Poll shows Australians overwhelmingly reject coal and nuclear- solar is tops
“Most (84 per cent, up 2 points) prefer solar amongst their top three energy sources, followed by wind (69 per cent, up 5 points). Gas and nuclear both crashed 7 points to 21 and 13 per cent respectively, with nuclear and coal now tied as least preferred,” said John Connor, CEO of The Climate Institute in a press release.
Australians support renewables? Absolutely, all we need now is a federal government that reflects the electorate’s view. The survey shows both the government and the Opposition need to “join mainstream Australian attitudes with climate commitments and policies” that promote clean energy
Climate Institute poll finds Australians support renewables August 18, 2015 Rich Bowden http://www.solarquotes.com.au/blog/climate-institute-poll-finds-australians-support-renewables/
Renewables appear to be a vote winner. Someone may want to tell our government. Continue reading
Queensland’s revolutionary solar energy systems – on carparks and other commercial buildings
Are these solar panels the setting of the sun for coal mines? Brisbane Times October 22, Tony Moore Solar energy systems on top of shopping centres, car park shade covers, hospitals, airports and other commercial buildings are the beginning of the end for large scale coal power stations, one alternative energy developer will explain on Friday.
Shakra Energy managing director Sam Khalil will on Friday outline how the solar energy system his company has installed as a “shade cover” over carparking at Buranda is now doubling as a solar energy generator. He says the system cut energy costs for the owner by between 30 to 40 per cent.
Mr Khalil believes companies and big energy users – like hospitals and huge retailers – are beginning to wake up the potential solar energy from their rooftops, completely separate to solar energy from homes.
It generates 147MW and save 122 tonnes of CO2 emissions from the environment each year.
“If we can save them 30 to 40 per cent on electricity bills that are $10 million, $20 million, $30 million a year, why wouldn’t you do it?” Mr Khalil argues.
“We are right at the forefront of where the future of energy production has to be in Australia,” he said.
“Right at the forefront of the job creation for making business more efficient so they can employ more people.”……..
Shakra Energy has placed solar energy panels on top of shade cloth covers that shade cars on top of PA Central on Ipswich Road at Buranda, directly opposite the Princess Alexandra Hospital.
It generates 100 kilowatts of energy, enough to power the shops and business in the Ipswich Road building, plus run the car park operations.
One hundred kilowatts – depending on what is in the house or the business and the size of the house of the business – could power between five and 30 homes or premises……..
Mr Khalil says their Buranda plant was the first commercial solar production facility in Queensland, outside a similar scheme on the rooftop at one building of the University of Queensland.
He said his company has recently been invited to lodge tenders for similar schemes at large commercial properties.
“Let’s just say hospitals, airports, major shopping centres,” he said.
Oxley Federal MP Bernie Ripoll and Greens Senator Larissa Waters will be at the launch on Friday……..
Greens Senator Larissa Waters praised the concept.
“This is just the kind of innovation that our Sunshine State needs to shine as a leader in the clean energy future,” Senator Waters said.
“The Palaszczuk Government needs to hurry up and implement the 50 per cent renewable energy target it promised in the election, instead of pushing ahead with coal exports through the Great Barrier Reef,” she said. http://www.brisbanetimes.com.au/queensland/are-these-solar-panels-the-setting-of-the-sun-for-coal-mines-20151022-gkg8nc.html#ixzz3pcc0G4N0
With solar power, rooftop panels have exceeded grid parity
Rooftop solar costs vs the grid: A city by city guide http://onestepoffthegrid.com.au/rooftop-solar-costs-vs-the-grid-a-city-by-city-guide/ By Giles Parkinson on October 21, 2015 You may have heard of the expression “grid parity”. In the case of rooftop solar panels, it is the point where the cost of energy supplied from your own rooftop solar array falls below the cost of grid-power.
It is also known as “socket parity”, because it compares the price of rooftop solar power to the cost of grid-sourced power at the electricity sockets in your house.
Australia was one of the first countries in the world to reach grid or socket parity – thanks to its high electricity prices (largely due to soaring network costs), and its excellent sunshine. There are now nearly 100 countries that have reached the same benchmark.
But Australia has not just reached socket parity, it has smashed it. In most cities in Australia, the cost of rooftop solar is now less than half the price of grid-based power. Indeed, even some utilities offer to install rooftop solar on your roof for free, and charge only 11c/kWh for the output.
A new report from Beyond Zero Emissions, which recommends Australia set a path to 100 per cent renewable energy, highlights those cost differences. Continue reading
Kerang, Victoria, gets economic boost from Lalbert solar farm
Lalbert solar farm near Kerang tipped to boost jobs as Solar Choice secures investor for $550m project ABC News, The company behind one of the largest solar farms in Australia says it expects the project to create up to 150 jobs for northern Victoria.
Construction of the $550 million solar farm on a 526 hectare property at Lalbert, west of Kerang, should start midway through next year, after the company Solar Choice secured an investor to finance the project.
The farm will have a production capacity of 350 megawatts and has the potential to power about 220,000 homes…….
Gannawarra Shire’s Roger Griffiths said the farm was another step towards developing Kerang’s future as a centre for renewable energy investment.
“What this does is just offers that bit of diversity, it props up our rate base and it provides a lot of other benefits right throughout the community,” he said.
“So we’re more than happy to have it on board and fingers crossed that everything runs smoothly and we see a booming new industry in and around Kerang in the next five to 10 years’ time.” http://www.abc.net.au/news/2015-10-16/lalbert-solar-farm-near-kerang-tipped-to-boost-jobs/6859508
South Australia: subsidy for large-scale solar photovoltaic (PV) projects
Rooftop solar subsidies for SA business http://www.heraldsun.com.au/news/breaking-news/rooftop-solar-subsidies-for-sa-business/story-fni0xqi4-1227569000315
CLIMATE Change Minister Ian Hunter says the subsidy for large-scale photovoltaic (PV) projects, between 10 and 50 megawatts, will help businesses take advantage of a $100 million commonwealth funding pool aimed at increasing the uptake of solar panels.
“This is a great opportunity for potential developers to bring the cost of solar PV down to a price comparable to wind energy,” Climate Change Minister Ian Hunter said on Wednesday.
Broken Hill’s solar mega-plant operational this year
Broken Hill mega-plant solar panels lift the roof http://www.theaustralian.com.au/national-affairs/climate/broken-hill-mega-plant-solar-panels-lift-the-roof/story-e6frg6xf-1227565295647?sv=2fcdf280bb239bfc36e6b071c20e2458 OCTOBER 12, 2015 Sid Maher
The final panels on the biggest large-scale solar power station in the southern hemisphere will be installed at Broken Hill today, paving the way for the plant to be fully operational by year’s end.
The 53-megawatt solar plant, a partnership between AGL and First Solar, will work in conjunction with the 102MW Nyngan solar plant to produce enough electricity to power about 50,000 average Australian homes. The Nyngan plant began operating six months ago. “There is a real sense of momentum driving large-scale solar in Australia today,’’ Australian Renewable Energy Agency acting chief executive Ian Kay said.
The large-scale solar plant begins operation as more than 1.4 million households in Australia have solar panels on their roofs, providing the highest penetration at the household level in the world.
However, the government is trying to drive more solar uptake at the commercial level as part of the 23.5 per cent renewable energy target. Environment Minister Greg Hunt has set a priority of increasing the uptake of utility- scale solar as part of the government’s renewable energy mix.
The government through ARENA had provided $166.7 million towards the $440m AGL Solar Project.
“As well as powering Australian homes with renewable energy, this project is also assisting AGL to transition towards a decarbonised economy. It’s a win-win scenario,’’ Mr Hunt said.
Mr said there was $350m available through ARENA and the Clean Energy Finance Corporation to further accelerate growth in the sector. ARENA has a $100m large-scale solar round that could double the capacity of large-scale solar.
AGL executive general manager group operations Doug Jackson said the Broken Hill Solar Plant was already generating up to 27MW of renewable energy into the grid and the remaining 26MW was expected to be brought on line this month.
First Solar’s regional manager for the Asia Pacific, Jack Curtis, said the project combined industry leading thin film modules and construction techniques. He said the Broken Hill plant contained 677,760 of First Solar’s advanced PV modules. The Cadmium Telluride modules offered significant efficiency and reliability advantages over typical crystalline silicon modules, Mr Curtis said.
National Affairs Editor
Solar cars for Australia
R** Solar cars tested in tough NT conditions ahead of World Solar Challenge 2015
On a remote road an hour out of Darwin, dozens of solar-powered cars have been pushed to the limits for the past two weeks.
http://www.abc.net.au/news/2015-10-11/solar-cars-tested-in-nt-conditions/6842916
R** Solar car on track to become Australia’s first road-legal solar vehicle.
3 October 2015. This group of students are the latest in a long line of undergraduates from the University of New South Wales that have been working on solar cars.
http://www.abc.net.au/radionational/programs/offtrack/sunswift-solar-car/6810376
Australian Capital Territory inviting Tesla Motors to research renewable energy
Canberra asks Tesla Motors to host research presence in ACT , ABC News 10 Oct 15 The ACT Government is pitching to one of the world’s leading renewable energy companies, asking it to consider establishing a research hub in Canberra. Chief Minister Andrew Barr last week sat down with executives at US giant Tesla Motors at the company’s headquarters in California.
Tesla are already selling electric cars in Australia – as well as developing new storage technology for renewable energy. Mr Barr wants the company to set up a research and development presence in Canberra, highlighting the city’s investment in renewables.
A spokesman for Mr Barr said it was a “productive meeting”, and a formal letter had been sent to the company. In the letter to Tesla management, Mr Barr said Canberra offered a “unique location advantage” for the renewable energy industry.
“The ACT has the most aggressive renewable energy and emissions reductions targets in the nation, by a significant margin, and amongst the most aggressive in the world,” he said. “Our region also includes a world-class expertise in renewable energy and energy storage technology research and development, across both public and private organisations.
“Employment in the ACT renewable energy sector grew over 400 per cent during the last five years.”
From next year, Tesla’s wall-mounted Powerwall batteries will be available in Australian homes.
The company will be utilising software from Canberra start up firm Reposit Power when Powerwall is launched, allowing solar panel owners to sell power back to the grid. Mr Barr used the Canberra-based company’s success was an example as to why Tesla should make further ties with the capital.
“I understand Reposit Power’s technology is unique and is an example of the innovative environment in Canberra,” he said……http://www.abc.net.au/news/2015-10-10/canberra-launches-bid-to-tesla-motors-to-host-research-hub/6843812
Perth home entirely powered by solar energy shows the way
Perth gets first home powered almost totally by solar http://www.abc.net.au/news/2015-10-08/first-perth-home-almost-totally-solar-powered/6835726 By Kathryn Diss A Hilton home has become the first in Perth to use the Sun to meet almost all of its power needs by storing the energy in batteries while still remaining 
connected to the power grid. (diagram at left not realistic!)
The home uses solar for 97 per cent of its power needs and also offloads excess supply onto the grid, in what could become a mainstream feature in the future.
Environmental scientist Josh Byrne built the home in Perth’s southern suburbs two years ago with a 10-star energy rating.
But despite having an energy efficient home solar panels on his roof, Mr Byrne was still paying power bills.
So, Curtin University’s Jemma Green proposed a battery storage trial at the home to try to further reduce his power bills. She had spent the past year researching and getting approvals for the project while seeking funding to pay for the batteries and her research. Continue reading
New low-cost, high efficiency solar panel launched in Australia
SunEdison Launches World First P-Series Solar Panel in Australia October 6, 2015 Energy Matters Global solar leader SunEdison, Inc. (NYSE:SUNE) has today launched its low-cost, high efficiency SE-P265NPB solar panel; available exclusively in Australia.
This 265W panel is set to play a significant role in the nation’s solar power revolution and is the first SunEdison panel available in the Australian market.
“This module boasts all the hallmarks of quality Australian installers have come to expect; including a very low temperature coefficient, 35mm silver frame and MC4 connectors,” said SunEdison Australia Managing Director, Jeremy Rich.
SunEdison’s first foray into the Australian market with the SE-P265NPB polycrystalline solar panel offers an outstanding model efficiency of 16.2% and a better return on investment for Australian consumers based on the higher volume of watts per module. Multi-MPPT transformerless inverter compatible, the SE-P265NPB features a positive power tolerance and is Potential Induced Degradation (PID) free.
As a vertically integrated Tier-1 manufacturer, SunEdison has an impressive track record in the development and operation of solar power stations, with 50 years experience in the production of silicon and solar technology…….
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION:
- The SunEdison SE-P265NPB solar panel is a 60-cell module with four bus bars per cell, helping maximise its energy harvesting capabilities.
- This panel is considered a “greener” module in terms of embodied energy as cells are fired in furnaces at triple the density of other systems.
- The bus bar printing technology enables printing of both cell fingers and bus bars in two separate steps, meaning great precision and allowing the print pattern for fingers and bus bars to be independently optimised.
- Sealed process bars are used to avoid contamination of the cells.
- Cells that do not pass rigorous testing processes are on-sold to other manufacturers for use in lower-spec panels.
- The SE-P265NPB comes with a 10 year limited warranty on materials and workmanship, and a 25 year linear power warranty.
BROCHURE AND DATASHEET:
AUDIO: Australia world top in household solar panel installations
AUDIO: Australia leads world in household solar panel installations, ABC RadioThe World Today By Samantha Donovan Australia has the highest rate of household solar panel installation in the world, according to a new report from the Energy Supply Association of Australia.
“We’re clearly leading the world in rooftop solar,” said the association’s chief executive, Matthew 
Warren.
“There’s literally daylight [coming in] second.”
The report found about 15 per cent of Australian homes had solar panels………Installation rates are highest in South Australia and Queensland, and in some Brisbane and Adelaide suburbs more than half of all homes have solar panels.
Mr Warren attributed that to more generous schemes in those states.
“South Australia has 25 per cent of dwellings, which is the highest in the world, and Brisbane’s not far behind with 23 per cent, and then Perth and WA at 18 per cent.”
Media player: “Space” to play, “M” to mute, “left” and “right” to seek.
But the report found lower rates of solar panel installation in affluent suburbs. “It’s very popular with retirees,” Mr Warren said. “It’s more popular with mortgage-belt consumers who are probably more price conscious. “It hasn’t been in the trendy inner-city suburbs. There’s not much roof space and there are more renters, but it just hasn’t appealed to that demographic.”
Australia lags with large-scale solar projects
While Australians are taking to small-scale solar projects enthusiastically, the report found large-scale solar projects are less common than in other countries……..http://www.abc.net.au/news/2015-09-29/australia-leads-world-in-installation-of-household-solar-panels/6813532
Canberra school Amaroo to get benefits from ACT’s largest rooftop solar system
Amaroo School to gleam under ACT’s largest rooftop solar system, Canberra Times, September 25, 2015 Emma Kelly Canberra Times reporter Amaroo School will gleam beneath the territory’s largest rooftop solar system when school returns next term. Almost 2000 large solar panels will be installed across the school’s buildings, producing 600kW of power to be fed into the ACT electricity grid.
The school is leasing its roof space to solar energy company Solar Choice and will power the equivalent of about 175 Canberra houses each year. The 20-year lease will also generate $30,000 a year in school funding.
Solar Choice managing director Angus Gemmell said a team of 30 contractors would install the panels over the next fortnight while students were on school holidays, before solar inverters were installed the week after.
Mr Gemmell, who will soon oversee construction of the Majura Valley solar farm, said the school’s utility-scale panels would be about 25 per cent bigger than the panels installed on regular houses.
“We have large skillion, north-facing roofs that are much like a ski slope to the north. The panels can be perfectly flush-mounted, they won’t need tilt fronts,” he said………
the installation was part of a broader rollout of solar technology in the territory, which had seen rooftop solar capacity jump from less than one megawatt in early 2009 to about 45 megawatts today.
“As we head to a 90 per cent renewable energy target, rooftop solar is going to play an increasingly important role,” he said.”Medium and large-scale rooftop solar is the growth market now for PV [solar power] in Australia and I’m very excited to see Amaroo sharing in those benefits.”
Amaroo School principal Julie Cooper said the school, which is also home to a wind turbine, would make the most of the money injected into the school via the roof space lease. http://www.canberratimes.com.au/act-news/amaroo-school-to-gleam-under-acts-largest-rooftop-solar-system-20150924-gjujsf.html#ixzz3mnO1OZCy
Big Solar Power: Australian Renewable Energy Agency and the Clean Energy Finance Corporation
Large scale solar plants get $350m push, The Age, September 9, 2015 –Mathew Dunckley BusinessDay Editor Australia will get up to 10 new large solar power stations as part of an unprecedented $350 million tie-up between two major government renewable energy agencies.
As part of a new funding round the Australian Renewable Energy Agency and the Clean Energy Finance Corporation will collaborate to offer, respectively, grants and loans to get major solar projects off the ground to feed into the energy grid.
It is understood some state governments have also signalled they will financially support bids for projects in their jurisdictions potentially through long term offtake agreements. Continue reading
Solar energy to power Perth
Solar to fuel new power generation https://au.news.yahoo.com/thewest/wa/a/29358326/solar-to-fuel-new-power-generation/ Daniel Mercer August 27, 2015,
Fuelled by falling solar panel prices and rising electricity tariffs, demand for solar cells has been running at 20-30 per cent in Perth for the past six years.
About 170,000 households in the South West grid covering Perth now have a system.
Dr Nahan said installed solar capacity across the city was about 500MW — or the equivalent of a major base-load power station — and this was expected to more than double within years.
“We expect that the bulk of generating capacity during sunlight hours in the metro area in about 10 years time will be provided by rooftop solar,” Dr Nahan said.
“That’s the reality. So it is going to provide the bulk of additional capacity going forward.
“It will also displace a lot of the existing capacity. It’s low-priced, it’s democratically determined and it’s something we’re committed to facilitating.”
The comments came as Dr Nahan provided an update of the Government’s plans to shake up the electricity sector.
He said moves to end Synergy’s monopoly over the household power market and throw it open to competition by 2018 were on track.
Before the Government could do that, however, he said the subsidy to the State-owned utility would need to be erased and excess capacity from the system stripped by reducing some Synergy capacity.
He said it was too early to say which plants would be closed
Sunshine Coast solar farm to start building before Christmas
Sunshine Coast closer to solar farm starting before Christmas, Brisbane Times, August 20, 2015 -Tony Moore The Sunshine Coast will beat a number of south-east Queensland councils to the solar energy punch by beginning to build its own 15-megawatt solar energy farm before Christmas 2015.
It will mean the Sunshine Coast Council will be Australia’s first council to own and use its own solar energy plant.
The Sunshine Coast plans to meet the cost of its own electricity once the plant is at full production, saving the council about $9 million over 30 years, Mayor Mark Jamieson said.
The Sunshine Coast is close to announcing the successful tender for the project………http://www.brisbanetimes.com.au/queensland/sunshine-coast-closer-to-solar-farm-starting-before-christmas-20150819-gj3539.html
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