As we in Australia struggle with a federal government attitude to renewables halfway between apathy and utter neglect, things continue apace on the sub continent. Indeed India’s renewable energy policy is now primed to make the country one of the world’s leaders in alternative energy. Prime Minister Narendra Modi has made the development of alternative […]
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How To Divert Your Excess Solar PV to a Hot Water Cylinder.
This guest blog post has been written by experienced solar installer, electrician, solar company owner and all round good guy, Mark Cavanagh from MC Electrical in Brisbane. Mark answers a really common question we are getting here at SolarQuotes: “Can I divert my excess solar energy into my hot water cylinder instead of selling it to the grid for […]
[Continue reading…]Fairfax Article Beating Up The Solar Industry is Scaremongering (but Greg Hunt still fell for it)
The Fairfax papers’ coverage of the solar industry is usually spot on. But I think the latest article by Political Reporter Heath Aston is way off mark. Greg Hunt must have salivated all over his iPad as he read the article yesterday morning. I can see him dribbling with delight at the rampant tales of rorted […]
[Continue reading…]Researchers use photosynthesis to directly create liquid fuel from solar
Solar power using photosynthesis is the most ancient — and successful — form of energy production. Plants have used this method for over a billion years, harvesting sunlight, combining it with water and turning this abundant solar energy into food. Now researchers at Harvard University are looking to use the process in a really novel way.
[Continue reading…]Thin film technology promises solar powered cars for the masses.
Ever considered the seemingly endless possibilities of solar thin film technology for mobile energy generation? Mr Li Hejun, CEO of China-based thin film solar company Hanergy Thin Film Power Group Ltd certainly does and outlined his vision (or dream depending on your point of view), of a future where this technology dominated mobile energy needs. […]
[Continue reading…]How I got a $33 power bill with solar – even with a crappy 8c buy back rate
Update: This post was written in 2015. It is still worth a read to understand how solar affects your bill – but if you want to browse all my recent bills you can do so here. I got my quarterly electricity bill last week. It was $33. I was so happy that I tweeted AGL. […]
[Continue reading…]ET Solar Panels win government support
What do ET Solar Australia and the Clean Energy Finance Corporation (CEFC) have up their sleeves to promote ET solar panels for large commercial businesses in our country? There’s more than one way to skin a cat. And more than one model for financing solar energy. This was amply demonstrated last week with the release […]
[Continue reading…]If you want a 5kW solar system in QLD – consider getting it before March 1 2015!
****UPDATE**** On 12th Feb 2015 Ergon and Energex announced that they are extending this deadline from 1 March out to 30 September 2015. ***************** The Queensland electricity networks (hello Ergon and Energex!) are a fussy bunch. At the time of writing (Jan 2015) if you want to install a standard grid connect solar system bigger than 5kW, […]
[Continue reading…]Perovskite: the Bond villain at the head of the new solar cell revolution
One of the great enjoyments in writing this blog is the opportunity it gives me to bring you news about the latest innovation in solar energy. From breakthroughs in solar cell technology to improvements in solar lifestyle, to the latest progress in solar farms, advancements in the research labs, universities and science organisations never seem […]
[Continue reading…]Huge Jump in Queensland Commercial Solar Installations
We’ve documented before the lack of love of the Newman government towards solar energy in Queensland. In the midst of a state election where the shrill rhetoric is matched only by the embarrassing speed of the election call, the level of antipathy has risen as the LNP seek to demolish the arguments of the pro-renewables lobby. […]
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