The installed price of solar photovoltaic (PV) power systems in the United States fell substantially in 2011 and through the first half of 2012, according to the latest edition of Tracking the Sun, an annual PV cost-tracking report produced by the US Department of Energy’s Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (Berkeley Lab). [ + ]

The Perth Research Hub for an innovative new research centre has been officially launched at The University of Western Australia (UWA) by the state Minister for Water, Bill Marmion. [ + ]

Dig underneath the Snowy Region Visitor Centre and you will find the secret to its energy efficiency: a geothermal heating, ventilation and cooling (HVAC) unit. The unit was installed in the late 1990s by the National Parks and Wildlife Service (NPWS) when the Jindabyne regional headquarters and Snowy Region Visitor Centre was built. Although the geothermal unit is very energy efficient even by today’s standards, the results of an Energy Saver audit are helping NPWS to run the system and the buildings even more efficiently. [ + ]

The Australia in the Asian Century white paper presents the notion that Australia should develop closer relationships with its Asian neighbours. At the Australian Sustainability conference and exhibition, the benefits of such relationships were examined in terms of sustainability. [ + ]

Bicentennial Park in Glebe has become the first park in Sydney to be installed with new GE LED lights. This is part of the rollout of a $7 million project secured by GE Lighting and its Australian partner UGL earlier this year to replace 6450 street and park lights in the City of Sydney over the next three years. [ + ]

Anaerobic wastewater digestion technologies respond not only to industry’s need to thoroughly clean up the wastewater it discharges to the environment, but also to the need for industry to break free from the cost and pollution of fossil fuels. [ + ]

The introduction of membrane technology solutions for the treatment of municipal wastewater fundamentally changed the requirements on mechanical wastewater treatment systems. Conventional screening systems with bar spacings or perforations from 6 mm were not sufficient to guarantee the stable and low-maintenance operation of downstream membrane plants.This extract article describes the history of fine screens as pre-treatment systems for membrane plants, with particular emphasis on the importance and influence of operational experience. [ + ]

Barcelona’s Saint Joan Despi Water Treatment Plant is currently trialling a pilot plant built by Xylem Spain to assess the potential of ultrafiltration to treat a portion of the city’s water supply. Meanwhile, the small town of Taralga, located 2.5 hours’ drive southwest of Sydney, was having its water supply filtered and treated with UV. Todd Miklich thought the water treatment plant (WTP) he had seen on his trip would be a suitable fit for the town. [ + ]

Brisbane-based company Australian Innovative Systems (AIS) is continuing to grow its export business designing and manufacturing chlorine generators for water disinfection to one of the world’s most environmentally challenged and water-starved regions - the Middle East. [ + ]

The pitt&sherry Carbon Emissions Index (CEDEX) for November indicates that greenhouse gas emissions from electricity generation have fallen to their lowest level for 10 years. CEDEX has been providing early indicators for key greenhouse gas emission trends in Australia since 2007. [ + ]

The Australasian Waste & Recycling Expo Innovation Awards are being held on Wednesday 21 November at the Sydney Convention and Exhibition Centre and are set to reward forward thinking waste and recycling innovations. [ + ]

Monash University Clayton Campus in Victoria recently conducted a two-month pilot study to determine the financial benefits of installing the Australian-designed EcoSwitch throughout the university’s office workstations.  The EcoSwitch is an energy-saving device that cuts out standby power used by equipment and appliances. [ + ]

Over the past two years, Pure Advantage has dedicated significant resources towards understanding and identifying the opportunities for New Zealand to foster green growth and create skilled jobs while at the same time contributing towards the conservation of natural resources and the environment in New Zealand. Pure Advantage has just released an independent report called ‘Green Growth: Opportunities for New Zealand’, which was prepared by Vivid Economics of London in conjunction with the University of Auckland Business School and includes a foreword by Lord Stern. [ + ]

CSIRO mathematician Dr Aaron Thornton was named a 2012 Victorian Young Tall Poppy last night in recognition of his work in carbon dioxide and molecular gas research. [ + ]

EUA finance through Low Carbon Australia, National Australia Bank and Eureka Funds Management will enable the Suleman property development group to make a 30% saving in energy costs for its 15-storey office block in one of Melbourne’s most sought-after business locations. [ + ]