We all know that silicon and tin are two of the major ingredients in many solar panels and while they’re useful and ever more efficient at converting sunlight into electricity, they’re not particularly appetising. It seems, however, according to researchers at the East China Normal University in Shanghai that a dash of spice makes solar…
DetailsEconomic Development Queensland (EDQ) has designated two under-construction housing developments in Greater Brisbane as 100% solar and storage communities. The Carseldine Village and Songbird Estate in Oxley, a Brisbane suburb 11km from the CBD, are under construction now and once completed, the developments will integrate bushland, elder-care facilities, childcare centres and sports areas. Reaching the…
DetailsHalcol Energy has recently been recognised by solar energy consultants Sunwiz as a Top 10 solar installer in Queensland. Sunwiz are one of the leading resources when it comes to solar energy in Australia, so this recognition is extremely well received. While we don’t do what we do for the pats on the back, it’s…
DetailsEconomic Development Queensland (EDQ) announced that it’s forged a landmark deal with electric car and clean energy giant Tesla to use its batteries in a huge sustainability community project. This initiative is aiming to establish Australia’s first government-backed 100% solar and battery-powered community. Oxley in Brisbane is the lucky suburb The site of this initiative…
DetailsWe recently took the opportunity to catch up with high school chaplain Stu and Mea Cran, the winners of our Solar System Giveaway in December. As part of our 10 year anniversary celebrations, we had asked for your nominations, looking for a deserving cause, person or charity. We had over 100 candidates put forward, but…
DetailsToday, we’re sitting down with Halcol Energy owner and director, Andy Colley. As we celebrate 10 years of Halcol Energy, we thought it was a great chance to talk to Andy about what’s changed in the last decade, what motivates him, and what we can expect from the next decade and beyond! Hi Andy, firstly,…
DetailsGerman solar battery maker sonnen says it’s expecting to grow in line with its core market over the next few years. The company, owned by Royal Dutch Shell, believes that its rapid growth over the last two or three years is due to consumers increasingly choosing renewables power over fossil fuel power. sonnen’s new chief…
DetailsWe recently completed a complex 100kW commercial solar installation at the new multi-level car park in Mooloolaba on the Sunshine Coast. The project was especially challenging due to the wind loadings, the frame and the number of panels that had to be installed. We used 224 solar panels – the latest 440w Canadian Solar Panels,…
DetailsBusiness accelerator and advisory company Energy Estate recently unveiled plans for what it calls a “campus-scale” renewable hydrogen energy plant in Queensland. This plant, says Energy Estate, will provide power for a college, a golf course and buses in the state. Energy Estate has partnered with Hills International College to develop and build the plant,…
DetailsStudents and staff in Queensland schools faced a scorching end to the term last year because their new aircon units can’t be turned on until the school electricity networks are upgraded. This news couldn’t have come at a worse time, as December saw the start of a long heatwave. The QLD government’s aircon programme falls…
DetailsLast November, Tasmanian energy minister Guy Barnett declared that the state had joined a select number of jurisdictions that can call themselves 100% renewable-powered. Barnett credited Tasmania’s various wind and hydro projects for driving the state’s transition to renewables. Taz has always been a bit green Tasmania has had a long track record of having…
DetailsSolar and wind power ousting fossil fuel power generation has done more to cut Australia’s greenhouse gas emissions than covid-19, according to a recent analysis by energy consultant Hugh Saddler. Renewable energy’s market share crossed the 25% mark – 26.5% – across the five states in the 12 months up to October 2020, which is…
DetailsQueensland is nicknamed “The Sunshine State” and it’s not an ironic moniker as the state has, on average, 7.38 hours of sunlight each day. This is compared to 6.38 hours in New South Wales and 5.41 hours in Victoria. In total, QLD gets just shy of 2,800 hours of sunlight each year, although not all…
DetailsThank you to everyone who nominated a great cause in October. We received over 100 nominations, which made the job of shortlisting some worthy causes very tough. We took into account a number of factors to narrow the list down. This giveaway has the potential to save the winner over $4000 per year in energy…
DetailsWe all know how solar panels can offer us huge potential when it comes to moving away from coal-powered electricity. It’s especially good news, then, that there’s a cheap and simple way to increase the light captured by solar cells by more than twice. A team of scientists from the UK, Brazil and Portugal have…
DetailsNews is coming out of China today that JA Solar’s Chairman and CEO, Jin Baofang has been detained by the supervisory commission of Pingdu City. The local commission said to be detaining Baofang is the provincial arm of the National Supervisory Commission. While details of Baofang’s situation haven’t been made public, the National Supervisory Commission…
DetailsA recent report by the Australian Conservation Foundation has found that if the rooftop space on the public buildings was used for solar arrays, it could help to power the state. This analysis found that by installing solar arrays on the roofs of public buildings in five local government areas, there could be enough energy…
DetailsCelebrating 10 Years of Sunshine Coast Solar The year 2020 may have been a rough year so far, but we’re not going to let that dampen our spirits. Halcol Energy is celebrating over 10 years of providing premium solar installations throughout Queensland, and we want you to join the party. Throughout October, Halcol Energy is giving away up…
Details23 – 25 October 2020 | Caboolture Showgrounds Are you a conscientious energy user, who is considering going “green” this year and making an investment in Solar Power? Come and visit us at Site U622. Solar systems help to reduce not only your carbon footprint, but also your electricity bills, giving you access to a…
DetailsA boarding school in North Queensland became the first institution of its type in Australia to install a Tesla Powerpack 1.5 solar storage battery on its premises. The system has been in place since 2017 and it’s proving to be a great investment. Cathedral College in Rockhampton decided to install the Powerpack in order to…
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