Australia’s states are forging ahead with ambitious emissions reductions … imagine if they worked together
The states are leading the country in their clean energy ambitions. Is there a way their collective clout can be leveraged to replace Commonwealth intransigence?
Hydrogen handouts … ARENA tips $103m into 30MW of electrolyser projects
The government is a majority investor in three facilities that hope to use green hydrogen to make ammonia and augment natural gas.
Paying Australia’s coal-fired power stations to stay open longer is bad for consumers and the planet
If coal-fired power stations are protected from competition, it will deter investment in cleaner alternatives.
Resist the pressure: compliance is an installer’s responsibility
Ensuring that an installation is compliant with standards is the installer’s responsibility, regardless of pressure from designers or retailers, writes Nathan Smith.
Global offshore wind investment to top $US810bn by 2030
Offshore wind is expected to be steadily added to grids around the world for the next nine years, a report from Rystad Energy shows.
‘We can’t kick these challenges any further down the road’: ESB’s shortlist for Australia’s essential transition to renewables
The Energy Security Board has released its wish list for the electricity grid it says Australia deserves to replace the 23GW of coal plant that is heading for an inevitable retirement.
This $1 billion energy deal promises to cut emissions and secure jobs. So why on earth is gas included?
A deal between Canberra and South Australia that would allow more renewables into the NEM would also open the floodgates for gas.
Countdown for industry as demand response rule change looms
An AEMO rule change that allows energy users to act independently from retailers in offering demand response is an important step towards a two-sided market, a Spark Club event heard.
Keep your cool … Exergenics searches for $40m in supermarket savings
A Melbourne energy efficiency software company is attracting international recognition while slowly proving the possibilities of its service to larger and larger Australian clients.
AEMC calls for two-second FCAS market in preparation for greener, more volatile energy mix
The Australian Energy Market Commission is preparing the way for changes needed in a market where system frequency will have fewer stable generators to rely on.
Action on climate change starts with a plan for net-zero emissions: CEC
Australia must make a firm commitment to decarbonise its energy system to get in line with the ambitions of major global economies.
No guarantee of hydrogen profits in South Australia
A proposed hydrogen facility in South Australia would be good for the energy market but a questionable investment, without substantial government support.
ACT calls for 250MW of battery storage
The powerful little territory that hosts the nation’s capital knows that storage is an essential ingredient if it is to reach its target of 100% renewables.
Rising costs reverse falling price trend for PV modules: Rystad
The falling cost of solar module technology has been arrested by rising costs for materials and shipping.
‘Batteries beat gas peakers’: CEC report
Batteries are cheaper and more efficient than gas peakers at supplying bursts of energy during peak demand days, research from the CEC says.
ARENA backs C&I battery option powered by second-hand EV powerpacks
An Australian company is working on a production line of 120kWh batteries suitable for commercial and industrial applications.
The power police … community storage comes to calm the market
Behind-the-meter storage might be an efficient way to make the most of a household PV system but far larger batteries are needed at network scale if room is to be made for more solar. The age of community batteries has begun, writes Jeremy Chunn.
Study to assess role of rooftop PV and batteries in times of catastrophe
How useful can Australia’s vast army of distributed energy resources be when the grid suffers a shock? A new study aims to find out.
Time to get tricky … WA solar installer journeys to the fringe and back again
Jase Pearson of Green Earth Electrical says there are still plenty of ways solar and storage can help people in his corner of Western Australia save money.
Solar exports solutions on tap … sell it to your staff or trade it for beer
As the problem of exported solar gets mainstream attention, solutions will become ever more inventive.
CEC clean energy report profiles a year of determined growth
Looking back on 2020, the Clean Energy Council describes an industry that refused to let a global pandemic stand in its way.
Digging for solar in a coal mine … can underground pumped hydro fill the gap?
As energy storage is demanded on a vast scale, the possibilities of converting mines into pumped-hydro batteries are being investigated.
The perils of potential induced degradation
As rooftop PV systems age, installers need to understand how system performance can be affected by potential induced degradation, writes Michelle McCann.
PV-thermal … a cool approach that can boost solar efficiency
The efficiency of a PV-thermal system is dependent on the temperature of the heating application, but the technology is often overlooked.
