Australia’s Largest PV Project Beings Panel Installation

By on April 30, 2012
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Construction at the Greenough River Solar Farm in Western Australia, the country’s largest solar photovoltaic power project has reached a major milestone with the intitiation of panel installation.

Western Australian Energy Minister, Peter Collier – who joined landholders, members of the Geraldton community and local contractors First Solar Inc, Verve Energy and GE Energy Financial Services to mark the commencement of installation – stated: “the demonstration of this proven technology in WA on a commercial scale should encourage the development of larger projects and reduce renewable energy costs in the medium to long term.”

Greenough River Solar Farm is a 10-megwatt solar farm located 50km south of Geraldton. Constuction on the project began in January 2012 and so far above-ground electrical work has been completed and structural supports have ben installed. The next part of the project is the installation of around 150,000 First Solar photovoltaic modules, with completion of the project estimated to be mid-2012. Construction on the site is expected to create almost 100 jobs.

“The Greenough River Solar Farm is providing valuable experience for Verve Energy in the development of solar energy in WA,” said Tony Narvaez, General Manager, Strategy & Business Development, Verve Energy. “This experience will be very useful when Verve Energy pursues its aim to develop other solar farm projects in the near future.”

 

 

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Solar Power Achieves Grid Parity In Australia

By on April 30, 2012
This entry is filed under Solar Power News.

Australia has become one of the first countries in the world to achieve “grid parity” for rooftop solar power.

Grid parity is the point at which generating electricity from alternative energy – such as solar pv panels – produces power at a levelised cost that’s equal, or less, to that of electricity purchased from the grid.

Dr Muriel Watt, from the Photovoltaic Association, stated that this means solar power is now competitive with coal, even without government rebates, “if you add what you need to bring the coal-fired electricity to where you want to use it.” Even with rebates and subsidies on the decline, this means that investing in solar power is still a financially beneficial move for Australian home owners.

Dr Watt has also predicted that with the growing solar market, the power of Australia’s sun and the strength of our dollar, the cost of solar production is likely to see further decreases in the coming years.

This news comes at a time when more and more Australians are discovering the advantages of installing rooftop solar panels on their homes. As well as taking advantage of the current incentives offered by the government to offset the initial costs, homeowners installing solar pv panels will not only see significantly lower electricity bills but can also find themselves in credit and will be protecting themselves from future power price increases.

 

 

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Port Augusta Is Ripe For Big Solar

By on April 26, 2012
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Port Augusta, South Australia, home to two aging, heavily pollutant coal-fired power stations that are doing heavy damage to the surrounding air are getting old. Too old. Industry experts state that they could be forced to close as early as 2015. Closing these power stations and making the move to renewable energy would slash Australia’s cabon emissions by 5 million tonnes a year in one stoke. Five million tonnes.

The emissions intensive Northern and Playford B currently provide around 40% of South Australia’s power. The closure of Playford B is due in July with Northern Power Station by 2015. The owner of Northern Power Station has recently confirmed that the station will only operate for six months of the year soon.

Beyond Zero Emissions – a non-profit think tank – has published a report that proves conditions are perfect to replace the two power plants with renewable energy. The region benefits from excellen

solar thermal plant

A solar thermal plant in Spain

t sunlight as wells as consistent, strong winds which make it ideal for a combination of solar thermal and wind power. BZE state that it will take six big solar plants – which use fields of mirrors to concentrate solar radation in a central tower, to replace 60% of Port Augusta’s coal plant cpacaity.The remaining 40% can be m

et with 95 wind turbines.

Such state of the art big solar plants are already in use across Europe and the Unitred States and are able to store excess energy for use during cloudy periods or overnight meaning that electricity can be dispatched as needed to homes, businesses and industry even when the sun isn’t shining. The advanced wind turbines each have a capacity of 7.5 megwatts and, too, are already being used across Europe.

Not only is replacing Port Augusta’s current power plants with renewable energy the environment-friendly option, it’s also the job-rich choice. Building both solar and wind power projects would create 1300 contruction jobs over six years and the addition of a big solar manufacturing capacity will add a further 225 ongoing jobs.

That being said, it’s not the only option on the cards; Port Augusta’s coal-fired plants could be replaced by gas-fired plants. Not only an environmental disaster but would only require 10 permnanent staff. A disaster for local employment levels.

BZE feel the arguments for big solar and wind in Port Augusta are stacking up but it needs federal and government support to happen: “This proposal outlines a pathway to energy security, power price stability, increased jobs, emissions reductions, and beneficial economic and health outcomes … It is a once in a generation opportunity that all South Australians, and all Australians, should support.”

Greens’ MP Mark Parnell says solar thermal is a better option than converting the power stations to gas-fired plants: “It will be a missed opportunity if all they do is replace one fossil fuel with another. Gas is still a fossil fuel, it still leads to carbon pollution.”

The future of both power stations and the decision of clean and renewable over gas-fired lies with their owner, Alinta Energy.

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Are Australians Overstimating Cost of Solar?

By on April 26, 2012
This entry is filed under Solar Power News and tagged , , , .

In the USA a recent survey has revealed that the vast majority of Americans overestimate the cost of installing solar power system.

The online Survey carried out by Harris INteravtive, polled 2,100 US adutls on behalf of US solar company Sunrun. Of those surveyed, 40% believed that the upfront costs of installing home solar power started at $20,000 and of those nearly 25% felt it would cost upwards of $40,000. A further 33% mistakenly estimated the cost at between $10,000 and $19,999.

The survey also revailed another important fact – that 78% of those homewoners that didn’t already have one, would install a rooftop solar array if cost wasn’t a factor, with 44% willing to make the switch to solar energy within the next 12 months.

While it’s true that this survey was carried out in America, is the same story the case in Australia? Are similar perceptions of the cost of solar preventing more Australians taking up solar energy when the fact is that in most urban areas, quality, entry level solar power systems currently only cost a few thouasand dollars and larger systems aren’t that much more expensive.

Given the degree to which home PV solar panels could payback the initial investment and keep putting money back in home owners’ pockets, the true cost of solar power to Australian homeowners is even lower – especially when you factor in the Solar Credits rebate. However, given that this is likely to be slashed by 33% soon, a rush to get solar systems installed by June 30th is well underway. If homeowners truly want to discover the low price of solar power, now is the time.

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Breakthrough in Solar Cell Efficiency

By on April 25, 2012
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With support from the Australian Solar Institure, University of Sydney’s Associate Professor Tim Schidt, along with Helmhotz Centre Berlin for Materials and Energy, has developed a “turbo for solar cells” that could mean low cost solar cells – suitable for rooftop panels – could reach a record-breaking 40% efficiency.

Photochemical upconversion allows energy, normally lost in solar cells, to be turned into electricity. The process, which harvests part of the solar spectrum currently unused by solar cells, eliminates the need for costly redevelopment of solar cells. Tim Schmidt said:
“We are able to boost efficiency by forcing two energy-poor red photons in the cell to join and make one energy-rich photon that can capture light, which is then turned into electricity. We now have a benchmark for the performance of an upconverting solar cell. We need to improve this several times, but the pathway is now clear.”

The question of how to capture more energy from photons – with the photons previously ‘wasted’ merely being turned into heat – has proved a hard one as the photo-electric cells that turn light into power respond only to a narrow range of wavelengths. Such a problem is even more acute with loweer cost, thin film cless as while they’re cheaper than bulk silicon crystal cells, they respond to an even narrower set of wavelengths.

Schimdt believes that the upconversion technique now discovered is relatively low cost. Current research work focused on developing new matreials and tuning device optics is costly because it deamnds that both devices and manufacturing are re-engineered. However, the upconverter approach yields an energy efficiency gain of two percent when used with a standard amorphous silicon solar cell and an unoptimised conversion unit.

The innefficient use of the solar spectrum by solar cells currently sets an upper limit of 33.7% to their efficiency – it’s known as the Shockley-Queisser limit. Schmidt believes that when using upconversion the theoretical limit for cell efficiency could now be as high as 43%.

However, at present solar cells have yet to reach the Shockley-Queisser limit, most commercial devices operate at around 22% efficiency (record breaking cells in labs operate at around 25%) but wihen adding just two percent to today’s commercial decvices means a considerable boost in efficiency that will no doubt make switching to solar power and the use of solar pv panels all the more tempting.

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Solar Panels for your…. iPad?

By on April 25, 2012
This entry is filed under Solar Power News and tagged , , , , , , , .

There’s no denying the advantages of solar energy. It’s the green, climate-friendly energy source that not only helps you save money on your energy bills but also helps the environment at the same time.

It’s also an energy source that’s been used in a wide array of functions outside of solar PV panels for your home – there’s solar powered speed signs, parking meters, pond pumps, lights… in fact, you name it and you can probably find an solar powered version of that item somewhere. For not only is solar power an innovative technology but it’s highly adaptable and now it’s merged with another innovated bit of kit – the iPad.

American firm Hammacher Schlemmer are now offering a solar-charing iPad case so that you can charge your iPad 2 or 3 on the go, providing up to 10 days of use without the need for a charge.

solar ipad charger

The case features a solar panel built into its protective housing that uses photovoltaic ink (which converts both indoor and outdoor light into electricity), and constantly charges your iPad and, in a nice twist, its usb port will also charge smartphones, mp3 players or any such device also connected.

 

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Pay As You Go Solar PV In Australia

By on April 20, 2012
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Sungevity Australia, a joint venture from Nickel Energy and California-based Sungevity, is a new zero-cost solar model that will be the first to offer pay-as-you-go leasing deals on PV Solar panels in Australia.

The new model will allow customers to buy large solar systems – up to 5kW or around $12000 – for no upfront cost but still receiving instant savings on their electricity costs. The Sungevity Australia is one of many such proposals being contemplated in a development that could well bring solar back in the game when it comes to battling the cheaper fossil-based fuels. It’s the company’s second overseas expansion – having already started operation in the Netherlands.

President and founder of Sungevity and a former Greenpeace Australia campaign manager, Danny Kennedy has stated that the product, due to be launched officially in May stated that:

“It’s a game changer for the idustry. The uptake of solar in the Australian market has been strong but will only get better as electricity bills rise. We think every home will go solar. It’s not just about sunlight, it’s about the economics of the electricity costs.”

Australia was particularly attractive for the project as not only are electricity costs rising rapidly but the country gets plenty of sun.

The company will fund the pilot phase of its new project through its own resources but will then be tapping private sources to provide a pool of finance. In a change to the model already available in the US, the Australian model will sell electricity producted from the rooftop panels to the householder on a power purchase agreement.

There will be two options for customers. The first is at lower cost to electricity from the utilities which will deliver savings of ten to fifteen percent immediately, and grow as utitlity cost rises. The other will be a fixed price, with a cost initially but with the potential to deliver greater savings uinto the future.

Head of Nickel Energy Nick Lake believes the project is “returning the market to the way it was. Instead of outlaying capital cost and providing their own electricity, householders will go back to buying electricity from a supplier, only this will be cheaper and cleaner. We think it will take the solar into new markets.”

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The CEFC Package From Australia’s Government

By on April 18, 2012
This entry is filed under Solar Power News.

The Australian Government has announced that, as part of its Clean Energy Future Package, it will establish a $10 billion, commercially oriented, Clean Energy Finance Corporation (CEFC).

The CEFC aims to overcome capital market barriers that may hinder the financing, commercialisation and deployment of renewable energy, energy efficiency and low emissions technology. Investing in firms and projects that utilise these technologies as well as manufacturing business that focus on producing the inputs required, the CEFC will not invest in carbon capture and storage technologies. Nor will the scheme be offering grants, it is intended to make a positive return on its investments.

Focusing on supporting larger-scale projects with the intention of making a positive return on its investments, projects that receive CEFC financing will also be required to obtain financing from the private sector.

Far from being intended as a competitor in the private scetor, the CEFC is intended to serve as a catalyst to private investment that is not currently available for clean energy technologies and, thereby, contribute to reducing carbon emissions and cleaner enrgy. All capital that is returned from investments will be retained for reinvestment by the CEFC, with the Board to determine the quantum of any dividends payable to the Australian Renewalbe Energy Agency.

 

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Electricity Prices Set To Soar In ACT

By on April 16, 2012
This entry is filed under Solar Power News and tagged , , , .

Canberra currently enjoys some of the lowers power prices in Australia. However, residents in Austrian Capiatal Territory are likely to receive a nasty shock with the cost of electricity in the region set to soar.

The Independent Competition and Regulatroy Commision (ICRC), in its draft review of costs to take effect from July 1 for the 2012-13 financial year, gave the nod to an electricity price increase of more than 17%, an additional $244 average increase on annual power bills. Such a rise is likely to push the region down in the electricity affordability rankings as the Territory had previously ranked as the cheapes of all jurisdictions in Australia and, globally, 21st out of 91 countries, states and provinces.

And, in keeping with recent proposals in New South Wales, the price increase is mainly due to the introduction of the carbon tax, network charges and delivery costs. However, while the increase may push ACT’s rankings in electricity affordability down, it is likely to push the deman for solar power upwatds. Indeed, the looming Solar Credits rebate cut and June 30th installation deadline, this may well prove to be the final motivator needed to encourage more homes to make the switch to solar power and avoid the rush that’s already showing signs of starting in the industry.

Solar provider Energy Matters have stated that a 2kW solar panel system installed on a home in Canberra could shave more than $620 off a household’s annual electricity bill – more than 3 times the predicted increase in electricity costs – and moving homes toward self-sufficiency and paying back the initial cost of solar pv panels sooner than many might think.

The future of solar power in ACT is one that’s looking brighter and brighter. The territory’s government’s large scale solar plan has received 49 seperate pre-qualification proposals according to an announcement from Simon Corbell, the ACT’s Minister for the Environment and Sustainable Development.

Mr Corbell stated: “This level of interest from the renewable energy industry is clear evidence that the ACT Labour Government’s plan to make Canberra Australia’s solar capital is working, and is completely achievable.”

 

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Australia’s Top Twenty Solar Postcodes

By on April 11, 2012
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New data from the Clean Energy Council has revealed the country’s Top 20 solar postodes with Dobbo (New South Wales) leading the way with 28% of houses having now installed solar power with Caloundra, Queensland, right behind it with more than 27% of homes no enjoying the benefits of solar power.

In fact, Queensland and South Australia dominated the Top 20 Solar postcodes in the official data sourced from the Office of the Renewable Energy Regulator, a statutory authority established by the Federal Government. The information is a good demonstration that while inner-city suburbs may have some of the lowest rates of solar installation, the regional areas, retirement belts and coastal regions have truly begun embracing Solar power.

Acting Chief Executive for the Clean Energy Council, Kane Thorton, sade that it’s those homes in areas most exposed to increasing power bills that are more likely to invest in solar panels – “with the price of panels now about a third what it was just three years ago, many people see solar power as a way to save on their energy bills as well as do something for the environment.”

Mr Thornton went on to say that “as well as being the sunshine state, the Queensland Government’s solar scheme is the most generous in the country, while homeowners in South Australia rushed to install solar power systems in 2011 before the government reduced its support program.”A total of seven Queensland postcodes appear in the Top 20, demonstrating just how popular solar panels are in QLD.

The Top 20 Solar Postcodes across Australia:

1.     2830     Dubbo, NSW                                                                             28.0% of houses with solar
2.     4511     Caloundra QLD                                                                         27.3%
3.     5211     Victor Harbor, McCracken, Hindmarsh Valley, SA      25.9%
4.     6208    Pinjarra, Oakley, Ravenswood, WA                                  24.7%
5.     5214     Currency Creek, Goolwa, Hindmarsh Island, SA        24.7%
6.     5173     Aldinga, Port Willunga, Silver Sands, SA                      24.1%
7.     4280     Jimboomba, North & South Maclean, QLD                  23.9%
8.     6069     Ellenbrook, Brigadoon, The Vines, WA                         23.8%
9.     5158     Hallett Cove, Sheidow Park, SA                                       23.6%
10.   4208     Ormeau, Jacobs Well, QLD                                                 23.2%
11.   4505     Burpengary, Burpengary East, QLD                                 22.2%
12.   4507     Bribie Island, QLD                                                                  21.7%
13.   2477     Alstonville, Rous, Meerschaum Vale, NSW                21.2%
14.   4165     Victoria Point, Redland Bay, Mt Cotton, QLD             21.0%
15.   4116    Calamvale, Drewvale, QLD                                                 21.0%
16.   5169    Seaford, Moana  SA                                                               20.7%
17.   5095    Mawson Lakes, Pooraka, SA                                               20.5%
18.   5251    Mount Barker, Bugle Ranges, SA                                      20.5%
19.   4133    Chambers Flat, Waterford, QLD                                        20.2%
20.   2486    Banora Point, Tweed Heads South, Bilambil, NSW  20.0%

 

 

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