Ergon Energy’s engineers have integrated solar power with an existing power station to provide a ground-breaking solution that delivers reliable and renewable power to the isolated township of Doomadgee in Queensland's far north-west country. Until 2013, Doomadgee, which lies about 500km from the nearest major centre of Mt Isa, was wholly reliant on costly, carbon-emitting diesel generation for its electricity [...]
New economic research has highlighted the significant benefits of solar equipped customers keeping their electricity grid connection. While recent advances in solar and storage technology mean customers could choose to leave the grid entirely, the independent analysis by Oakley Greenwood shows it is unlikely to deliver better financial outcomes or services. Energy Networks Association CEO, John Bradley, said the study [...]
The Australian Renewable Energy Agency (ARENA) has announced $305,000 funding for a $743,000 partnership to strengthen the South East Region of Renewable Energy Excellence (SERREE) initiative. ARENA CEO, Ivor Frischknecht, joined Dorte Ekelund, Director-General of ACT Environment and Planning Directorate, and Leslie Williams, NSW Parliamentary Secretary for Renewable Energy, to launch the project in Canberra. Mr Frischknecht said SERREE would [...]
SA Power Networks has lodged its electricity distribution network plans for 2015-2020 with the Australian Energy Regulator, ensuring major benefits to the SA economy and customers with minimum impact on electricity prices. The detailed proposal outlines plans for ensuring the electricity distribution network is able to reliably and safely meet the changing energy needs of South Australian households and businesses. [...]
Fotowatio Renewable Ventures (FRV) has started constructing the 70MW Moree Solar Farm in regional New South Wales. ARENA CEO, Ivor Frischknecht, joined Federal Member for Parkes, Mark Coulton; State MLA for Northern Tablelands, Adam Marshall; NSW Parliamentary Secretary for Renewable Energy, Leslie Williams MLA; and Moree Plains Shire Council, Mayor Katrina Humphries; to break ground on the project. Mr Frischknecht [...]
The Chair, board members, and staff of the Australian Renewable Energy Agency (ARENA) have advised that Danny Broad has been appointed by the Australian Government to the Board of ARENA. Mr Broad has commercial management experience in the power, civil, construction, and rail industries and is joining the other four board members, Greg Bourne (Chair), Glenys Beauchamp, Judith Smith, and [...]
The Australian Renewable Energy Agency (ARENA) has announced $445,000 funding for AGL Energy Limited (AGL) to develop a business case for grid-connected energy storage in South Australia. ARENA CEO, Ivor Frischknecht, said integrating storage into Australia’s electricity networks would enable more homes and businesses to be supplied by renewables. “Commercial scale storage is especially important for enabling higher penetrations of renewables [...]
Cleaner, greener electricity for over 30 remote Indigenous communities is one step closer with the launch of the Northern Territory’s Solar Energy Transformation Program or Solar SETuP. Building on Power and Water’s 20 years’ plus experience with sustainable energy, Solar SETuP is the world’s largest roll-out of solar energy technology to isolated grids in a regulated environment. Solar SETuP will [...]
Remote communities in the Northern Territory will reap the benefits of solar power thanks to a $55 million project funded by the Australian Renewable Energy Agency (ARENA) and the NT Government, and managed by Power and Water Corporation (PWC). ARENA CEO, Ivor Frischknecht, joined Federal Minister for Industry, Ian Macfarlane, and Northern Territory Chief Minister, Adam Giles, to announce the [...]
The iconic saw tooth roof of the former Mitsubishi plant in Clovelly Park, SA, will be converted into a major roof-top solar array with the potential to be largest solar installation in the state. SA Premier Jay Weatherill said a two-staged request for proposals to develop the solar installation at Tonsley had already opened. Mr Weatherill said the project would [...]
The Australian Photovoltaic Institute is holding the inaugural Asia-Pacific Solar Research Conference at the University of New South Wales in Sydney from 8-10 December 2014. The conference aims to encourage and advance innovation and new developments in the solar sector. More than 200 presentations by Australia’s best and brightest and leading solar researchers from around the world will be on [...]
ARENA has announced $425,000 of funding to create online maps of electricity network constraints to help better inform network investments and increase the use of renewable energy. ARENA CEO, Ivor Frischknecht, said the Institute for Sustainable Futures (ISF) at the University of Technology Sydney (UTS) would develop annually updated maps and make them freely available online. “Currently there is a [...]
The Energy Networks Association has welcomed bi-partisan talks on a workable Renewable Energy Target scheme, but warned out-dated solar subsidies must be on the table. ENA Chief Executive Officer, John Bradley, said key flaws in the Small Scale Renewable Energy Scheme (SRES) need to be addressed to avoid unfair cross-subsidies and higher bills for some consumers. Mr Bradley said recent [...]
Many of TransGrid’s substation and transmission line assets were built in the 1950s and 1960s and are now approaching the end of their serviceable lives. As a result, a progressive replacement or refurbishment of these assets across New South Wales is currently underway, which will give them all a new lease of life. TransGrid recently proposed to increase expenditure on [...]
ARENA is providing $360,000 to Bioenergy Australia to help shape the global research and knowledge agenda for the developing bioenergy industry. The funding will enable Bioenergy Australia to extend its participation in the International Energy Agency’s Bioenergy program. Bioenergy Australia will participate in five key areas: Energy from Biogas Climate Change Effects of Biomass and Bioenergy Systems Commercialising Conventional and [...]
The Australian Renewable Energy Agency (ARENA) has announced up to $2.1 million in funding for National ICT Australia (NICTA) to develop an online national renewable energy mapping platform. ARENA CEO, Ivor Frischknecht, said the Australian Renewable Energy Mapping Infrastructure (AREMI) portal would be a valuable planning resource for the renewable energy industry. “NICTA is developing a comprehensive mapping platform that [...]
By John Bradley, Chief Executive Officer, Energy Networks Association At some point in the last five years, Australia’s energy policy debate started to feel more like an episode of Jerry Springer than the 7.30 Report. From carbon policy to renewables, from claims of gold-plating to utility death spirals, energy policy debate in Australia is too divisive to advance the long-term [...]
New analysis released by the Energy Networks Association (ENA) finds that gas bills for residential and commercial customers would be about $50 per year (or 5.4%) lower in 2034 than current levels, if distortionary subsidies to solar technology paid for by energy customers were removed. ENA CEO John Bradley said many of Australia’s 4.5million household gas users and 120,000 business [...]
Origin, Australia’s largest integrated energy company, has expanded into the ACT, providing Canberrans with a greater range of energy choices. Until now, the ACT has had only two energy retailers to choose from, while customers in other states have enjoyed the benefits of much greater competition. Victoria has 16 active electricity retailers, South Australia 13, New South Wales 12, and [...]
Registrations are now open for the National Energy Efficiency Conference 2014, which will take place at Swissôtel Sydney on 11 and 12 November. Delivered by the Energy Efficiency Council, the conference will see global efficiency experts, business leaders, senior policy makers and major energy users come together to explore the biggest issues currently facing the energy efficiency sector. Critical issues [...]
Towns in Western Australia’s Mid-West region will benefit from a reliable new power supply which Horizon Power forecasts will save taxpayers millions of dollars. Energy Minister Mike Nahan recently announced a new power purchase agreement with WA company Contract Power Australia for the supply of electricity to the Mid-West towns of Cue, Meekatharra, Yalgoo, Wiluna, Sandstone, and Mount Magnet. “This [...]
A new electrical installation will be constructed at Black Range as an important part of the South Australia to Victoria Interconnector Upgrade project. The South Australia – Victoria Interconnector Upgrade project has been jointly developed by ElectraNet, the owner and manager of South Australia’s electricity transmission network, and the Australian Energy Market Operator (AEMO). The project involves the installation of [...]
A new collaboration between the Australian Renewable Energy Agency (ARENA) and the Energy Networks Association (ENA) is set to provide a one-stop-shop of up-to-date renewable energy grid integration projects and findings. ARENA CEO Ivor Frischknecht said the new partnership would address an existing information gap and build on important work ARENA had already undertaken. “ARENA is today releasing a stocktake [...]
Electricity distributors the world over are experiencing significant challenges in the face of changing technology and customer expectations. Ergon Energy has released a video as part of its Talking Energy series, in which Customer Delivery Manager Nick Grant speaks candidly about the need for the utility to quickly embrace change and adapt in order to meet customer expectations. Nick is [...]
Ray Wills, adjunct professor at the School of Earth and Environment at the University of Western Australia, has predicted a new world order that will see energy independence by 2040. According to Professor Wills, “in a quarter of a century more than 80 percent of the world’s energy will come from self-generated renewables.” A keynote speaker at All-Energy Australia [...]
The Australian Government has announced $21.5 million funding for 12 cutting edge R&D projects that will keep Australia at the forefront of solar research. Parliamentary Secretary for Industry Bob Baldwin made the announcement at an Australian Renewable Energy Agency (ARENA) event held at the University of New South Wales (UNSW). ARENA CEO Ivor Frischknecht said the projects from the [...]
According to Mark Higgins, Senior Director of the California Energy Storage Alliance, Australia “needs to act smarter” when it comes to setting direction for energy policy, as we are “being left behind by technology” and “trailing the US by a decade or more”. Mr Higgins, who will address All-Energy Australia in Melbourne on October 15th and 16th, is calling on [...]
The panel conducting the review of the Renewable Energy Target (RET) for the Federal Government has released its final report. The report assesses the operation of the RET and its impact on electricity prices and energy markets, as well as its costs and benefits for the renewable energy sector, the manufacturing sector and Australian households and makes a number of [...]
The Australian Renewable Energy Agency (ARENA) has provided funding of $4.6 million for an $11.9 million renewable energy project, set to deliver benefits for a remote Aboriginal community in north-western Queensland. ARENA CEO Ivor Frischknecht said Ergon Energy is undertaking a 1 MW expansion of the award winning Doomadgee Solar Farm, resulting in 1.26 MWp of solar photovoltaic (PV) generation. “This ambitious [...]
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