The week in green numbers…

Published by

85: The percentage of Australia’s 2050 energy needs that the federal government’s Energy white Paper, released on Thursday, believes could be met by “cleaner energy” sources, inlcuding: fossil-fuel-fired with CCS – 29 per cent; large-scale solar – 16 per cent; wind energy and rooftop solar PV – 13 per cent each; geothermal energy – 9 nine per cent; and hydroelectricity and bioelectricity – 5 per cent.

2: The gigawatt amount of total solar PV installations that was reached in Australia this month.

1: The gigawatt amount of new solar power generating capacity installed in Germany during the month of September, 2012.

25,000: The gigawatt-hour amount that Germany’s solar power output rose to in the January to September period, up from 16,500GWh a year earlier.

26: The percentage of Germany’s electricity production that renewables accounted for over the first nine months of 2012.

95 million: The estimated Australian-dollar cost of the 82MW peaking plant that is currently being built in WA by Perth-based Merredin Energy, and which may never be switched on.

15 million: The estimated Australian-dollar amount the above peaking plant might earn for Merredin in its first year, even if it is not switched on.

380: The Australian-dollar amount that it costs to run a 1 star TV for a year.

24: The Australian-dollar amount it costs to run an 8 star TV for a year.

100: The percentage of its electricity that the South Pacific archipelago of Tokelau can now source from solar energy, with the completion this week of the installation of its third solar PV mini-grid system.

100: The percentage of Iceland’s electricity supply that comes from renewable sources: : 75 per cent from large hydro, and 25 per cent from geothermal.

35 billion: The tonnes of oil that is said to be the energy equivalent to China’s untapped reserves of “combustible ice” – or natural gas hydrate – discovered in November 2009, in permanent tundra in the south margin of the country’s northwestern Qilian Mountains.

90: The number of years-worth of energy the above combustible ice reserves are believed to be capable of supplying for the whole of China.

Sophie Vorrath

Sophie is editor of Renew Economy and editor of its sister site, One Step Off The Grid . She is the co-host of the Solar Insiders Podcast. Sophie has been writing about clean energy for more than a decade.

Share
Published by

Recent Posts

If Australia is serious about 1.5°C, it needs to shut down coal by 2034 and install a lot more solar and batteries

If Australia got serious about climate and 1.5°C, what would it need to do on…

29 June 2026

Australian researchers test new tech to help smash the solar ceiling, bring PV to apartments

A UNSW pilot will test the ability of an artificial intelligence-powered energy system to help…

29 June 2026

Households are about to be offered 3 hours of free power. Who should sign up, and who should think twice?

This week marks the launch of federal Labor's Solar Sharer Offer. Here's how it will…

29 June 2026

Slimmed-down wind and battery project receives state planning approval, solar component dropped

World's biggest independent renewable developer gets state planning approval for a slimmed down wind and…

29 June 2026

Game changer for EVs? Australian battery pioneer lands $45m grant for silicon anode that boosts energy density

An Australian battery technology pioneer has landed a major government grant to start commercial production…

28 June 2026

“I didn’t notice:” Homeowners using solar, batteries and V2G to stay connected in blackouts

Could your electric car do more than just keep the lights on in an emergency?…

28 June 2026