A sod turning in late September at the Pinkenba Renewable Energy Training Facility (RETF) started up a $23 million boost for Queensland’s renewables workforce. These state-of-the-art training facilities will, according to state premier Annastacia Palaszczuk, help to prepare QLD’s workforce for the rise in renewable energy and hydrogen. The state’s renewables industry is already worth…
Vulnerable Australians, including pensioners and carers are being pressured into signing up for overpriced solar systems. Some are paying almost double the amount they should be. A salesman from a company called Grand Group visited Murrurundi resident Jon Russell at his home last year. Mr Russell is the full-time carer for his friend Lisa Smit,…
The company behind the world’s largest battery system says its facility could grow four times in size to keep pace with the storage market, which is growing alongside the amount of renewables in the California grid. Energy company Vistra announced that it had finished a 100MW expansion to the Moss Landing energy storage facility to…
How Does it All Work? The Australian federal governments offer the owners of rooftop solar systems an incentive that’s often referred to as a rebate. It’s not actually a rebate as you don’t have to apply for it; in fact, the incentive is the Small-scale Technology Certificates (STCs) which you can use against the initial…
In a world where fossil fuels have reigned supreme for centuries, the call for clean, renewable energy is growing ever louder. After decades of research and scientific pressure, the Coalition has recognised that Australia’s year-round solar irradiation offers an incredible opportunity for economic growth in what is arguably the most important sector of the modern…
Energy retailers are slashing the feed-in tariffs they pay to households for their solar-generated electricity. This move has not proved popular and in response many Australians are installing storage batteries to keep their excess power for themselves. One solar retailer said it had seen a rise of 223% in battery installations over the last 12…
Australia’s clean, green energy transition is steaming on ahead, it seems, according to the Climate and Energy College. On Thursday September 2, new records were set for the highest share of renewables coming into the National Energy Market (NEM), as well as for the lowest output for coal generators. Analyst Dylan McConnell from the University…
Australia’s rooftop solar systems are gathering such pace that they’ll meet up to 77% of the total grid demand at peak occasions by 2025. This will drive minimum operating demand down to levels that were unthinkable in the recent past. The Australian Energy Market Operator (AEMO) says that domestic and commercial rooftop solar is set…
One of the few industries not affected by covid-19 has been the solar sector, according to the Australian Energy Council (AEC). The AEC recently announced that rooftop solar has become the nation’s second-largest energy generator, with 14.7GW of capacity from almost 2.9 million installations. The AEC’s quarterly report, released last month, said that coal-fired energy…
Last year’s devastating bushfires injured, killed and displaced more than 60,000 koalas, but thanks to a new project from University of the Sunshine Coast, these loved animals could be much safer in future. Five cent-sized ear tags powered by the sun Koala ecologist Dr Romane Cristescu and her team developed the solar-powered ear tags after…