SunPower boss says solar is the greatest market opportunity the world has seen. He predicts solar will become a $5 trillion industry within 20 years. Even Chinese newspapers are declaring the coal boom to be over.
Tony Abbott has been ‘shirt-fronted’ by the two most powerful leaders in the world on the issue of climate change. Now he has a choice: throw in his lot with the climate-denying Republicans, or find some tools to meet the science. How about a carbon price and a robust renewables target?
Australia’s backtracking on climate change policy – dumping the carbon price and seeking to slash the renewable energy target – is looking like an increasingly dumb and isolating policy position as the US and China announced an ambitious new climate deal.
Large scale renewable energy industry in Australia faces another extended period of stagnation and uncertainty after Abbott government refused to cede ground on its plans to slash the renewable energy target, causing Labor to walk away from the negotiations. Solar is on more solid ground.
Subsidies for fossil fuel exploration in Australia reach $4 billion, and $100 billion in G20 countries, despite vows to phase them out. New report labels this a “double folly” because the new reserves are both uneconomic and unsustainable.
Queensland EV company to use 12 of its Australian made fast chargers to create 430km long ‘electric super highway’ extending from Brisbane to Byron Bay.
Ergon Energy looking to “buy back” 44c/kwh feed in tariff in attempt to change household behaviour and avoid need for costly grid upgrades.
China’s climate deal with US means it will install the clean equivalent of a large coal fired power station a week for next 15 years. Meanwhile investment banks lament fossil-fuel exporters Australia and Canada, carbon “ostriches” who are pretending it is not really happening.
Tony Abbott called it a Bob Brown slush fund, but Barack Obama has promised to inject serious capital into Green Climate Fund.
Indian companies are coming up with highly innovative project designs as they aim to get a bite of the expanding solar power market in the country.
A version 2.0 electric utility offers a way for utilities to remain financially solvent, even profitable in a decentralized and renewable energy system.
The coal industry is very vocal in promoting energy poverty and pushing coal as a solution to it. But none of the main energy poverty initiatives promotes the use of coal, so the industry does not support them.
The assumption that China coal imports will continue to rise is being shattered by new data showing it has fallen by half, and domestic consumption has also fallen dramatically.
BZE initiative says households can use energy efficiency and rooftop solar to deliver higher carbon reductions than Australia’s current targets.
Tesla Motors – the transformative electric vehicle manufacturer about to launch in Australia – is looking to use solar for its supercharging network.
