Clearing the land for a solar farm!
Never underestimate the power of an election to get our pollies moving on environmental issues folks. Thanks to opinion polls showing the Ruddslide bringing both major parties neck-and-neck in the latest “Most Important Election Since the War” even solar farm policy is on the move. Or so it seems. [Read more…]
Pretty dishy solar farm technology! Pic: Solar Systems P/L
Always great to bring our readers news of an Aussie breakthrough. However this week’s opening of Silex Systems’ massive CPV solar farm in Mildura, Victoria may prove to be more than just a cheery news item. Indeed it may offer a look at solar power’s future in the country.
CPV is of course Concentrating Photovoltaics. which in Mildura is getting solar cell efficiencies over 40%. No that was not a misprint. Forty Percent. Four Zero. Wowzers! Read that Wikipedia link to find out how they do it…
Here at SQHQ we’ve issued a number of rants (er discussion documents that is) on CPV and Mildura. These can be downloaded from the dank and dusty SQHQ archives shed here (second left past the outside dunny): [Read more…]
Stop The Press! Something positive out of Canberra!
The feverish activity in Canberra continues. Kevin Rudd (aka The Milky Bar Kid) is PM this week apparently. But we thought we’d pop down the road to the seat of the far more interesting ACT territory government for this week’s solar news. For it is here that Australian commercial solar history is being made. (See our previous rant on the development of this solar farm).
Overshadowed by the shenanigans of their Fed cousins, the ACT government recently passed legislation which will see the country’s largest commercial solar farm built at Royalla. The facility, just outside the nation’s capital, has been the subject of bitter debate but the ACT’s Minister for the Environment and Sustainable Development Simon “Solar” Corbell, in standing his ground against well-organised protests, pointed out the many benefits the farm will bring to the territory. [Read more…]
Is this what Sunwiz’s Solar Intelligence Officers look like?
Sometimes the mind boggles at the sheer scale of the solar energy revolution in Australia. A recent finding by SunWiz, the respected solar industry intelligence providers, has pointed to a potential massive increase in solar power generation in the country.
Putting aside the fact that “solar industry intelligence” brings to mind balaclava-clad, ASIO-style sleuths operating behind the lines on people’s rooftops collecting solar information, the findings are great news. According to the company’s report, the Australian PV market could crack a substantial 10 gigawatts — up from our current 2.5 GW — as early as 2017. [Read more…]
This solar thermal plant in spain reflects the sun on to a tower to generate steam and drive huge turbines to make enormous amounts of electricity.
Last week we took a look at the rare event of Resources Minister Martin Ferguson putting his hand in his pocket to support a solar power initiative. While the sight of old “Fossil Fuel” Ferguson supporting a renewable energy project after accusations of mismanagement and bias in favour of fossil fuel industries was immense, this week we’d like to concentrate on some of the technology behind the projects. [Read more…]
Tokelau is 100% Solar Woo-Hoo!
Solar energy in the Pacific took a giant leap forward this week when New Zealand-controlled territory Tokelau completed the switch from diesel to solar as its main fuel source. Tokelau is now nearly 100 percent reliant on the sun for its power needs and its model is showing the way for the rest of the world. [Read more…]
Can people power get one of these built in Port Augusta?
The Victorian solar industry and supporters are the latest to suffer what is becoming an event as predictable as Gerry Harvey whinging about online retailers at Christmas time. This was when Premier Ted “The Blade” Baillieu’s government announced a slashing of the state’s feed-in tariff from 25 cents per kilowatt hour down to 8 cents.
However despite being hammered left, right and centre by newly-installed conservative governments across the nation, solar energy in this country has always enjoyed massive support from ordinary folk.
So why don’t the pollies (like video refs) see the game the same as the punters? [Read more…]
Our Spanish hombres, FRV, are bringing a solar farm like this to Royalla in ACT.
If you thought our nation’s capital was best known for its dodgy laws, war memorials and pollies’ hot air, you’ll need to think again. This last week has seen the ACT Minister for the Environment and Sustainable Development, Simon Corbell, position the ACT as the country’s solar power capital.
How so? Did Mr Corbell move Canberra a little closer to the sun, Icarus-style? Well sort of, with the announcement this week that Spanish renewables firm Fotowatio Renewable Ventures (FRV) is to build a 20MW solar power facility, to be named Royalla, in the District of Tuggeranong. [Read more…]
Our neighbour Tokalau is going 100% solar!
As news arrives of solar energy’s gains into our neighbouring South Pacific nations, many movers and shakers in the Australian solar sector are calling on our country to take advantage of this excellent opportunity. Specifically many analysts are saying Australia should position itself as a regional power in solar energy, presumably churning out solar knowledge and PV technology to the Asia Pacific region.
Is that such a bad idea solar fans? [Read more…]
Juat add 1,000,000 solar panels!
Nice to report on a good news story in renewable energy. News this week from ABC Broken Hill of negotiations which will see up to a third of a 600 hectare station to the west of Broken Hill covered in around one million (count ‘em) photovoltaic (PV) solar panels by 2015.
Geoff Luke, the owner of the station, told the ABC the finalised project was the result of protracted negotiations with energy company AGL.
“It would be close to two years now that we’ve been chatting about it and finally it looks like it’s come to fruition,” he said.
The partnership with AGL has been made possible by the opportunities provided by the often much maligned (by solar narks) Federal Government’s Solar Flagships Program. Mr Luke confirmed that the project had been accepted into the Flagship’s program and was ready to er…sail. [Read more…]
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