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New CEC chief says households key to green energy
The new head of the Clean Energy Council will focus on energy efficiency, distributed generation and community engagement. And he talks about Australia’s place in the renewable world, bipartisan politics (or the lack of), the importance of complementary measures, the influence of large energy companies, BIPV, CCS and nuclear.3 -
Horizon finds a smart way to price a solar tariff
WA utility Horizon Power has become the first in Australia to offer differentiated solar tariffs to customers in varying locations. If energy utilities adopted the same policy in the eastern states, they could defer, or even avoid, costly upgrades to networks. -
Sydney takes first steps to leave the grid
The launch of a City of Sydney program to build a trigen network of 410MW or more is the first of its kind in Australia, and the first where major users are looking for solutions that do not require further investment in grid infrastructure. In fact, over time, Sydney may not require the grid at all. -
Zero-cost solar: Will this be Gillard’s election secret weapon?
Solar companies say the next big breakthrough in rooftop PV will be zero-cost solar leases. This is bad news for utilities, but a potential breakthrough for the Gillard government, preparing to fight the next federal poll on cost-of-living issues.
