SunPower Corp. has completed construction of its 350kW solar power installation on the Crowne Plaza Hotel rooftop in Alice Springs, Australia, the largest roof-mounted solar power system on the continent. Invest North Pty Ltd. is the owner of the project.
BP Solar’s 50MW photovoltaic cell and module manufacturing plant in Sydney Olympic Park, Australia is to close at the end of March 2009, as the company focuses production at larger scale facilities in other parts of the world. Approximately 200 jobs will be affected by the closure, but BP Solar said it would continue to market and sell its solar systems in the country.
Spark Solar Australia, a solar cell manufacturer, has announced that it has completed its first round of funding for the development of a new, $70 million solar cell manufacturing facility in the Canberra region. The factory, which will produce approximately 19 million solar cells per annum, the majority of which will be exported to Germany, will also see the creation of close to 115 jobs for the region.
In Australia, the introduction of federal and state incentive programs has accelerated household adoption of energy storage systems, as homeowners seek to reduce electricity costs and strengthen energy independence.
