News
Solar PV and wind on track to be global energy resources within two decades
With rapidly falling costs and rising resources, solar PV and wind power are on track to completely replace fossil fuels worldwide within two decades, although the time frame would depend mostly on politics. Solar PV and wind energy offer the only realistic chance of...
Researchers says Australia could run on renewable energy alone within 20 years
An analysis by researchers at the Australian National University (ANU) found that Australia has the capacity to store up to 1,000 times more renewable energy than it could ever need. An engineering professor at ANU Andrew Blakers carried out a study looking into...
Australian government funds a relocatable solar farm
Australian Renewable Energy Agency (ARENA) reportedly committed $2.1 million in support of the commercialization of a 1-megawatt relocatable solar farm that is being developed by SunSHIFT. But the government funding isn’t a donation – the Australian Financial Review...
Australian company at forefront in developing Blockchain technology
Bloomberg New Energy Finance named Perth-based company Power Ledger as a global leader in the development of “blockchain” technology. The Australian start-up was named as one of the leading companies to lead the development of the technology that has the potential to...
Archer partners with USNW in developing carbon-based battery technology
Australian advanced materials company, Archer, and University of South New Wales announced its Collaboration Agreement and Research Service Agreement. The partnership is geared towards developing and implementing Archer’s graphite and graphene materials for use in...
Acciona Energy to build solar farm near Gladstone
Global energy giant Acciona Energy has been chosen to convert 1,250 hectares of underutilized state-owned land at Aldoga into a solar energy project. The project is expected to produce hundreds of jobs and deliver long-term benefits to the community. Cameron Dick,...
Hotel complex gets a major solar funding from CEFC
A Melbourne hotel complex has become the Clean Energy Finance Corporation’s first solar investment in the hotel sector. The Southbank Holiday Inn Express is due for completion at the end of 2019 and CEFC is investing $39 million to install a solar power system plus...
Australian tenants are willing to pay premiums for rentals with solar energy
A new survey shows that most of the Australian tenants are willing to pay a premium for rental properties with solar energy in an effort to reduce power bills. According to the Origin Energy study, two-thirds of renters would pay at least $5 more per week for a...
Australia’s classrooms could soon be running on renewable energy
Classrooms in Australia could soon be entirely powered by renewable energy as a result of the innovative ‘Hivve’ modular classroom, now being trialed in two New South Wales schools. The Australian Renewable Energy Agency (ARENA) provided Hivve Technology Pty Ltd with...
Iron Duchess mine in South Australia could soon be a pumped hydro plant
ARENA (Australian Renewable Energy Agency) announced that they will be supporting a feasibility study to assess the potential to turn a mothballed mine in South Australia into a 90MW pumped hydro energy storage (PHES) plant. On behalf of the Australian Government, the...
New houses in California should now come with solar panels
Solar industry shares in the US are now skyrocketing after making it compulsory for new homes in California to have solar panels. According to Bloomberg, the move confirms that solar rooftop PV is no longer a niche market. It has become a mainstream energy source with...
EV uptake is slowly matching solar PV as seen on IEA graph
The path that electric vehicle penetration is currently on looks strikingly like the remarkable path solar has been charting – and perhaps not without reason. The latest snapshot of the global PV market – the Photovoltaic Power Systems Program (PVPS) – from the...
Australia’s largest renewables auction attracts 3,500MW of bids, as state warns on NEG
A large-scale renewable energy auction attracted roughly six times the capacity put to tender in the 650W scheme – Victoria’s first and Australia’s largest – the state energy minister has stated. Victorian Minister Lily D’Ambrosio stated in her address at the event...
The electricity industry is getting rewired by energy storage developments
Driven by declining prices and supportive government policies, the market for energy storage on the power grid is growing at a rapid clip. Based on a research about the operation and costs of electricity grids, especially the benefits of new technologies, energy...
Vanadium is the future of renewable energy storage
There’s an underrated metal that’s used in new batteries today that stores large amounts of energy almost indefinitely, and is perfect for solar power and wind farms. Vanadium is slowly becoming a crucial part of the renewables revolution. The best part is that there...
South Australia promises multi-million dollar grants for PHS
The future of pumped hydro energy storage just got a multi-million grant from the South Australian government. A feasibility study for pumped hydropower plants near Whyalla, Port Augusta, and Port Germein was promised with grants ranging from $500,000 to $4.7m. “The...
Mining Industry can cut energy cost by turning to solar power
A review by Energy and Mines claims that using solar power can offset the energy costs of mining. “Some mines in Australia operate in incredibly remote locations, and the cost of electricity is upwards of $300/MWh,” Australian Renewable Energy Agency (ARENA) CEO Ivor...
Victoria’s coal capital town turns into a clean energy hub
The location of Victoria’s State Coal Mine is now becoming a renewable center because of the construction of a 30 MW South Gippsland solar farm. The project was reported in the Bass Coast Post in April and now a video describing the project has gone live. During its...