Posts By Staff Writer On SolarQuotes

Does Mildura CPV solar farm offer a glimpse of the future?

July 22, 2013 2017-10-25T10:13:27 by 5 Comments

 

cpv dishes

Pretty dishy solar farm technology! Pic: Solar Systems P/L

Always great to bring our readers news of an Aussie breakthrough. However this week’s opening of Silex Systems’ massive CPV solar farm in Mildura, Victoria may prove to be more than just a cheery news item. Indeed it may offer a look at solar power’s future in the country.

CPV is of course Concentrating Photovoltaics. which in Mildura is getting solar cell efficiencies over 40%. No that was not a misprint. Forty Percent. Four Zero. Wowzers! Read that Wikipedia link to find out how they do it…

Here at SQHQ we’ve issued a number of rants (er discussion documents that is) on CPV and Mildura. These can be downloaded from the dank and dusty SQHQ archives shed here (second left past the outside dunny): [Read more…]

Filed Under: Big Solar Tagged With: , , , ,

Is solar advocacy about to enter a brand new phase?

July 18, 2013 2017-10-25T10:13:40 by 1 Comment

 

i love solar t-shirt

You’ll never believe who is embracing solar…

This week we take a detour from our usual rants to look at an interesting emerging overseas trend. The changing face of solar advocacy.

Australia tends to follow most trends that start in the United States — some would say slavishly — so this recent article in the superb Grist magazine made me think that the very way solar is positioned may indeed be changing. Support for solar power has long moved from the fringes to being accepted by the mainstream.

But solar advocacy is now being embraced by ultra conservatives as a symbol of free enterprise!

Let me explain. [Read more…]

Filed Under: Economics Of Solar Tagged With: , , ,

Australia’s capital leads country in commercial solar

July 8, 2013 2018-03-23T15:27:46 by Leave a Comment
Canberra sign

Stop The Press! Something positive out of Canberra!

The feverish activity in Canberra continues. Kevin Rudd (aka The Milky Bar Kid) is PM this week apparently. But we thought we’d pop down the road to the seat of the far more interesting ACT territory government for this week’s solar news. For it is here that Australian commercial solar history is being made. (See our previous rant on the development of this solar farm).

Overshadowed by the shenanigans of their Fed cousins, the ACT government recently passed legislation which will see the country’s largest commercial solar farm built at Royalla. The facility, just outside the nation’s capital, has been the subject of bitter debate but the ACT’s Minister for the Environment and Sustainable Development Simon “Solar” Corbell, in standing his ground against well-organised protests, pointed out the many benefits the farm will bring to the territory. [Read more…]

Filed Under: Big Solar Tagged With: , ,

What does the Rudd return mean for solar power?

July 1, 2013 2017-10-25T10:14:08 by Leave a Comment

The big news in Australian politics during the week was of course the return of the Queensland kid, aka The Ruddster, The Nerdy One etc. The Machiavellian machinations of the Australian Labor Party which allowed the regurgitation of Kevin Rudd has done wonders to kick start a moribund election campaign, but what effect will this have on the party’s solar power policy?

At the time of writing Heavy Kevvy had just announced his new front bench. [Read more…]

Filed Under: Solar Policy Tagged With: ,

Can Solar Trade Wars Save The West’s Solar Manufacturing Industry?

June 24, 2013 2017-10-25T10:14:21 by Leave a Comment

 

EU fighting China

Solar trade wars, what are they good for? Absolutely nuthin! Say it again! Uh! (RIP Edwin Starr)

While the ongoing dispute (AKA solar trade war) between Europe and China continues apace, an article caught your correspondent’s eye this week (and was posted in our popular Facebook Page if you’d like to comment). Perhaps the most interesting part of the article is what it hints at: the inevitable change in focus of solar power production from the West to the East.

Business Spectator covered the demise of the Israeli company Solel, which was written off by owner German industrial giant Siemens when no sellers (mugs?) could be found to take the company off Siemen’s hands. Incredibly (or maybe not so given the Chinese solar panel charge on world markets) the solar company has incurred debts of around US$1.4 billion since its acquisition by Siemens in 2009, according to the article.

[Read more…]

Filed Under: Economics Of Solar Tagged With: ,

Is community solar a way forward for the Australian solar industry?

June 17, 2013 2024-07-03T11:18:12 by 2 Comments
community owned solar system

Why not pitch in and buy a community solar system with your mates?

While our recent articles on big Aussie banks and respected mining services companies picking up the solar baton have been a huge encouragement for solar fans, news has been not as good lately in what passes for government (and alternative government) policy. Should we therefore be thinking of the burgeoning grass roots community solar movement as another way forward to the Promised Land of a renewable energy Australia?

[Read more…]

Filed Under: Solar Policy Tagged With: ,

Is Commercial Solar Worth It? Ask This Mining Company…

June 11, 2013 2017-10-25T10:14:48 by Leave a Comment

 

a commercial solar system on a roof

Companies are voting with their wallets when it comes to commercial solar systems

Hot on the heels of our posts last week about the amazing returns commercial solar can bestow upon savvy businesses and  Aussie bankers putting their hands in their pockets to support solar energy projects came the news that WA mining equipment company Diab Engineering has backed solar energy by installing a rooftop solar system at its head office.

Which is interesting solar fans. [Read more…]

Filed Under: Economics Of Solar Tagged With: ,

Solar Farms Are A Good Investment – And That’s Official!

June 3, 2013 2023-01-31T11:37:48 by 8 Comments

 

a banker by a solar farm

Aussie bankers are finally investing in solar farms!

It can get a bit tiring sitting here at SQHQ listening to the solar narks peddling the age old line that “solar is completely uneconomic and will destroy our precious mining economy”.

Luckily a solar milestone flashed by our radar last week which drives yet another nail into the argument put forward by those who think that open cast mining is the true path to a 21st century economy. [Read more…]

Filed Under: Economics Of Solar Tagged With: , ,

Royal nod of approval as solar energy shines at Chelsea Flower Show

May 26, 2013 2017-10-25T10:15:19 by Leave a Comment
Chel_19_05_2013_1181_Trailfinders_LW

The winning entry. Credit RHS.

As regular readers would know, it is this column’s opinion that nothing beats a win over the Brits in an international comp. Now things haven’t gone so well in recent years with proud Aussies being forced to surrender the Ashes and we don’t want to talk about the Olympics! [Read more…]

Filed Under: Solar Innovations Tagged With:

Solar and the dreaded budget (Part 2)

May 19, 2013 2017-10-25T10:15:30 by 1 Comment
House_of_Reps_Doorway.Credit. SimonEast

Will solar suffer in the Battle for Bums on Seats?

All solar fans’ eyes were turned to the budget this week as Treasurer Wayne “The Knife” Swan brought down his sixth budget (gee doesn’t time fly Swanny?). So how did solar energy (and renewables in general) fare in the Budget? Did we do OK ? Or was it a case of solar energy being once again the target as cuts are made? [Read more…]

Filed Under: Solar Policy Tagged With: ,
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