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Australia large scale solar output breaks through 1GW on Sunday

 REneweconomy Giles Parkinson, 22 October 2018 The rapidly emerging large scale solar sector achieved a significant milestone on Sunday, October 21, when their combined output in the National Electricity Market broke through the 1GW barrier for what is believed to be the first time.According to this graph below [on original] sent to us by Mike Hudson, using data he sourced from the Australian Energy Market Operator, the 1GW level was first breached in mid morning, and continued until almost 3pm in the afternoon. 

That consistency of output is a key point – many solar tractors think that the output of solar farms peaks at around 12pm or 1pm and falls off rapidly after that.Most solar farms, thanks to single axis tracking technology, reach peak output around 9am, and stay around that level for six hours.

Sometimes they do better than that. The AEMO data shows, for instance, that the Bungala solar farm in South Australia reached 105.2MW at 8.05am grid time, (which is the same as Queensland time), and stayed there until 3.20pm.

…….In all, according to Clean Energy Regulator data, some 4,000MW of solar is completed, under construction, or has reached financial close. That should add to some of the mid-day negative pricing that were again observed in Queensland last week.
It should be noted that this data includes the NEM only. There are two operating solar farms in W.A.’s separate grid, and many smaller utility scale solar farms located in off-grid locations in W.A., Northern Territory and Queensland………. https://reneweconomy.com.au/australia-large-scale-solar-output-breaks-through-1gw-on-sunday-39558/

October 21, 2018 Posted by Christina Macpherson | AUSTRALIA - NATIONAL, solar | 2 Comments

Victoria’s largest solar farm goes ahead after “solving” connection dilemma

Victoria’s largest solar farm goes ahead after “solving” connection dilemma, REneweconomy, Giles Parkinson, 16 October 2018 The 200MW Kiamal solar farm in Victoria – the largest in the state to date – will be officially launched on Wednesday and begin construction this month after developer Total Eren says it has resolved connection issues that had already delayed the $300 million project.The Kiamal solar farm is located near the town of Ouyen – not far from Mildura in the state’s north west. But as RenewEconomy revealed in May, it is located in what could be described as the “rhombus of death”, a part of the network that  doesn’t have the “system strength” to accommodate all the wind and solar projects planned for the area.

The Australian Energy Market Operator issued a warning in May that any developments – without major system upgrades – would face significant curtailment issues. The options to get around this were investing in machinery known as synchronous condensers, or await a network upgrade, which could take years,

Kiamal, as the largest solar project proposed for the area, was expected to be particularly badly hit, and after going back to the drawing board its developers have decided to invest in a large synchronous condenser to advance the project.

Synchronous condensers are decades old technology. They are rotating machines that do not generate power as such, but can provide “system strength” when needed. South Australia’s ElectraNet is installing three such machines to boost its network.

The “syncon” to be installed by Total Eren will provide a fault contribution of greater than 600MVA, which is around three times the size of the peak output for the solar farm. According to Michael Vawser,  Total Eren is doing this because of economies of scale, and because it will make the yet-to-be-finalised connection process smoother.

It will also facilitate the development of many other wind and solar projects in the area, including some that recently won contracts from the Victoria government under its auction for 650MW of wind and solar capacity.

“This is a good news story for north west Victoria because it will substantially strengthen the system for all users,” Vawser told RenewEconomy. Having syncons in the system will be a necessary part of the transition to a renewable energy future. We are just leading that charge, which is why we are so excited!”……….. Continue reading →

October 16, 2018 Posted by Christina Macpherson | solar, Victoria | Leave a comment

Hobart mayoral candidate Anna Reynolds offers a practical and economic solar plan

Climate right for solar plan: Reynolds, HOBART residents and businesses would be able to install solar energy systems with no upfront costs under an initiative proposed by mayoral candidate Anna Reynolds. HELEN KEMPTON, news.com.au   Sunday Tasmanian  OCTOBER 14, 2018

HOBART residents and businesses would be able to install solar energy systems with no upfront costs under an initiative proposed by mayoral candidate Anna Reynolds.

Ald Reynolds says the city should strive to double solar installations over the next five years.

Hobart is a poor performer compared with other Tasmanian local government areas with Sustainable Living Tasmania figures placing it 16th in terms of solar installations per capita.

“Council has taken action to install solar panels on its own buildings but there is so much more we can do,” Ald Reynolds said.

“I will advocate for a solar saver program to help Hobart residents, businesses and organisations install solar panels.

“Council will pay the upfront cost for the system and you, or your landlord, pay it off over 10 years, interest free.

“The savings made on energy bills will more than outweigh the payments to council, leaving you better off.”

The independent candidate’s push is backed by the chief strategist of climate advocacy group 350 Australia……..https://www.news.com.au/national/tasmania/climate-right-for-solar-plan-reynolds/news-story/1aa9c5761666dbbb411a35f424b0c8a0

October 15, 2018 Posted by Christina Macpherson | solar, Tasmania | Leave a comment

Solar energy microgrid for Euroa, Victoria

Euroa’s grassroots solar microgrid plan to avoid summer blackouts ABC Goulburn Murray 

By Rhiannon Tuffield  6 Sept 18 A small town in north-east Victoria is driving a renewable energy strategy that will generate power off the grid, give the town greater reliability in its power supply, and reduce local demand for electricity in times of flux.

The Euroa Environment Group is behind the $6 million grassroots project to install 589 kilowatts of new solar photovolatic (PV) panels, and up to 400 kilowatts of new batteries.

It will work with Mondo Power and Globird Energy as well as 14 businesses within Euroa which will install the technology.

The project may eventually extend to the residential community of Euroa and to other towns as it will demonstrate how a microgrid can operate.

The town has endured countless blackouts and it is hoped the microgrid will address the issue in the lead-up to summer.

The closure of the Hazelwood coal-fired power station in Victoria last year drove up energy power prices in southern states and put pressure on the market operator to deliver enough power to meet demand on summer’s hottest days.

Shirley Saywell, who is a business owner in Euroa and president of the group, said power options had been limited.

“This microgrid within another microgrid will give us the opportunity to generate power locally, store power locally and share power locally. It’s the town making itself more resilient in these times of uncertainty.

“There’s been stories about how complicated renewables are, and I see my role as showing people that it shouldn’t be as complicated as it’s made out to be.”

The intention of the project is to give the town greater reliability in its power supply as well as decrease the price of energy.

Energy strategy one of many Continue reading →

September 7, 2018 Posted by Christina Macpherson | solar, Victoria | 1 Comment

Two major solar farms for Whyalla, South Australia

Steel city’s solar rush gets a head of steam  Whyalla could soon be home to two major solar farms after Adani Renewables announced it had received pre-construction approval for a 400 hectare project just outside the city. – …..(subscribers only) 

https://www.adelaidenow.com.au/business/sa-business-journal/whyallas-adani-solar-farm-gets-preapproval-as-renewables-rush-hits-the-steel-city/news-story/09fff7a4b0e755070bdb59ef40411653

August 24, 2018 Posted by Christina Macpherson | solar, South Australia | Leave a comment

Community Buying of solar power – a very good deal for Australia’s Non Profit organisations

NFPs Encouraged to Make the Switch to Solar   A new campaign has launched aiming to help the not-for-profit and community sector make the switch to renewable energy. Pro Bono,  Luke Michael, Journalist, 15 May 18

Community Buying Group and Moreland Energy Foundation officially launched The Big Solar Switch campaign on Monday.

The campaign aims to facilitate Australia’s largest switch to solar power by actively reducing barriers of solar installation for the not-for-profit and community sector.

Developed exclusively for charities and community organisations, the initiative uses the strength of aggregated purchasing to reduce the cost and barriers of installing solar PV systems.

Packages contain a “best value” guarantee which includes negotiated rates for the sector, extended warranties, expert advice and links to funding.

Alison Rowe, the CEO of Moreland Energy Foundation, said unlike individual households and businesses, the charitable sector has not had the benefit of a dedicated program to assist them in the uptake of solar.

“Moreland Energy Foundation (MEFL) has a proud history of supporting communities to benefit from solar installations. We are excited by the opportunity to support the NFP and charitable sector to navigate the process of installing solar PV,” Rowe said.

“MEFL has a wealth of experience having facilitated the installation of over 10 MW (megawatts) of solar. Being an NFP ourselves we understand the resource challenges facing the sector and strive to make the process of investigating solar simple.”

Jill Riseley, the chair of Community Buying Group, told Pro Bono News electricity prices were causing a big headache for community organisations.

………Community Buying Group is hoping for around 10,000 organisations to make the switch to solar power during the campaign.The campaign’s roll-out will firstly focus on the housing sector, with the initial deadline for housing providers on 15 June.

This rollout for large NFPs will commence in late June.

Riseley encouraged the sector to buy-in to the campaign.

“The story we’re really trying to get out to the sector is that it’s a permanent reduction in one of their core operational expenses and it’s a real game changer for the bottom line of many NFPs,” she said.  https://probonoaustralia.com.au/news/2018/05/nfps-encouraged-make-switch-solar/

May 17, 2018 Posted by Christina Macpherson | AUSTRALIA - NATIONAL, solar | Leave a comment

Australia’s scarce water could be helped by solar and wind power

Solar and wind could ease Australia’s water shortage https://www.smh.com.au/business/the-economy/solar-and-wind-could-ease-australia-s-water-shortage-20180513-p4zf1t.html -By Cole Latimer, 14 May 2018  

Australia is one the world’s top 20 water-stressed nations but a shift to more renewable energy could lessen the nation’s water pressure.

A report by the World Resources Industry identified Australia as one country vulnerable to water stress where the potential for cheap renewable energy, solar and wind as opposed to fossil fuels, could reduce water consumption country-wide as these technologies use minimal – or zero – water.

“By better managing their limited water resources and investing in the right energy systems these renewable forms of energy can help countries meet their increased demand for electricity without adding carbon emissions or consuming water,” the World Resources Institute’s manager for water, Tianyi Luo, said.

Every megawatt hour of electricity generated by coal withdraws around 60,700 litres and consumes about 2600 litres of water.

In the financial year to date, Australian’s have consumed 147 terrawatt hours of electricity, about 73 per cent of which comes from coal, which equates to around 455 billion litres of water.

Major hydro generation projects such as Snowy Hydro, which is set to play an even greater role in the nation’s energy mix, are solely reliant on Australia’s vulnerable water supplies.

“This could be particularly beneficial in countries where growing populations, farms and industries are already competing for scant water supplies”

A major issue with coal-fired generation is the amount of water it consumes.

Energy production accounts for around 10 per cent of the world’s water consumption, the International Energy Agency’s 2016 World Energy Outlook stated.

South Africa’s Cape Town is the world’s first major city to potentially run out of water, as climate change, major droughts and heavy water usage sapped water supplies. During Sydney’s last major drought, water levels in the Warragamba dam fell as low as 30 per cent.

The costs of water rises as its scarcity grows with Infrastructure Australia forecasting an annual water bill of $2500 by 2040.

The WRI report ranked Australia 17th for its potential solar power. It has a level of 232.5 in global horizontal irradiance wattage per metre squared, a measure of the strength and concentration of the solar power hitting a solar panel, which is 58 million petajoules of energy, or about 10,000 times the nation’s annual energy consumption.

The size of a solar farm needed to power all of Australia would cover about 6270 square kilometres or approximately 0.1 per cent of the country.

This potential put it only just behind Iran but ahead of Kuwait and Israel. Yemen was rated first.

However, Australia is falling well short of its utilising its solar potential, a global energy expert said.

“Australia is not living up to its potential for power generation. It should be aiming for 100 per cent renewable energy, but Australia is up against the older, entrenched fossil fuel industry,” chief executive of energy investor Energiya Global Capital, Yosef Abramowitz, told Fairfax Media.

Solar energy currently accounts for around 5 per cent of Australia’s total power generation.

Australia ranks fifth for high levels of wind power for water-stressed countries, with an average wind potential of 6.1. metres a second. It ranked ahead of the US, but just behind Bahrain.

A recent report by the University of Technology, Sydney’s Institute for Sustainable Futures said Australia’s potential onshore wind resources could power the nation 12 times over, but currently only account for six per cent of energy generation.

May 13, 2018 Posted by Christina Macpherson | AUSTRALIA - NATIONAL, environment, solar, wind | Leave a comment

Solar microgrid to launch in the heart of coal country

 SMH,    By Cole Latimer, 7 May 2018  Dairy farmers in the heart of Victorian coal country will soon be able to trade solar power using blockchain processes.

A virtual microgrid will be created in the the Latrobe Valley, exchanging energy generated from 200 Gippsland dairy farmers, 20 businesses and 150 households, powered by a decentralised, peer-to-peer blockchain energy trading platform called Exergy.

Ivor Frischknecht, the Australian Renewable Energy Agency’s chief executive, said the trial was the first step in transitioning the agricultural region – near the state’s coal-fired power stations – to renewable power. It would be the first major trial of a blockchain-based virtual microgrid in Australia.

“The ‘virtual microgrid’ concept brings an alternative approach to energy where the control remains with the customers, rather than retailers, who can choose to opt in depending on the current prices and energy types, or their willingness to provide demand response,” Mr Frischknecht said.

The project will be built by LO3 Energy, a New York-based company that created the world’s first local energy marketplace, in Brooklyn, which allowed participants to trade energy using blockchain technology.

…….. The Victorian virtual microgrid will comprise solar installations, battery storage, and demand response and enabling technologies combined with LO3’s Exergy peer-to-peer trading mechanism, which uses blockchain processes to allow those within the market to buy and sell locally generated renewable energy.

With the energy-hungry farming industry still recovering from the 2016 milk crisis, it promises a cost-effective and resilient solution for farmers to create and manage their own energy and profit from trading their excess generation,” LO3 Energy founder Lawrence Orsini said.

“Engaging with farms is a key part of the project as they have the capacity to install large solar generation and storage. Exergy makes it possible for them to become mini-power plants and gain revenue for energy they don’t use.”

The farms will be given loans to build solar installations by the Sustainable Melbourne Fund, which will be repaid through council fees.

ARENA will also provide $370,000 in funding for the $775,000 project.

“The local Latrobe Valley marketplace would allow Gippsland farmers to take greater control of their energy use, providing the opportunity to sell their power back to the grid,” the Australian Renewable Energy Agency (ARENA) said, “consumers will also be paid for choosing to conserve energy at peak times.”

The study will run to the end of the year, with plans to roll out a pilot microgrid in Gippsland in 2019. https://www.smh.com.au/business/the-economy/solar-microgrid-to-launch-in-the-heart-of-coal-country-20180426-p4zbtf.html

 

May 9, 2018 Posted by Christina Macpherson | solar, Victoria | Leave a comment

Floating solar array included in South Australia Water’s big move into solar power

SA Water set to add another 5MW solar, including floating PV array http://reneweconomy.com.au/sa-water-set-add-another-5mw-solar-including-floating-pv-array-85781/  By Sophie Vorrath on 22 March 2018   One Step Off The Grid   

South Australia’s largest water and sewerage services supplier, SA Water, is set to install another 5MW of solar PV, including a floating solar plant, after local outfit Enerven was awarded the tender for the job.

Enerven said on Wednesday that it had won a Stage 1 contract to design and construct ground-based solar installations at facilities in Hope Valley, Christies Beach and Glenelg, and to develop a floating solar PV array.

SA Water, which has targeted zero net energy by 2020, began its shift to solar last year, with a tender to install 100kW solar and 50kWh battery storage at its Crystal Brook Workshop site.

The utility, which manages more than 27,000km of water mains, including 9,266 km in the Adelaide metropolitan area, said it was installing the solar and storage system to manage periods of high electricity prices, and to ensure safe and sustainable delivery of water to customers.

Ultimately, the company aims to get its on-site renewable energy generation to the point where it is equal to the total annual amount of energy used by SA Water’s buildings and desalination operations.

And it is not alone in its quest. As we have reported on One Step Off The Grid, a number of Australian water utilities are turning to solar and/or wind energy to lower costs and help guarantee supply.

In Queensland, Logan City Council has installed an off-grid solar and battery storage system as part of a micro-grid powered “electro-chlorinator” that will help maintain local drinking water quality 24 hours a day.

The solution – delivered by the Logan Water Infrastructure Alliance and solar installer CSR Bradford – combined a 95kWh Tesla Powerpack with 323 PV panels at the site of the relatively new 20 Megalitre Round Mountain Reservoir, which provides drinking water for residents in Flagstone, Yarrabilba, North Maclean, Spring Mountain and Woodhill.

In the regional Victorian city of Portland, Wannon Water has installed a 100kW solar system on a water tank at its treatment plant at Hamilton that was expected to cut the plant’s grid electricity consumption by 25 per cent.

In NSW, a community-funded 100kW floating solar array has been installed at the East Lismore Sewage Treatment Plant in NSW.

And Queensland’s City of Gold Coast is proposing to install a series of floating solar PV arrays on its network of wastewater ponds – both to help power the city’s wastewater treatment plants and to cut evaporation from the ponds.

Enerven says design of the SA Water solar project has commenced, and is due for completion in September 2018.

This article was originally published on RenewEconomy’s sister site, One Step Off The Grid, which focuses on customer experience with distributed generation. To sign up to One Step’s free weekly newsletter, please click here.

March 22, 2018 Posted by Christina Macpherson | solar, South Australia | Leave a comment

Solar energy poised to take off in a big way in New South Wales

NSW, the sleeping giant of rooftop solar, is about to awake http://reneweconomy.com.au/nsw-sleeping-giant-rooftop-solar-awake-68621/   By Giles Parkinson on 22 March 2018 

New South Wales has long played second fiddle to Queensland – the “Sunshine state”, when it comes to rooftop solar. Despite its bigger population, NSW is beaten into second place on rooftop solar installations by Queensland, which has already reached the 2GW mark.

But the Australian Energy Market Operator suggests that is about to change.

Over the next few years, it expects NSW to overtake Queensland with the most installed capacity (by 2020/21) and by 2035 it expects NSW to have more than 7GW of rooftop solar in the state – 50 per cent more than its nearest rival.

This graph above [on original] shows the estimate, including in the AEMC’s Reliability Panel’s annual report, which highlights the growing shift to decentralised energy, which includes rooftop solar and storage.

Indeed, this graph shows only one of AEMO’s  installation scenarios – it’s high uptake shows another 3GW of rooftop solar, and many suggest that half of all Australia’s electricity needs may come from decentralised energy within a decade or two.

Recent data suggests that NSW recently pipped Queensland as the biggest market for rooftop solar in the month of February (with just over 28MW installed in the month), but AEMO’s forecasts suggests NSW will continue to set the pace over the next decade or two.

The rooftop solar is already having an impact, delaying and reducing the size of grid peaks, and so reducing the cost of peak demand events. Ausgrid is also looking at providing more subsidies to encourage more rooftop solar in inner-city suburbs to reduce the need for network upgrades.

The AEMO forecasts suggest a total of 18.6GW of rooftop solar  PV capacity by 2035/36, which will be accompanies by strong growth of integrated solar PV and battery storage systems.

Indeed, this graph shows only one of AEMO’s  installation scenarios – it’s high uptake shows another 3GW of rooftop solar, and many suggest that half of all Australia’s electricity needs may come from decentralised energy within a decade or two.

This will have an impact on the shape of the demand curve in Australia. Not only will it reduce maximum demand, and push it into the evenings, it will also push minimum demand into the middle of the day, rather than overnight.

This is already happening in South Australia (it has been since 2012), but will extend to NSW, Queensland and Victoria. Minimum demand may turn “negative” – where rooftop solar output exceeds customer demand – as early as 2025 on some days in South Australia.

AEMO suggests that in South Australia the excess rooftop solar output can be stored (in batteries) or exported to the rest of the market.

“This signals the important need for market and regulatory frameworks that support storage solutions and maximise the efficiency or shared electricity services for consumers.”

Indeed, the new South Australian government is toying with that idea, proposing its own $100 million plan to subsidise the installation of batteries in 40,000 homes, and considering what to do with the Tesla plan for solar and storage in 50,000 low income homes that would create the “world’s biggest virtual power plant”.

And here’s another interesting graph [on original]  from a separate AEMO report, one that looks at the last quarter of the electricity markets.

It shows the average rooftop solar PV output in the last quarter, and it is nearing 1GW, having risen from 905MW in the same quarter last year to 969MW in the fourth quarter of 2017.

AEMO says the largest increases were in Victoria (+15 per cent) and South Australia (+8 per cent). These increases correspond with an increase in rooftop PV capacity and higher than average sunshine across all capital cities except Adelaide.

March 22, 2018 Posted by Christina Macpherson | New South Wales, solar | Leave a comment

South Australian Premier Stephen Marshall carrying out the Liberal agenda – Cuts Access To Solar Batteries For Low Income Households.

SA’s New Premier Cuts Access To Solar Batteries For Low Income Households. Gizmodo, Hayley Williams Mar 19, 2018 

Incoming South Australian Premier Steven Marshall has today revealed that the Liberal government will not continue with Jay Weatherill’s plan to install batteries in thousands of low-income households. The new government’s plan will instead focus on means-tested subsidies for battery systems, and on the grid scale a focus on interconnectivity with NSW.

In a radio interview with ABC RN Breakfast this morning, Marshall talked briefly about his focus for South Australia in the upcoming years, including the direction he was planning to take with Jay Weatherill’s many renewable initiatives. Marshall confirmed that the party would be continuing with a $100 million home battery subsidy outlined mid campaign, rather than following through on the Labor campaign that would have installed Tesla batteries in South Australia’s Housing Trust homes at no cost to their occupants.

While on the surface Marshall’s plan sounds similar, promising batteries in 40,000 homes where Labor had aimed for batteries and rooftop solar on 50,000 houses, the Liberal plan cuts low income earners out of the equation. “[Jay Weatherill] was doing it for Housing Trust homes in South Australia. That’s not part of our agenda,” Marshall clarified. “Our agenda is the 40,000 homes and we’re going to do 10,000 a year.”

While the grants – around $2,500 per home – will be means tested, they are intended for houses with existing rooftop solar, and still require an upfront payment that low income earners will not be able to afford. The cheapest battery available in Australia is the Ampetus Super Lithium at $2,300 for 2.7kWh of usable storage, but this doesn’t include the cost of installation, a separate inverter and the solar panels to go with it.

Disappointingly, Marshall has said he will not be upholding Weatherill’s promise of a 75 per cent renewable target for South Australia. “We don’t believe in state-based renewable energy targets,” he explained. “We do support a national approach.” Yet experts have said that the federal government’s National Energy Guarantee sets too soft a target for the electricity industry to pull its weight on meeting Australia’s emission targets under the Paris Agreement, making it all the more disappointing that South Australia will now be doing even less to help……..https://www.gizmodo.com.au/2018/03/sas-new-premier-cuts-access-to-solar-batteries-for-low-income-households/

March 21, 2018 Posted by Christina Macpherson | politics, solar, South Australia | Leave a comment

India’s solar parks – a good system for Australia, too

Farming the sun’s rays: Should Australia follow India’s lead and create solar parks?   http://www.abc.net.au/news/rural/2018-03-21/farming-the-suns-rays-australian-farmers-should-follow-india/9526812 NSW Country Hour By Michael Condon, 21 Mar 18, [Excellent graphics] 

Australia is a huge landmass with an incredible amount of sunshine, so should our farmers be able to farm the sun’s rays?

This is what is currently taking place in India, with the world’s largest solar farm being built in agricultural Karnataka in south-west India. The Karnataka Solar Power Development Corporation is building the solar farm, known as the Pavagada Solar Park, which will see solar panels spreading over 13,000 acres of land and over five villages.

The solar farm will generate 2,000 megawatts of electricity, a figure that translates to approximately 4 per cent of Australia’s total energy needs.

Farmers lease land to increase income

In order to build the solar farm, more than 2,300 Indian subsistence farmers are leasing their land to the energy company and making more income than they can make through traditional farming.Each farmer will be paid 21,000 rupees per acre per month, a figure that equates to approximately $420. This rental income is more than double their income from farming and the Indian government is fully supportive of the project.

The Government of Karnataka’s Minister for Energy, Doddalahalli Kempegowda Shivakumar, said: “We have set the goal to source at least 20 per cent of people’s power requirements from renewable projects”.”The park will create employment and act as an incentive for farmers to explore new opportunities of socio-economic growth.

This ambitious project, spanning five villages, looks at farmers as the key partners and also as the beneficiaries. The Pavagada Solar Park is creating new job opportunities.”

Tim Buckley, director of Energy Finance Studies at the Institute for Energy, Economics and Financial Analysis (IEEFA) said the collaborative model could work for Australian farmers. “It is a model that could work in Australia, but because of the size of Australian farms the energy companies would not need to negotiate with any more than one or two farmers — instead of the 2,300 farmers like in India,” he said. “We wouldn’t need farms on that scale, and on a large pastoral property a medium-sized solar farm would not impact on the grazing operation.”

Renewable energy projects growing

Forecasts are also firming up about how rapidly renewable energy is growing throughout Australia.

Green Energy Market’s Tristan Edis in Melbourne is forecasting Australian solar installs would treble to possibly 3.5GW in 2018.   It is predicted that Australian solar installations will treble to 3,500MW in 2018.  He also estimates there are 4,960MW of renewable energy projects under construction right now across Australia in wind and solar combined.

And almost all of that growth is occurring in regional Australia.

Mr Buckley said Premier Anna Palaszczuk recently boasted there were 3,000 construction jobs being generated right now just in Queensland renewables.

“But it is not a single solar company, there are something like 20 projects currently underway there alone,” he said.  Depending on which government policy is implemented, between 10,000 and 35,000 jobs will be generated by renewable energy projects in Australia. “That is the scale of the employment we are seeing already in Queensland around some of these projects.”And to put it in perspective this is three times the amount of solar generation plants that were built in 2017.”

Tom Burmester from The Australia Institute has done a study on renewable energy jobs backing up the view that renewable energy was already creating jobs. He said the Australia Institute research shows that, depending on what policy settings were put in place, between 10,000 and 35,000 jobs would be generated by renewable energy projects.

Mr Buckley said this was all happening despite a reduction in the renewable energy rebate schemes. “It is counterintuitive to drop government assistance, but business and the big corporates are increasingly going with solar and other renewables,” he said.

March 21, 2018 Posted by Christina Macpherson | AUSTRALIA - NATIONAL, solar | Leave a comment

New schemes may help renters get solar panels on their roof – Australia’s solar energy boom

Solar boom: New schemes may help renters get solar panels on their roof,  ABC Science, By Anna Salleh, 18 Feb 18,  

Key points

  • Cheaper solar and more expensive grid electricity mean it’s more affordable to finance rooftop solar
  • Schemes are emerging that help renters get access to rooftop solar
  • Experts warn renters need to weigh costs as well as benefits to decide if it’s worth it

Sunny Australia sure is the lucky country for many of us cashing in on the financial benefits of putting solar panels on their roof — but what can renters do if they want to save money and reduce their greenhouse emissions?

Skyrocketing grid electricity prices and the falling cost of solar technology saw a record number of Australian dwellings put solar photovoltaic (PV) cells on their roof in 2017, taking the total to 1.8 million.

But ever-more-elusive home ownership means there is a growing number of renters (now over 30 per cent of us) who tend to be the “solar have-nots”.

“It’s a bit of a risk of the country dividing into the solar energy haves and have-nots,” Andrew Reddaway, an energy analyst from the Alternative Technology Association (ATA), said.

And it’s not only renters’ hip pockets that are at stake here. Mr Reddaway estimates that by 2037, Australia could save as much as 5.6 million tonnes of greenhouse gas thanks to solar energy generated on the roofs of rental properties — equivalent to around a million or so cars off the road.

So what’s stopping us?

Solutions to the ‘split incentive’    The main barrier to landlords installing solar panels is what’s called the “split incentive”, Mr Reddaway said.

“It’ll be the tenant who sees the benefit on the electricity bill, whereas the person who pays for the solar system is generally the landlord. So the main question is: What’s in it for the landlord?”

But according to the ATA, there are options starting to become available to get past this problem — and they mainly involve splitting the costs and the benefits of a rooftop system between the tenant and landlord………

One “climate conscious” community group in regional NSW called Z-Net Uralla recently teamed up with the not-for-profit CORENA fund (Citizens Own Renewable Energy Network Australia) to give landlords interest-free loans to install solar on their rental properties. CORENA also helps broker a fair rent increase to help cover the cost of repayments.

“We are hoping that the partnership can be a model for communities elsewhere to copy,” Margaret Hender of CORENA said.

Councils take the lead  There’s also a move among local councils to offer landlords interest-free loans that can be paid off via rate instalments.

Under the “solar savers” scheme pioneered by Darebin City Council in Melbourne, landlords can even transfer their loan to the new owner when the property is sold. Darebin is now targeting landlords, which means renters will be able to negotiate a rent increase to help cover the loan repayment. The City of Adelaide is another council that has followed this lead.

There are also a number of commercial schemes that offer to help manage a landlord-tenant agreement. A few of these are described in a recent article in the ATA’s ReNew magazine, along with some options for apartment dwellers, who face their own unique challenges installing rooftop solar.

But there are also solutions that don’t require the landlord to be out of pocket at all, ATA Policy & Research Manager Damien Moyse said.

This can involve a company installing rooftop solar — with permission from the landlord — and then charging the tenant, either for the electricity they use, or a fixed lease repayment, Mr Moyse said.

But, he said, no matter what a tenant does it’s important they weigh the costs and benefits before proceeding…….. http://www.abc.net.au/news/science/2018-02-18/how-can-renters-get-solar-panels/9409098

 

February 18, 2018 Posted by Christina Macpherson | AUSTRALIA - NATIONAL, solar | Leave a comment

In Australia solar farm approvals and record rooftop installations expected to ‘turbo-boost’ production

Australia’s solar power boom could almost double capacity in a year, analysts say https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2018/feb/11/australias-solar-power-boom-could-almost-double-capacity-in-a-year-analysts-say

Solar farm approvals and record rooftop installations expected to ‘turbo-boost’ production, Guardian,  Naaman Zhou, 11 Feb 18 

A record-breaking month of rooftop installations and a flood of large-scale solar farms could almost double Australia’s solar power capacity in a single year, industry analysts say.

A massive solar energy boom is being predicted for 2018, after an unprecedented number of industrial solar farms were approved by the New South Wales and Queensland governments last year.

Last month also became the biggest January on record for rooftop installations, according to the renewables website RenewEconomy and industry analysts SunWiz

With 111MW of new panels, it saw a 69% rise compared with the same month last year and became one of the top five months ever – largely driven by low installation costs and a boost in commercial uptake.

At the same time, nearly 30 new industrial solar farms are scheduled to come on line.

NSW approved 10 solar farm projects last year – twice as many as the year before – and has approved another in 2018. Queensland currently has 18 large-scale projects under construction, which is the most in the country.

The new farms could be operational within the year, according to John Grimes, the chief executive of the Clean Energy Council.

“These solar farms can be built within a matter of weeks,” he said. “They’re really quick and simple.”

Together, the new large-scale projects could add between 2.5GW and 3.5GW to the national grid and rooftop installations could add another 1.3GW, according to the Smart Energy Council’s estimates. This would nearly double the nation’s solar energy capacity, currently 7GW, in a single year.

“The train tracks are about to converge,” Grimes said. “Rooftop installations and utilities are both booming and could turbo-boost the solar numbers overall.”

In Queensland, residential solar panels are already the state’s largest source of energy, producing more combined than the 1.7GW Gladstone power station. Just under a third (30%) of residential homes in the state have solar installed – the most in the country.

With the completion of the new solar farms, solar will provide 17% of the state’s energy. “We’ve turned the sunshine state into the solar state,” Queensland’s former energy minister Mark Bailey said in October.

In New South Wales, the planning minister, Anthony Roberts, said the 10

new solar farms would generate 1.2GW of energy and reduce carbon emissions by more than 2.5m tonnes – the equivalent of taking about 800,000 cars off the road.

How Tesla’s big battery is bringing Australia’s gas cartel to heel

 In January this year, NSW announced another plant – the 170MW Finley plant in the Riverina – as did Queensland, the 120MW solar farm at Munna Creek.

Grimes said the solar boom “was only going to grow” in future.

“Solar is the cheapest way to generate electricity in the world – full stop,” he said. “It’s not unusual for grid pricing to be north of 20c per kilowatt hour in a majority of jurisdicitions. A solar array, at an average size for an average home, if you amortise the cost over 20 years, the effective rate is 5c per kilowatt hour. That’s called an economic no-brainer.”

He said the rush to install rooftop panels could have been sparked by January’s warm weather and rising energy prices.

“I think people are acutely aware of energy prices. People are running air conditioning and thinking, ‘hooley dooley I’m going to get a bill’.”

2017 saw a record 1.25GW of solar power added to the grid nationally, counting both large-scale solar farms and rooftop panels. The predicted rate of rooftop panels alone in 2018 is expected to be 1.3GW.

February 11, 2018 Posted by Christina Macpherson | AUSTRALIA - NATIONAL, solar | Leave a comment

New South Wales Liberal Premier Berejiklian is approving a solar energy revolution

Solar ‘tsunami’ coming in Australia as NSW accelerates approvals http://www.smh.com.au/environment/climate-change/solar-tsunami-coming-in-australia-as-nsw-accelerates-approvals-20180207-p4yzl1.html, Peter Hannam, Cole Latimer

The Berejiklian government has approved 11 large-scale solar energy plants in the past 12 months, clearing the way for NSW to join a “tsunami” of new renewable energy capacity across the nation.

The 170-megawatt Finley Solar Project in the Riverina, which will include half a million solar panels, is the first to get approval in 2018.

The 10 to get the go-ahead in 2017 doubled the number in the previous year, and alone supported 1800 construction jobs, Planning Minister Anthony Roberts said.

Those 10 “collectively reduce carbon emissions by over 2.5 million tonnes, which is equivalent to taking around 800,000 cars off the road”, he said.

NSW had more renewable generation capacity under construction than any other state, Energy Minister Don Harwin said.

 “These projects will ensure our energy security and with many more in the pipeline, NSW is in a stronger position than other states,” he said.
Energy security remains a contentious issue in Australia, with the Turnbull government’s proposed National Energy Guarantee yet to secure sign-on by states and territories unsure about the fine detail.

John Grimes, chief executive of the Smart Energy Council, a group promoting solar energy and storage, described the acceleration of solar approvals in NSW as “fantastic”.  The Coalition-led state government was “one conservative group that’s not working against renewables, and that’s got to be good thing”, Mr Grimes said.

In 2017, large-scale and roof-top solar added about 1.3 gigawatts nationally, a record for the industry.

On current trends, roof-top panels could alone add 1.4 GW of new capacity this year, with solar farms soaring by 2.5-3.5 GW, the Smart Energy Council estimates.

Together the 2018 tally may come close to doubling existing capacity in a single year as firms rush to supply the Renewable Energy Target that has to be filled by 2020.

“We’re about to get this giant, enormous tsunami, and nobody knows about it,” Mr Grimes said. “Wind [energy] used to be big and solar was small – now solar’s big, and wind is small.”

Officials in various approval agencies are struggling to keep up with approvals as companies flood them with applications, he said.

“With some of the best sunshine anywhere in the world and lots of good locations available, it is not surprising that NSW is up there with Queensland as one of the national frontrunners for new large-scale solar power projects,” Kane Thornton, chief executive of the Clean Energy Council, said.

At present, Queensland is ahead of NSW in terms of projects with finance or under construction, although the two states have similar numbers of approved ventures.

Renewable energy projects to be built under the Renewable Energy Target in the next couple of years add up to more power than the original Snowy Hydro project, which took a quarter of a century to complete, Mr Thornton said.

Solar projects can typically be developed, approved and built faster than wind ventures.

“And with the cost of new solar power continuing to plunge, they can also be built for a very competitive price which is substantially lower than either new coal or new gas,” Mr Thornton said.

An example of other states’ development includes a plan by Tilt Renewables to spend almost $500 million to integrate two projects – a solar farm and battery venture, and a 300-megawatt, pumped hydro storage project in a disused quarry – with its wind farm interests in South Australia.

Tilt’s $90 million Snowtown North solar and storage project includes a 180,000-panel farm with 44-MW capacity and a 26 MW-hour battery. It is forecast to have an operational life of around 25 years and offset around 85,000 tonnes of CO2-equivalent.

“By combining wind energy – with typically an evening peak at this site – and solar energy with a daytime peak,  the two assets can combine to better match daily electricity demands,”  Tilt chief executive Deion Campbell said, adding that “with the battery reducing the effect of short-term variability from the two renewable generation technologies”.

One area where NSW is a relative laggard is the penetration of rooftop solar, with roughly half the 30 per cent rate of South Australia and Queensland. “There’s a lot of ground to make up,” Mr Grimes said.

Beyond the big solar farms, though, is a jump in demand from companies looking to install smaller systems – such as between 400 kilowatt to 10 MW capacity – without power purchase agreements to offset the output.

“They are doing it to offset their own electricity use” and to get price certainty, Mr Grimes said.

 

February 10, 2018 Posted by Christina Macpherson | New South Wales, solar | Leave a comment

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