbyists from being a member of a party executive. It also requires anyone who lobbies or employs lobbyists to register on a public database.
University of Melbourne politics lecturer George Rennie said even if Mr Anthony had not technically breached the code, his failure to appear as a registered lobbyist “so undermines the intent of the code, as to make it nearly useless”.
“Being a part-owner and director of a lobbying firm, while concurrently serving as president of the National Party, creates a clear conflict of interest,” Mr Rennie said……..
The Department of Prime Minister and Cabinet, which administers the lobbyist register, did not respond to specific questions about Mr Anthony but said in general it would investigate evidence or allegations of code breaches.
Do you know more? Email patrick.begley@fairfaxmedia.com.au http://www.theage.com.au/nsw/nationals-interest-larry-anthony-the-party-president-who-runs-a-lobbying-firm-20170929-gyr9wx.html
30 September REneweconomy news
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Queensland council saves $1.9m in grid costs from single Tesla PowerpackA Queensland local government council has installed what is believed to be Australia’s first off-grid solar and battery storage system to use a Tesla Powerpack, to maintain local drinking water quality around the clock.
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UK solar fund buys up 110MW PV project that will power Melbourne tramsUK solar fund buys major stake in 110MW Bannerton solar farm as part of plan to grow investments in “attractive” geographies.
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Renewables experts advise on the project financing of the Lilyvale Solar FarmHerbert Smith Freehills’ full service project finance team has advised on the project financing of the Lilyvale Solar Farm, located 50km north east of Emerald in the Central Highlands region of Queensland.
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Barnaby and Kelly’s constituents want a Clean Energy Target, not more coalPolling of over 1,000 voters in the Deputy Prime Minister’s electorate of New England shows strong support for renewable energy investment over coal.
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Tesla big battery will be on time, but households need to waitTesla’s big battery will be delivered on time, or even ahead of schedule, but overwhelming demand and diversions to hurricane-affected areas mean households will have to wait for their battery storage.
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Time for old coal to hang up the bootsAt this time of year, football matters, but in the case of Australia’s energy system, the stakes are much higher and it affects us all.
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Regulator cracks down on double dipping for replacing “dodgy” rooftop solarClean Energy Regulator says new rule will make replacement rooftop solar panels ineligible for the government rebate, in an effort to boost the standard of installs.
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South Australia leads again as saltwater pumped hydro storage takes shapeSouth Australia is ready to lead again, this time with saltwater pumped hydro storage. Here’s an inside look at what is planned.
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Graph of the Day: Australia’s surging fossil fuel emissionsAustralia’s fossil fuel emissions have hit record levels, and there is no federal policy in place to address them.
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The Pears Report: Summertime, and the living ain’t easyWith summer approaching, there’s a flurry of activity to ensure reliable energy generation under peak loads.
Australia’s rooftop solar boom now taking to business buildings
Above: Broadway shopping centre in Perth
The solar boom started in our suburbs, but now it’s moved out of home, ABC News, By Kathryn Diss, 28 Sept 17, Australian households have led the world in installing rooftop solar panels and now businesses are following suit as energy prices start to bite.
Nearly a quarter of the nation’s households have installed rooftop solar panels in recent years as consumers have looked for ways to offset their ever-increasing power bills.
But new research by consultancy firm SunWiz has found business solar installations have jumped 60 per cent during the past 18 months to 40,736 systems.
“It’s accelerated significantly in recent years and continues to be a popular investment for businesses wanting to take care of their electricity prices,” the company’s managing director Warwick Johnston said…….
Business backs renewables as politicians bicker
The research comes as federal politicians argue over what fuel source should be used to guarantee the nation’s future energy supply, with the east coast facing looming gas shortages……..http://www.abc.net.au/news/2017-09-28/solar-power-perth-businesses-energy-boom/8994314
South Australia’s network of charging stations for electric cars
Tesla charging stations to link Adelaide with world’s largest battery http://reneweconomy.com.au/tesla-charging-stations-link-adelaide-worlds-largest-battery-20202/ By Andrew Spence on 28 September 2017, The Lead
A network of car charging stations is being developed in South Australia to allow Tesla drivers to visit the world’s biggest lithium-ion battery being built by Elon Musk in the state’s north.
Eight fast charging stations: four generic chargers for a range of electric vehicles, and four Tesla Superchargers, opened today in the capital city of Adelaide, completing an Australian Tesla charging network that stretches to Brisbane.
The fastest electric car charging units available in Australia, the Tesla Superchargers can charge Tesla Model S and X vehicles in 30 minutes, allowing a range of 270km.A Tesla charging station also opened today at the Clare Country Club to complement two existing chargers in the wine region about 140km north of Adelaide. From there, it is only about 90km further to the site of the world’s largest battery being installed by Tesla at Neoen’s Hornsdale Wind Farm north of Jamestown.
Tesla CEO Elon Musk flew into Adelaide, the South Australian capital, in July to announce his company would build the 100MW/129MWh lithium-ion battery in the state’s Mid-North.
The tech billionaire told reporters the Tesla Powerpack would be three times as powerful as the next largest lithium ion battery.
“I was made aware there was this opportunity to make this significant statement about renewable energy to the world,” Musk said in July.
“Coal does not have a long-term future.”
Musk will be back in Adelaide on Friday to update the International Astronautical Congress on plans by his company SpaceX to send humans to Mars in its Big Falcon Rocket.
It is not known if he will use the opportunity to make the trip north to Jamestown to check on the progress of the battery.
South Australian Energy Minister Tom Koutsantonis said construction at the site was well underway and the batteries were on track to be operational by December 1, the start of the Australian summer.
Last month, Fluid Solar took its four-storey, renewable energy powered headquarters about 30km north of Adelaide off the main electricity grid.
Surplus electricity generated at the site will be used as part of Tesla’s car-charging network, with 11 electric vehicle bays that will be supplied completely by solar power harvested from a 98 kWp array of 378 PV solar panels on the building’s roof.
Eleven more electric vehicle charging points will be installed in the Adelaide Central Market car park in the centre of the city by the end of November and another 25 will be built around the city by mid next year.
South Australia leads the nation in the uptake of wind energy and roof-top solar with renewable sources accounting for almost 50 per cent of the electricity generated in the state.
However, the closure of two coal-fired power stations in recent years has increased South Australia’s reliance on energy supplies from the eastern Australian states, particularly in times of peak demand.
1 This month
of the week – Australians for War Powers Reform (AWPR)
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