Originally published on RenewEconomy A consortium of energy groups look to create “mini electricity” system relying on local renewable energy production and storage. The search has begun for a suitable town to become Australia’s first “zero net energy town” – where electricity is generated locally from renewable sources, and stored … [continued]
Originally published on RenewEconomy By Sophie Vorrath Plans to replace up to 70 per cent of the diesel-powered electricity generation on Australia’s Lord Howe Island with hybrid renewables generating capacity and storage have received financial backing from the Australian Renewable Energy Agency. The $11.6 million project, which commenced last week, … [continued]
First Solar announced on Monday that they had broken ground on the Nyngan Solar Project in New South Wales, the largest utility-scale project in the country, only six months after AGL Energy closed the finances for the project. The 250 hectare solar plant will consist of approximately 1,350,000 advanced thin-film photovoltaic … [continued]
Originally published on RenewEconomy The decline in demand and wholesale prices, and the rising influence of rooftop solar may be about to claim its biggest base-load victim to date in Australia, with talk that the 980MW Wallerawang coal fired power station in NSW could be closed in 2014. Some 3,000MW … [continued]
Originally published on RenewEconomy. NSW network operator Ausgrid is installing a 60kW battery storage system in the Sydney suburb of Newington to see how it can help manage summer peak demand events. The installation of the lithium-ion storage system is the biggest battery trial so far for Ausgrid, which operates … [continued]
Originally published on RenewEconomy. An Australian solar farm developer is poised to begin construction of a 2.5MW solar PV project that it says will be financed through an innovative unit-based investment structure, and will be the first utility-scale solar farm funded by small investors. Soleir this week opened the first … [continued]
Australian energy giant AGL have announced they are set to move forward with the largest solar power project in the southern hemisphere in tandem with First Solar. Together, the two companies will construct a 102MW solar plant at Nyngan and a 53MW solar project at Broken Hill Upon completion, the two … [continued]
This post first appeared on RenewEconomy The momentum for a big push into community solar projects appears to be gathering pace, with several different organisations planning public launches in the next month, and suggestions that several dozen projects could be built on NSW rooftops in coming years. Among plans revealed … [continued]
Increasing numbers of Australians are finding their desire to add to the amount of rooftop solar they have blocked by rules that were originally meant to help solar power expand. While nearly a million Australian households have benefited from these policies, increasing numbers of Australians are in the unfortunate situation … [continued]
The Australian Government has awarded energy provider AGL Energy and PV manufacturer First Solar a $130 million grant to help in a $450 million project to build one of the country’s largest solar installations, which will end up providing 159 megawatts at two locations in New South Wales. AGL … [continued]
