When an islanded microgrid at Stone Edge Farm near Sonoma kept operating for 10 days through California fires and grid outages, the operators seized the opportunity to learn as much as possible from the surprises they encountered.
solar
Victorian school installs 500kW rooftop solar system
United Solar Energy wins tender to install 500kW rooftop PV system at Northern Bay College in Geelong, as more and more Australian schools turn to solar.
HydroTasmania takes Rottnest Island to 45% renewables with new solar array
WA’s Rottnest Island can now meet up to 90% of its electricity demand from solar and wind energy, after a 600kW solar array was added to the existing hybrid wind and diesel system.
Queensland council saves $1.9m in grid costs from single Tesla Powerpack
A Queensland local government council has installed what is believed to be Australia’s first off-grid solar and battery storage system to use a Tesla Powerpack, to maintain local drinking water quality around the clock.
Hurricanes underline need for distributed solar for grid resilience
During natural disasters, access to electricity is more critical than ever, a growing body of evidence suggests that states and countries that replace old, costly fossil-fired generators found greater reliability and resilience at lower costs.
Brisbane Airport rolls out massive 6MW solar project
Huge 6MW solar upgrade at Brisbane Airport will supply 18% of electricity needs and save around $1m a year on energy bills.
Reverse solar hot water innovation making air con more efficient
New research shows fluid-filled roof panels that work like solar water heaters – except to extract heat from fluid, rather than adding it – can help make air conditioning up to 20% more efficient.
Bruny retirees love their solar power
John Kobylec believed that installation of a solar system at his Bruny Island retirement home would be prohibitively expensive, but is now a now total convert.
Saint Lucia’s journey to a renewable future
St Lucia’s 180,000 residents and tourism-driven economy depend heavily on reliable electricity. Over the past year action has started to shift the island from almost 100% imported fossil fuelled power, to a mix of local renewables.
Bruny Island trials “electricity grid of the future”
Tasmania’s Bruny Island sees the benefits as 11 of 35 solar-powered battery systems installed in private homes start contributing to the local electricity grid.
