Australia's Minister for Climate Change, Greg Combet has revealed that the country's subsidies for households that install solar panels will end a year earlier than planned. The Solar Credits Scheme, originally implemented in 2008, which gives households up to five times more renewable energy credits for the electricity generated by their solar systems, will now end in mid-2014, with the credit 'multiplier' reduced every year until that date.
SunPower has completed a 505kW solar power installation for Horizon Power, the government-owned utility providing power to remote and regional communities and resource operations in Western Australia. The project, which marks the largest solar tracking system installation in the country, will power the world's first high penetration, hybrid solar-diesel power station.
The government of Western Australia has finalized the long-awaited feed-in tariff. Energy minister Peter Collier has announced State Budget funding of AUS$23million to introduce the residential net feed-in tariff scheme, providing a subsidy to householders with new and existing photovoltaic, wind and micro-hydro systems. The scheme, which will pay out over a period of 10 years, will open for applications from July 1, with payments to be made from August 1.
The Australian Federal Government announced its 2010/2011 budget on May 11, showing strong support for renewable energy. The Australian Greens leader, Bob Brown, announced a new AUS$652 million Renewable Energy Future Fund, which will be part of an expanded AUS$5.1 billion Clean Energy Initiative.
Suntech has supplied 240 solar panels for a 48kW rooftop installation on the Town Hall in Sydney, Australia. The installation marks the first use of Suntech's Pluto technology in the country.
South Australia has entered the renewable energy news twice this week, first announcing the opening of its largest PV systems in Adelaide Showground and later, the less positive warning published in Adelaide Now, from welfare groups that electricity prices for those in the area, could potentially double within five years.
In a sub-contracted OEM arrangement, China Sunergy is supplying NUE PTY Ltd, an Australian-based PV distributor with 10MW of mono-crystalline solar modules through early 2010. Shipments were said to have begun in June, 2009.
It has been an interesting month for Australia in terms of renewable energy policies, with the to-ing and fro-ing of whether the country's Carbon Pollution Reduction Scheme (CPRS) legislation will pass or not.
The Australian parliament's upper house Senate on Thursday postponed a debate on renewable energy laws until August at the earliest, delaying the government’s plans passing the laws by the end of June.
The International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA) will gain a new member in the form of Australia, increasing the body's influence as the Rudd Government plans to invest approximately AS$4.5 billion on renewable and clean energy initiatives. A key boost to solar has also been planned, which will see AS$1.6 billion spent on projects to generate 1GW and above of energy starting in 2010. The Rudd Government said it was committed to ensuring that 20% of Australia's electricity...
