Australia’s exceptionally strong solar radiation – a hazard,but also a blessing?
Australia – where the Sun hits the hardest The Starlight Walker, Mathieu Isidro October 8, 2013 “…….Such strong solar radiation also means high ultraviolet radiation (UV is part of the electromagnetic spectrum, like visible light and infrared), which is really bad for your health. In fact, Australia has the highest level of skin cancer in the world.Some 2 out of 3 Australians will be diagnosed with skin cancer before the age of 70, and Australians are 4 times more likely to develop skin cancer than any other form of cancer. So, if you’re coming from abroad, cover up, wear sunglasses and hats and leave your 15+ sunscreen at home, as the minimum recommended here is 30+.
. Finally, the main point I’d like to raise is strong solar radiation also means extreme weather, and it’s getting worse (Read this page to better understand the complex links between solar radiation and greenhouse effect). Australia had a record drought for the better part of the last decade and regularly experiences terrible bushfires. A couple of years ago, Australia also experienced its worst summer. It was so bad that it became known as the Angry Summer. The Climate Council, at the time, produced this scary map summarising it:……..
Australia experiences what might be the world’s strongest solar radiation (and worsening), and it’s a terrible challenge for the country, putting it with other places, particularly in the Pacific and arctic regions, on the frontline of climate change. It has terrible consequences for our environment, for our health and so for our economy.
But it could also be a blessing. Australia could seize this opportunity and invest in a green revolution to harness the Sun’s power in our country, which would in the long term ensure energy independence, sustainability and cheap, permanent energy for the entire country. Surely that is worth thinking about. And like this document will show – published by the Climate Commission in August just before being axed -, there is hope. http://thestarlightwalker.wordpress.com/2013/10/08/australia-where-the-sun-hits-the-hardest/
Wine industry goes solar in a big way at De Bortoli
De Bortoli to launch Oz wine industry’s largest solar system REneweconomy, By Sophie Vorrath on 15 October 2013 De Bortoli winery near Griffith NSW will launch its new solar power and hot water system on Thursday this week, having completed installation of a 230kW PV generator and 200kW solar thermal preheater – both individually the largest installed of their kind at any Australian winery to date.
The two solar power installations at Bilbul Estate are expected to save the third-generation family wine company tens of thousands of dollars a year through offset electricity and gas consumption, and to reduce greenhouse gas emissions at the site by more than 314 tonnes of carbon dioxide a year……http://reneweconomy.com.au/2013/de-bortoli-to-launch-oz-wine-industrys-largest-solar-system-49988
SolarShare -Canberra’s exciting new community energy project
Sun rises on a communal solar farm City News, Stephen Easton October 9, 2013 AS plans move ahead to build four fields of solar panels in the ACT, one of them Australia’s largest, there’s another with a more egalitarian spirit not far behind.
Launched in May, SolarShare plans to build a solar farm that will operate as a co-operative, rather than a company, so its member-shareholders will contribute to the cost of building its photovoltaic arrays and receive returns from the power they generate for years to come.
“Since then we’ve received about 200 registrations of interest from people who are keen to invest in excess of $670,000 in a community-owned solar farm, so we’ve received a fairly strong indication there that people support this idea, which is really great,” says project leader Lawrence McIntosh.
McIntosh is a renewable energy consultant who plays a central role in The Canberra Clean Energy Connection, a local, non-profit group that supports the ACT Government’s vision of Canberra becoming “the solar capital of Australia”…….http://citynews.com.au/2013/sun-rises-on-a-communal-solar-farm/
Shadowing becoming a legal issue, in Melbourne’s solar rooftop boom
The Clean Energy Council said it was the perfect time for new laws to be introduced so new buildings did not hamper the energy efficiency of their neighbours.
Solar review casts shadow on high-rises http://www.theage.com.au/victoria/solar-review-casts-shadow-on-highrises-20131007-2v4bs.html October 8, 2013 Aisha Dow Developers may be prevented from building high-rises that block sunlight from hitting solar panels on buildings in central Melbourne, under new rules being considered by the state government.
The Department of Transport, Planning and Local Infrastructure is reviewing planning and building provisions that affect solar panel placement and overshadowing. A department spokesman said the review would decide whether there is need for reform, with any changes to be part of the new Metropolitan Planning Strategy.
The move comes as a new study shows Melbourne’s inner-city rooftops could host enough solar panels to power 10,000 houses.They found that even if only 20 per cent of roof space was covered by panels it would be enough to host the equivalent of 100 large solar parks.
Councillor and sustainable business expert Arron Wood said the figure would be much higher if they had also audited high-rise towers and business and apartment buildings in the central city. But concerns about the sun being blocked by new construction in the CBD led the council to limit its scoping study. Cr Wood said there needed to be stronger government policy on the shadowing of solar panels.
”It’s also another reason why we should stick to the mandatory building height limits, and that’s something we have considered,” he said.
Last year a proposal to build two double-storey houses in Kensington was rejected by the Victorian Civil and Administrative Tribunal after a neighbour complained the structure would partially eclipse his rooftop panels. VCAT called for clearer guidelines for determining acceptable levels of overshadowing. Continue reading
Forbes, New South Wales, – concentrated solar power project goes ahead
Australian Concentrating Solar Thermal Trial To Proceed http://www.energymatters.com.au/index.php?main_page=news_article&article_id=3954 24 Sept 13 The first Australian trial of concentrating solar thermal (CST) technology has been given the green light by Forbes Shire Council. ABC News states Vast Solar aim to have the demonstration 1.2MWth solar array with high temperature receivers and integrated thermal storage operating by March next year.
“This project will provide Vast Solar with data on system performance that will support the continued development and commercialisation of CST technology that can break the $100/MWh barrier,” says James Fisher, Principal Investigator and Chief Technology Officer of Vast Solar. Continue reading
Full shine ahead for the GoSun solar stove
Cook Dinner In 20 Minutes Using The Sun http://www.energymatters.com.au/index.php?main_page=news_article&article_id=3953 23 Sept 13 The classic Australian barby could look very different soon – a new Kickstarter project seeks to finance commercial release of the GoSun Stove. Claiming to cook a meal in as little as 20 minutes in moderate sunlight, the GoSun Stove offers an efficiency of 80 – 90%.
Now in its 30th iteration, what will be the go-to-market versions of the appliance use parabolic reflection, evacuation and the greenhouse effect to create what its makers say is “the most advanced solar cooking device to date”. Food is placed inside the evacuated tube, which acts as a thermos; continuing to provide heat should the sun be obscured by clouds.
The GoSun stove can reach temperatures up to 550°F (approximately 287 degrees Celsius) and unlike many other forms of solar cookers; once positioned, the GoSun doesn’t require continual adjusting.
While designed to some degree with developing nations in mind, the GoSun Stove will also be available in developed nations.
Among the societal and environmental benefits listed for the device is the tongue in cheek “No Child Left Inside – getting outdoors to stop Nature Deficiency Disorder”.
Backers pledging USD $79 will receive a GoSun Mini and a pledge of $179 will provide a full-scale GoSun Stove. The GoSun Mini is a featherweight at just 700 grams, but only provides a volume of 300ml for food – not exactly a huge capacity. It has a very small footprint when assembled – 32cm long x 15cm high and 20cm wide.
The full scale GoSun Stove weight 1.5kg, offers a 1.4kg food capacity and its dimensions when assembled and fully opened are 61cm long, 41cm high and 30cm wide. The makers have already far exceeded their funding target. While the goal was to raise $40,000; at the time of writing, $111,309 has been pledged.
South Australia’s renewable energy success, as its electricity prices fall
The Australian Energy Market Operator has predicted that the amount of rooftop solar could triple by 2020. Depending on how much wind energy is built between now and 2020 – and that will depend on whether the new government retains the current renewable energy target – the state’s renewable energy capacity is expected to soar well above 50 per cent by then.
South Australia’s perfect energy mix: Cleaner, greener, cheaper REneweconomy, By Giles Parkinson on 18 September 2013 Not only has South Australia achieved the highest level of wind energy and rooftop solar in the country, and has cut its emissions by a third in the last few years, its consumers have also had a windfall in generation costs: they are paying generators much less for their electricity than they did before the boom in wind farm and household solar began in 2009.
A study by energy analyst firm Pitt & Sherry finds that in 2012/13, the average South Australian paid generators $88 a year less for the electricity he or she consumed than they did in 2009-10.
And that is even after the introduction of a carbon price. If the impact of the carbon price is taken out, the average price paid per capita to generators in South Australia has fallen by $188 over the last four years – during which time the wind industry has grown from virtually nothing to more than 1,200MW, and rooftop solar has done the same (it is now 400MW). Continue reading
Community solar energy kicks off in a New South Wales pub at Boggabri
Boggabri pub leads the way in community solar “revolution”http://reneweconomy.com.au/2013/boggabri-pub-leads-the-way-in-community-solar-revolution-33313 By Emma Fitzpatrick on 16 September 2013 A new community-based solar investment company has completed its first community-funded solar installation – at a pub in the heart of a NSW coal-mining region – and says it is revolutionising small scale solar power generation in Australian communities.
ClearSky Solar Investment works off trust-based investor model, planning to link local investors with high quality solar projects. The company is one of many eyeing up to several hundred community solar projects around the country. The company has completed its first project, a 15kW system at the Royal Hotel in Boggabri, NSW. The project, which comprises 60 250W Trina solar panels and a 15Kw SMA inverter, and was completed on June 10. It had about 10 investors, an agreed investor term of 7 years, and a planned total term yield of 171 per cent.
Under the model, investors own the modules and sell the output of the system to a local consumer – usually the landowner. Each project has a maximum of 20 investors and a minimum investment of around $2500 or $5000, depending on the size of the project and the number of investors. Continue reading
Adelaide’s 100% solar powered bus – a world first!
The World’s First 100% Solar Powered Bus http://www.energymatters.com.au/index.php?main_page=news_article&article_id=3945 17 Sept 13, The world’s first solar powered bus is located in Adelaide, South Australia – which makes it especially heaps good*.
Tindo – the name of Adelaide City Council’s electric solar bus – is the first in the world to be recharged using 100% solar power. Continue reading
Solar Energy Companies continue to flock to Australia to take advantage of exposure to the sun
Solar energy reaches new milestone in Australia, hydrogen Fuel News 13 Sept 13“…………Report highlights contribution of solar power
The Australian Energy Market Operator has released a new report that aims to shed light on the contribution of solar energy systems to the National Electricity Market. According to the report, 1.6% of the National Electricity Market is comprised of solar power. The highest contributing state in the country is South Australia, where 3.7% of electricity production comes from rooftop solar systems installed at homes throughout the region.
Solar energy is expected to continue making strong progress in the country as more companies flock to Australia to take advantage of its constant exposure to solar radiation. Some of these companies have been working with the government to make solar energy more available to homeowners throughout the country. SunPower, a solar energy firm based in the U.S., recently came to the country to bring solar technology to homeowners. The company has partnered with Community First Credit Union to offset some of the financial aspects of solar energy adoption.
Wind energy also shows strong growth in the country While solar energy is making major progress in Australia, the country has shown strong support for other forms of clean power as well. Wind energy has also been experiencing some growth in recent years. The Australian Energy Market Operator recently released a report that wind energy accounts for approximately 27% of all electricity generated in South Australia. http://www.hydrogenfuelnews.com/solar-energy-reaches-new-milestone-australia/8513913/
Solar farm in ACT will be up and running in 2014, funding secured
Royalla Solar Farm Secures Cash http://www.energymatters.com.au/index.php?main_page=news_article&article_id=3923 4 Sept 13 The parties involved with the ACT’s Royalla Solar Farm have secured financial backing via ANZ and National Australia Bank.
The FRV Royalla Solar Farm will be constructed 23 kilometres south of Canberra’s centre. Approximately 83,000 solar panels at the facility will generate enough electricity to supply the power needs of around 4,500 homes.
Clean Energy Council Chief Executive David Green has congratulated the companies involved with securing the backing.
“The financial backing is obviously welcome news for both FRV (Fotowatio Renewable Ventures) and Acciona who are working together to deliver the project,” he said. “The ACT Government’s Solar Auction has been a game-changer in supporting this new form of renewable energy at the lowest cost to consumers.”
Construction of the plant is due to be completed in 2014. Continue reading
South Australia’s drop in electricity consumption partly due to solar panels
Solar Panels Reducing South Australia’s Electricity Consumption by Energy Matters, 2 Sept 13, Expected growth in energy consumption in South Australia over the next decade has been lowered; thanks in part to solar PV.
The 2013 South Australian Electricity Report (SAER), prepared by the Australian Energy Market Operator (AEMO), says the state’s annual energy consumption was 13,330 gigawatt hours (GWh) in 2012-13; down by 42 GWh compared to 2011-12.
Looking ahead, electricity consumption is forecast to decrease by 0.1% per year over the 10-year outlook period……. http://www.energymatters.com.au/index.php?main_page=news_article&article_id=3919
Australia’s clean solar energy revolution is well underway
It’s in everyone’s interest to generate as much renewable energy as possible – except existing power providers that rely on burning coal or gas
Money trail backs the clean energy revolution, SMH, Ben Cubby, Peter Hannam 31 Aug 13 Across Australia, thousands of rooftops have been turned into solar-power money generators. Here’s a bright idea: what if, instead of paying for solar panels to keep your electricity bills down, you asked a solar company to put them on your roof for free, then paid them back with excess energy that you didn’t need?
What we are seeing is a transition from high carbon to a low carbon system.
If that sounds fanciful, bear in mind that a decade ago there were just a few hundred working solar-powered home in the country, run mostly at significant personal expense by enthusiasts. By the end of last year, 936,810 solar systems were installed, and the number cruised past 1 million earlier this year.
Slowly but surely, renewable energy is eating into the business model of the fossil-fuel-burning energy generators. Those in the industry liken it to the effect the internet is having on publishing: disrupting revenue, overturning tradition and, literally, tilting the balance of power in favour of the customer, rather than big corporations. Continue reading
Australian Capital Territory’s two new large scale solar energy projects
More Solar Farms For The ACT http://www.energymatters.com.au/index.php?main_page=news_article&article_id=3896 Two new solar projects for the ACT combined with the 20 MW Royalla Solar Farm will generate enough power to supply 10,000 homes. 20 aug 13,
The two new projects are Zhenfa Solar’s 13-megawatt Mugga Lane Solar Park near the Mugga Lane Resource Management Centre, and Elementus’ 7-megawatt OneSun Capital Solar Farm in Coree.
Large-scale projects are chosen via the ACT’s auction process; which is operated under a tender-like process where companies compete for the right to a feed-in tariff and proposals are evaluated in terms of their overall value-for-money.
“The ACT Solar Auction is delivering large scale renewable energy at an affordable price,” said the Territory’s Minister for the Environment and Sustainable Development, Simon Corbell. Continue reading
Electricity retailers may be ripping off solar households
Solar Households May Be ‘Ripped Off’ By Electricity Retailers http://www.energymatters.com.au/index.php?main_page=news_article&article_id=3893 16 Aug 13, For solar households, it really pays to shop around for the best electricity retailer deals.
According to a new report commissioned by the Alternative Technology Association (ATA), there is potential for solar households to be ‘ripped off’ by electricity retailers as solar customers can be treated as second-class citizens.
The report, Retail Offers and Market Transparency for New Solar Customers, states depending on the region; the difference between the best and the worst offer may translate to between $150 to $300 per year.
It’s not just about feed in tariff rates says the ATA – other factors may have a more substantial financial impact on the overall economics of a household solar installation. “There’s been a lot of attention and publicity about feed-in tariffs for solar, but very little about retail consumption tariffs and other aspects of retail deals, including where retailers take away pay-on-time discounts when someone installs solar,” said Damien Moyse; the ATA’s energy projects and policy manager. Continue reading
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