This Week in Solar: Clean Energy Package, Solar Hydropower Plant

1. True or False? Solar Is Too Expensive

When you look at the facts, solar is not too expensive when you have the peace of mind that you are purchasing quality products.

2. CEC Calls For Clean Energy Stimulus Package

Australia’s Clean Energy Council is lobbying federal, state and territory governments to make renewables and energy storage a key part COVID-19 response packages.

3. Forget toilet paper, Australians are panic-buying PV

Byron Bay-based solar retailer Smart Energy says it is seeing an unprecedented surge in sales and enquiries for solar and home energy storage as consumers look to shore themselves up in uncertain times.

4. Brigalow turn-on: 35 MW solar farm beats the odds

Almost fritzed by the Queensland Palaszczuk Government’s solar installation rule change last May, then singed by bushfires in September, the 34.5 MW Brigalow Solar Farm at Yarranlea in still-connectible south-east Queensland last week began sending power to the grid.

5. 8 Reasons Why Right Now Is A Great Time To Go Solar

There’s a lot that really sucks financially-speaking at the moment, but there are some bright spots.

Like a term deposit, the best way to look at solar energy is as an investment rather than an expense the 6.6kW solar power system will provide savings of around $2,130 in the first year in Sydney – and those savings are tax-free.

6. Shining a light on solar

Australia’s solar panel industry enjoyed another record-breaking year in 2019, with updated data from the Clean Energy Regulator showing the country reached its biggest ever rooftop capacity for grid-connected solar photovoltaic – 2.02 gigawatts.

7. ANU achieves record sunlight to energy conversion

Researchers at the Australian National University (ANU), in Canberra, have set a new record for the conversion of sunlight into energy.

The researchers have set a new efficiency record of 27.7 per cent for mechanically-stacked perovskite-silicon tandem cells – meaning 27.7 per cent of sunlight is converted into energy. Typical rooftop solar installed at the moment has an efficiency of approximately 20 per cent.

8. Australia to build a world-first solar hydropower plant

The Australian Renewable Agency (ARENA) has announced $3 million in funding to RayGen Resources Pty Ltd (RayGen) to conduct a technical and commercial feasibility study for a 4MW ‘solar hydro’ power plant to be built in north-western Victoria.

9. REC Group’s innovative Alpha 72 set for production

The REC Group has announced the start of production of its novel 72-cell solar module, the Alpha 72. REC testing figures say the module can reach 450Wp with an efficiency of 21.3%, these are high-powered figures and REC looks to capitalise on the convergence of quality and performance with a production start date in May 2020.