Australia’s largest solar PV project reaches major construction milestone
13 April, 2012Australia’s largest solar photovoltaic (PV) power project reached a major construction milestone yesterday as contractor and technology provider First Solar joined owners Verve Energy and GE unit GE Energy Financial Services to mark the commencement of panel installation at the Greenough River Solar Farm.
Thermo-breaking - beyond keeping the weather out
02 April, 2012Canberra’s ‘Compass House’ is showcasing Europe’s thermally broken aluminium curtain-wall system THERM+ by RAICO. This externally glazed aluminium system does much more than simply keeping the weather out.
University researchers and BlueScope partner to pioneer new solar technology
30 March, 2012The University of Wollongong and BlueScope Steel have joined forces with Germany’s Fraunhofer Institute, one of the world’s leading renewable energy and sustainable building research organisations, in a new solar technology research and demonstration project with the support of $477,000 from the Australian Solar Institute.
Harnessing nature’s solar cells
29 March, 2012Photovoltaic panels made from plant material could become a cheap, easy alternative to traditional solar cells. David L Chandler, MIT News Office
SMA Sunny Central solar inverters
28 March, 2012Extreme environments make extreme demands on solar technologies. SMA’s range of Sunny Central inverters has been developed to withstand the negative effects of weathering.
REC solar modules rated as global best performers in 2011
20 March, 2012Photon Laboratory, which conducts the most recognised field performance test in the world, has announced that REC solar modules ranked first in the module field performance test during 2011.
Solar cell turns windows into generators
20 March, 2012Imagine a world where the windows of high-rise office buildings are powerful energy producers. It might sound strange, but for the past four years, a team of researchers from Flinders University has been working to make the idea of solar-powered windows a reality - and they may have succeeded.
Collaboration to develop new-generation solar cells
14 March, 2012Researchers from The University of Queensland (UQ) and Korea have combined their expertise in polymer patterning and materials science in a bid to develop new-generation solar cells.
Hospital to maximise the power of the sun in Hervey Bay
02 March, 2012ABB has officially signed a contract with Queensland Health to design, supply and install a 266-kilowatt roof-mounted solar panel system at the Hervey Bay Hospital located on the Fraser Coast in Queensland. The system will generate around 385 megawatt-hours of renewable energy each year, saving an estimated $20,000 on electricity costs and reducing carbon emissions by approximately 400 tonnes annually.
Veolia celebrates installation of solar power at Arndell Park
28 February, 2012On 23 February, Veolia Environmental Services celebrated the successful utilisation of solar power at its Arndell Park facility in NSW. A 50 kW solar panel system was recently installed at the facility and complements the various environmental initiatives that have already been implemented on site.
ANU receives go-ahead for solar art installation
09 February, 2012The Australian National University School of Art is set to shine in the sustainability stakes with a new solar panel array. The 40 kW array will produce about 70,000 kW hours of electricity annually (enough to power about 10 houses), cutting the school’s carbon emissions by more than 5%.
First Solar sets another world record for CdTe solar PV efficiency
02 February, 2012First Solar has set a new world record for cadmium‐telluride (CdTe) photovoltaic (PV) solar module efficiency, achieving 14.4% total area efficiency.
Solar farm for WA
02 December, 2011First Solar has announced that construction has commenced on the 10 MW AC Greenough River Solar Farm, located 50 km south of Geraldton. Once completed, the solar farm will be the first utility-scale photovoltaic (PV) project in Australia and will bring significant investment to the local community through a partnership with local civil contractor WBHO Civil - the company awarded the Phase 1 construction contract for the project.
Revolution of concentrating solar power plants
01 December, 2011ABB has launched a new concept for turnkey concentrating solar power plants (CSP) based on a low-cost, highly efficient and highly scalable technology that is claimed to use considerably less material, land and water than other CSP technology. The plants use 70% less material, require 40% less land and consume 80% less water per megawatt generated than parabolic trough designs.
Global community can learn from Alice Springs’ solar success
26 October, 2011An Australian study has revealed that Alice Springs has valuable experience and expertise to share with the rest of the world on the impacts of solar generation on urban electricity grids.
