Solar News

Nickel-Iron (Ni-Fe) batteries have some interesting features but are not recommended for grid interactive or off-grid solar systems.

Find out why you should not use Nickel Cadmium (Ni-Cd) batteries on a home solar system.

Sustainable House Day gives people the chance to get a real-life look inside houses that have been designed, built or fitted out with sustainability in mind.

A micro-hydro system can produce sustainable power 24hrs a day, if you have a property that has a water course with a significant drop in height.

Head to the NSW Liberal government website and you will find a strap line reading: 'After 100 days in office we've shown we're a Government that delivers'.

John Davis from the Rainbow Power Company

The NSW Government could save more than $1 billion from the State’s Solar Bonus Scheme without slashing the amount it pays households for solar power.

Read the whole article by Alex Easton, Northern Star here

Nigel Morris, solar consultant from Solar Business Services has sent a Request for Freedom of Information to the New South Wales Government, saying this was a last resort to obtain information about the Solar Bonus Scheme.

Solar industry representatives had previously asked for the Coalition's modelling data, with specific requests for: the kilowatts installed up until the most recent reporting period under net metering and gross metering at 60 cents and 20 cents and the capacity applied for, but not yet installed, under net and gross metering. These requests had not been met, leading to the FOI request.

Read the ABC article here

West Australian Energy Minister Peter Collier has thrown his support behind a national solar feed-in tariff.

Chris Hartcher, the NSW Minister for Energy, is to call upon the Federal government to introduce a Federal feed-in-tariff when he attends the next meeting of the Council for Australian Governments in June. Currently all states are offering differing tariffs, with WA reducing it’s scheme from 40c to 20c per kwh this week.

Read this article from The Land for the full story here

PREMIER Barry O’Farrell made a plea for unity in the party room yesterday after he was told by his own MPs to fix the solar bonus scheme or face an all-out mutiny.

One thing is clear: coal is no longer the best option but is the answer really nuclear power? No, well it doesn't have to be.

NSW Premier Barry O’Farrell and Energy Minister Chris Hartcher today announced special provisions would be put in place to protect those with genuine hardship cases resulting from the NSW Government’s changes to the Solar Bonus Scheme.

The New South Wales Government has capitulated to public pressure by promising compensation for those hurt by its cuts to a solar rebate scheme.

Solar power is rapidly gaining popularity throughout the world. It's non polluting, no noise, no harmful or unpleasant emissions or smells.

NSW Premier Barry O’Farrell has smoothed the way for a backdown on his unpopular plan to slash solar feed-in tariffs, saying he will consider alternative proposals as long as the $759 million shortfall is met.

After a pretty good start, things aren’t going so well for NSW Premier Barry O’Farrell. First, there was his imaginary budget black hole, which turned out not to be a black hole, but a piece of bizarre political posturing that only made him look like a rank amateur.

From California to Germany to China, the solar industry is booming. Last year alone, more than 18,200 MW of solar power was installed worldwide.

The O’Farrell government’s proposal to slash the NSW solar scheme is not only a broken promise, it is unjust and unfair on the NSW people.

New data reportedly showing the cost of NSW’s Solar Bonus Scheme has been overstated is a get out of jail card for Premier Barry O’Farrell, Greens MP John Kaye says.

As both coal and nuclear are unsustainable, renewable energy will on day no longer be the alternative, but the mainstream energy source.

Solar panel owners, rally in Lismore after a plan by the State Government to slash the amount of money (60 to 40 cents per kilowatt hour) paid for electricity fed into the power grid by solar panel systems.

Watch the slide show

Australia is the lucky country for harnessing solar power; it has some of the best wind regimes in the world and very hot granite (geothermal).

A new lobby group needs your help in convincing the state government to retain the current feed-in tariff.

The Australian Solar Energy Society (AuSES) is calling on media, business, consumers, installers, families and people interested in a sustainable future for Australia to rally to save solar.

The NSW Government’s announcement to retrospectively change legislation guaranteeing $0.60c/kWh for PV system owners (to $0.40c/kWh) has sent chills down the spine of the solar industry.