World solar expert to shine light in Australia
04 February, 2013Dr Manuel J Blanco has joined CSIRO as Director of the Australian Solar Thermal Research Initiative (ASTRI). ASTRI is an $87 million, eight-year international collaboration transforming the energy industry in Australia by bringing down the cost of solar thermal.
Aboriginal community powered by the sun
31 January, 2013 by Georg DreherIn early September 2012, Solarmatrix personnel went on a 6400 km round trip journey through Western Australia to install a 38 kW standalone solar power system in the Kandiwal Aboriginal Community, deep in the heart of the Kimberley.
Blue Planet Buildings solar-powered portable buildings
24 January, 2013Blue Planet Buildings has begun manufacturing and supplying solar-powered portable buildings for mine sites, construction companies and various government authorities.
Historic Australia-US partnership to develop next-generation solar cell technology
21 December, 2012A new joint Australian-US research institute led by the University of New South Wales (UNSW) will foster rapid development of ‘over the horizon’ photovoltaic technology and establish Australia as the solar cell research and education hub of the Asia-Pacific region.
Solar to shine on with $87 million
13 December, 2012CSIRO will lead a new solar research initiative worth a total of over $87 million, the Australian Government announced today.
Powering one of Australia’s remotest locations
11 December, 2012An off-grid, sustainable power supply developed by a Curtin University PhD student is being used to power one of the hottest and most remote locations in Australia.
Alice Springs solar generation now 10% of town’s power needs
10 December, 2012Today’s launch of Alice Solar City’s fifth and final large iconic project at Alice Springs’ Araluen Arts Centre sees the town now meeting up to 10% of its daytime electricity needs from the sun.
PV power plants to boost South Africa’s renewable program
06 December, 2012Power and automation technology group ABB has won orders worth around $225 million to supply two turnkey photovoltaic (PV) power plants that will be built in the northern province of Limpopo in South Africa.
Scientists create all-carbon solar cell
03 December, 2012 by Mark Shwartz, Precourt Institute for Energy at Stanford UniversityStanford researchers have developed a solar cell made entirely of carbon, an inexpensive substitute for the pricey materials used in conventional solar panels.
Installed price of solar PV systems in the US continues to decline
29 November, 2012The 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).
SMA Solar Technology Sunny Design Web PV plant design
28 November, 2012SMA Solar Technology now offers uncomplicated PV plant configuration via the internet. Plant planners and installers can use the company’s Sunny Design Web software in any current browser without the need to download or install software.
Solar power is contagious
07 November, 2012People are more likely to install a solar panel on their home if their neighbours have one, according to a Yale and New York University study in the journal Marketing Science.
Filming the sun, using the sun
19 October, 2012On the morning of 14 November 2012, the north of Australia will witness a total solar eclipse. Panasonic, using only its HIT solar panels and lithium-ion batteries for storage, will produce a live broadcast of this incredible spectacle live via USTREAM.
Kyocera supplies solar modules for North Queensland’s largest PV installation
18 October, 2012Kyocera Solar recently supplied 348 kW of solar modules that now cover the roof of the Townsville RSL Stadium in North Queensland. The photovoltaic installation is now the largest in North Queensland and will supply the equivalent of two-thirds of the stadium’s energy requirements by utilising the clean, renewable energy of the sun.
Managing solar for remote communities
16 October, 2012Some Australian electric utilities operate a substantial number of diesel-fuelled power stations for remote communities that are too distant to connect to the main electricity grids. These communities can include hundreds of residents, along with local commercial activities and civil infrastructure to support the region. The wet season can make it difficult to access some communities by road for up to 1-2 months. Photovoltaic (PV) power generation has been identified as the most consistent source of renewable power to cover the daily power consumption profile of these communities.
