Search Results for: canberra

ACT Feed in Tariff lives again!

March 3, 2014 2017-10-25T10:06:18 by 2 Comments
Canberra sign

ACT does it again!

So you think Canberra is just a source of hot air when it comes to renewable energy initiatives? Believe far reaching projects like viable community solar power just a dream in the nation’s capital? Do you expect little, or nothing, with Greg “The Human Backflip” Hunt in charge of proceedings?

Think again readers for Canberra has just announced a truly progressive ACT Feed In Tariff policy that will allow more residents access to community solar power, even those without solar panels. [Read more…]

Filed Under: Solar Policy Tagged With: , ,

Has the start of construction of utility scale solar at Nyngan proved ARENA’s worth?

February 3, 2014 2017-10-25T10:07:22 by 7 Comments
utility scale solar

Coming soon to a field in Nyngan.

The start of construction of Australia’s largest utility scale solar project has demonstrated that the country is serious about large-scale solar. However it throws up an uncomfortable truth in the halls of power in Canberra and the cabinet rooms of their state counterparts.

News that construction had started on the country’s largest utility scale solar power project at Nyngan, in country NSW was a breakthrough not just for the local community, but for the country’s solar power sector. The US-based First Solar, which is one of the world’s leaders in supplying thin film solar panels, began the building of the mammoth (for Australia) solar power plant in January. [Read more…]

Filed Under: Big Solar Tagged With: , ,

Will solar power in Australia take its cue from overseas in 2014?

December 16, 2013 2017-10-25T10:09:07 by 2 Comments
us flag on a solar panel

Solar installation growth in the US is picking up. In Australia it is slowing. Is Australia destined to always play catch up with our more powerful friends?

A US-centred news article that made your correspondent sit up and take notice this week in the SQHQ bunker came via the excellent RenewableEnergyWorld. The piece summarised a recent report from by GTM Research and the Solar Energy Industries Association (SEIA) in the US, that reported massive growth in solar energy in the country.

The study found 930 megawatts (MW) of photovoltaics (PV) installed in Q3 2013, which was an increase of 20 percent over Q2 2013 and a huge 35 percent over Q3 2012.

The report discussed the takeup of photovoltaics increasing to an extent that puts the US ahead of Germany in PV rankings for the first time. According to the article, the United States has now assumed world leadership in photovoltaics along with China, Japan and Germany. [Read more…]

Filed Under: Solar Policy

Bushfires in Australia: who’s going to talk about the elephant in the room?

October 21, 2013 2017-10-25T10:10:57 by 12 Comments
bushfire

Photo Credit: flickr user bertknot

A worrying time for your correspondent this week readers as bushfires, which have claimed well over a hundred properties continue to rage in my region of the Blue Mountains, west of Sydney.

While my town is safe for now, bushfires rage further up the Mountains and down in the Lower Mountains where over the bulk of property loss has occurred. This is not to ignore other bushfires in Australia occurring in other tinder-dry regions where unseasonably hot conditions and lack of decent rain is a major problem.

Now is not the time to pontificate as the emergency situation is still very real according to the Rural Fire Service however when the time comes for sitting down and evaluating the loss, will the subject of a changing climate be included? Controversy rages higher than any bushfire on this subject with many people saying that the jury is still out on the human cause of climate change. This is not to dismiss their point of view. [Read more…]

Filed Under: Solar Policy Tagged With: ,

Revealed: The Top (and Bottom) Rated Solar Companies across Australia

September 2, 2013 2023-07-05T17:13:50 by 120 Comments
Customer ratings from over 11,000 reviews revealed!

Customer ratings from over 11,000 reviews revealed!

Since I started this humble website back in 2009 (when solar panels cost $1000 each!), over 11,000 solar powered Aussies have kindly left reviews of their solar installation experience online for all to see.

At the time of writing SolarQuotes.com.au has 11,341 reviews of 875 different solar companies online.

So I thought it was about time we had some fun, and do some analysis to discover the top-rated solar companies (as rated by their customers).

 

[Read more…]

Filed Under: Solar Installation Tagged With:

Can Solar and Mining be Best Of Frenemies?

August 26, 2013 2017-10-25T10:12:34 by 2 Comments
A happy compromise or supping with the devil?

A happy compromise or supping with the devil?

Whenever we hear of the future of the battle for the future of Australian energy, the picture we get in our press and from Canberra and the state capitals is one of conflict. One of subsidies for renewables such as solar power systems — whether utility scale solar or domestic PV — versus continued monetary support for fossil fuel-powered industries such as mining.

But is there a middle path readers? One that sees a future for sectors such as mining to use solar power systems to help offset rising energy costs? An absorbing article in Australian Mining this week appears to point in this direction. [Read more…]

Filed Under: Solar Installation Tagged With:

Solar policy being forced by people power?

July 31, 2013 2017-10-25T10:13:16 by 8 Comments
people cheering for solar

I’ll tell you what we want, what we really, really want. Solar!

As solar policy gets pushed around from pillar to post in Canberra and the state capitals, it’s good to know the real decision makers — the Australian people — support the concept in a big way.

This week saw the release of a CSIRO study — funded by the Australian Solar Institute for the Australian Photovoltaic Association — which indicated huge support from Aussies for domestic solar electricity despite almost nationwide cuts to feed-in tariff incentives for rooftop solar. [Read more…]

Filed Under: Solar Policy

Australia’s capital leads country in commercial solar

July 8, 2013 2018-03-23T15:27:46 by Leave a Comment
Canberra sign

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…]

Filed Under: Big Solar Tagged With: , ,

Solar Farms Are A Good Investment – And That’s Official!

June 3, 2013 2023-01-31T11:37:48 by 8 Comments

 

a banker by a solar farm

Aussie bankers are finally investing in solar farms!

It can get a bit tiring sitting here at SQHQ listening to the solar narks peddling the age old line that “solar is completely uneconomic and will destroy our precious mining economy”.

Luckily a solar milestone flashed by our radar last week which drives yet another nail into the argument put forward by those who think that open cast mining is the true path to a 21st century economy. [Read more…]

Filed Under: Economics Of Solar Tagged With: , ,

Retro solar tax: it couldn’t happen here…could it?

April 22, 2013 2017-10-25T10:16:18 by 2 Comments

 

a tax sign and 2 solar panels

Belgians living in Flanders are now taxed for owning solar power!

Know how you wake up in a cold sweat after a particularly bad nightmare readers? And I mean really bad dream (no not the one about NSW premier big, bad Barry “Bumper” O’Farrell and the three feed-in tariffs — that’s another story). Sitting bolt upright as your eyes slam awake you look around and calm yourself by saying “Thank [insert deity], it was all a dream”. Well your correspondent had the same visceral reaction when a particularly piece of nasty news reached his inbox this week.

Though, regrettably, the “it was only a dream” part may be questionable. [Read more…]

Filed Under: Solar Policy Tagged With:
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