Solar Power

Rooftop solar is continuing to boom in Australia with the 2018 installation rate soaring above 2017’s record rate. Thanks to improved technology and larger rooftop installs, the total kilowatt capacity of rooftop solar is 56% above last year’s, and the number of systems installed has increased 32 per cent on the same period last year. … Continue reading Solar citizens lead the energy revolution →

The Australian Renewable Energy Agency (ARENA) today announced an Australian-first trial of drinking water systems that produce clean drinking water drawn directly from the air using solar power. On behalf of the Australian Government, ARENA will provide $420,000 in funding to US-based Zero Mass Water to deploy 150 of its solar-powered SOURCE drinking water systems … Continue reading How to get clean drinking water using solar power →

Resources NL is pleased to announce the execution of a binding Heads of Agreement (HOA) with Sunrise Energy Group for the supply and construction of a Mega Watt Alternating Current (MWAC) solar farm to be built next to the company’s high-grade, zircon-rich Boonanarring mineral sands project located 80km north of Perth, which is currently under … Continue reading HOA agreement signed between Resources NL and Sunrise Energy →

Pop-up mobile solar PV could soon replace diesel generators as temporary power supply for military operations, disaster relief efforts and music festivals, thanks to an Australian-made innovation. The Australian Renewable Energy Agency (ARENA) has announced $289,725 in funding for Canberra-based ECLIPS Engineering to design, manufacture and test its rapidly redeployable Container Roll Out Solar System … Continue reading Portable solar system could replace generators →

MinterEllison has advised Victoria’s Department of Environment, Land, Water and Planning (DELWP) on its Energy Storing Initiative (ESI) – a funding program that will deliver two large-scale battery storage projects for grid constrained areas in Western Victoria. The projects have the objectives of improving the performance and reliability capability of Victoria’s energy infrastructure, and enabling … Continue reading Two battery storage projects for Western Victoria →

The latest Renewable Energy Index (REI) compiled by Green Energy Markets and funded by GetUp, shows that 16,042 rooftop systems were installed over January — supporting 5,337 full-time jobs. The news keeps getting better with another 5,456 jobs set to be created by large scale solar farms which are currently under construction, which will also … Continue reading Solar employs over 10,000 Australians →

The first ground-mounted solar plant using shingled-cell modules, also known as the Zhaiheyuan Project, was successfully connected to the grid in Jiyuan, Henan Province in China. At 5MW, the Zhaiheyuan Project is also the biggest solar project using innovative shingled-cell modules, which are all made by Jiangsu Seraphim Solar System. Developed by Henan Nuanhuang Photovoltaic, … Continue reading China’s first 5MW PV power plant with shingled-cell modules →

SolarReserve, a developer of large-scale solar power projects and solar thermal technology, has opened two new offices in South Australia – its Australian headquarters in Adelaide and a field office in Port Augusta. With Australia identified as a priority market for the global organisation, SolarReserve’s Adelaide team will focus on delivering the Aurora Solar Energy … Continue reading SolarReserve opens Oz headquarters in SA →

UNSW Sydney has announced a tripartite arrangement with contract partners Maoneng Australia (Maoneng) and Origin Energy (Origin) for an offsite Solar PV Corporate Power Purchase Agreement (Solar PPA). The 15-year solar supply agreement with Maoneng is the first of its kind in Australia – bringing together a retailer, developer and corporate – and will allow … Continue reading UNSW signs worldwide solar energy agreement →

SolarReserve’s 150MW solar thermal power plant has been granted development approval by the South Australian Government, paving the way for construction to begin this year. The Aurora Solar Energy Project ocated in Port Augusta, about 300km north of the South Australian capital Adelaide, will incorporate eight hours of storage or 1100 megawatts-hours, allowing it to … Continue reading SolarReserve granted approval for 150MW solar thermal project →

The University of New South Wales (UNSW) is mourning the passing of Professor Stuart Wenham, director of the Photovoltaics Centre of Excellence, and a pioneering researcher and inventor of solar cell technologies. Wenham passed away peacefully on the morning of Saturday 23 December with family and close friends by his side. He died from malignant … Continue reading Pioneering solar engineer Stuart Wenham passes away →

The Australian Solar Council and Energy Storage Council have welcomed the Queensland Government’s commitment to at least 1,000 MW of new renewable energy projects. “Today’s announcement is great news for Queensland’s economy and environment and tremendous news for Queensland workers,” said John Grimes, Chief Executive of the Australian Solar Council and Energy Storage Council. “This … Continue reading Smart, clean, renewable future for Queensland →

Solar-PV specialist Sterling and Wilson has announced its expansion into the Australia market. The company plans to construct 500 MW in the coming three years. These projects would attract an investment of AUD$600 million. The target is expected to reduce carbon emissions by approximately 750,000 tons annually. This would generate an employment for more than … Continue reading $600 million investment in solar for Australia →

The Australian Renewable Energy Agency (ARENA) today announced $18 million in funding for the $160 million Kennedy Park wind, solar and battery project, based in North Queensland. The 60.5 megawatt (MW) project will consist of 43.2 MW of wind, 15 MW of solar PV, a 2 MW lithium ion battery and a synchronous condenser. On … Continue reading Funding for solar project in Queensland →

Car parts manufacturer Precision Components has partnered with the University of South Australia (UniSA) to launch a next generation solar power technology facility in Adelaide. The 25-heliostat field in Edinburgh Parks will support the development of renewable power both domestically and overseas, as well as the design for remote WiFi-controlled heliostat. The project was aided … Continue reading Car manufacturer launches Adelaide solar plant →

Dubai Electricty and Water Authority (DEWA) has awarded the contract to the 700MW AED14.2 billion fourth phase of the Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Solar Park to a Saudi Arabian and Chinese consortium. This is the largest single-site Concentrated Solar Power (CSP) project in the world, based on the Independent Power Producer (IPP) model. The … Continue reading DEWA awards AED14.2 billion CSP project →

A father and son Australian company has developed a new process to create a lightweight, solar-powered drone, which they hope will be able to fly almost indefinitely during daylight hours. Praxis Aeronautics has worked out a new way to encapsulate standard solar cells in composite material without losing efficiency, thus solving one of the key … Continue reading SA designers crack secrets of the solar drone →

Brisbane-based First Solar has announced it has been awarded a 241 megawatt (MW)DC module supply contract by RCR Tomlinson as engineering, procurement and construction contractor for Edify Energy’s Daydream (180.7MWDc) and Hayman (60.2MWDC) solar projects in Queensland, Australia. This contract takes First Solar’s delivery pipeline to over 500MW in the next 12 months. Located across … Continue reading First Solar wins contract for Edify Energy’s Daydream project →

A combined solar and methane power plant in South Australia is set to begin operating within days. In what’s believed to be an Australian first, the plant will channel thermal energy from solar panels and methane gas from decomposed garbage through a shared turbine inter-connector. A generator will then convert the two sources of energy … Continue reading Combined solar and methane energy plant set to open →

The Lyon Group is developing one of the world’s most advanced combined solar and battery storage plant in South Australia’s mining heartland. Known as the Kingfisher Project, the initiative will feature a solar PV plant and a battery storage facility that uses sophisticated system management processes and is connected to a grid with operational mining … Continue reading Lyon Group extends solar coverage to mining heartland →