domestic solar power - Victoria 

In spite of the Australian Federal Government's recent $100,000 annual income means test on , figures recently released relating to the show an average of 522 applications have been lodged each week since May's budget. According to , the average level of applications was far higher than in any single week throughout the program's history. The figures were announced at the national , the premier annual event for the solar photovoltaic (PV) and small-scale renewable technologies industr…

EnergyMatters.com.au - The Residential Solar Power Experts Many people are a little wary of hooking up a ; much of the hesitation due to the jargon involved which can get a little confusing. Terms like "photovoltaic cells", "solar cells" pop up - what's the difference? Then there's batteries to consider; or is there? Setting up residential solar power probably isn't as complex as you think - and you may not even need batteries! Solar vs. Photovoltaic cells Lets take a look at these terms. …

Switzerland recently adopted one of the world’s most aggressive systems of feed in tariffs. The Swiss, normally best known for conservative traditions, stodgy bankers, and trains that run on time, have joined a ever increasing list of countries using feed-in tariffs to promote the rapid development of renewable energy.   Not content to start with a timid program incrementally raising the bar year by year, the Swiss federal government this spring launched a full-system of feed-i…

California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger made a surprise appearance in Miami on Thursday to praise his Florida counterpart's efforts to stop global climate change. The California Governor said: ” Politicians have been throwing around all kinds of ideas in response to the skyrocketing energy prices, from rethinking nuclear power to pushing biofuels and more renewables such as and ending the ban on off-shore drilling, and it goes on and on the list,'' Schwarzenegger said. Then he adde…

Today representatives of the French solar industry and the European Photovoltaic Industry Association called for France to increase the for . They also called for removal of notorious barriers to interconnection. Last year France installed only 35 MW of solar PV in contrast to neighboring Germany that installed 1,100 MW. Currently there is a backlog of 70 MW of PV awaiting interconnection in France. To create a French solar PV industry, the solar industry delegates called for a national…

A new era for solar power is approaching. The rising cost of fossil fuels and better technology is making solar, long derided as uneconomic, a major player in the future energy mix. In three to seven years, unsubsidized solar could cost no more to customers in many markets than traditional energy sources like coal and gas. By 2020, global installed solar capacity could be 20 to 40 times what it is today. The world solar industry is entering a period of cut-throat innovation, with many …

With oil prices rising around the world and growing demand pushing the cost of fuel to unparalleled heights, average car-users are doing it tough. and electric vehicles, along with hybrid technology, once a fringe flight of scientific fancy, are becoming ever more economically viable and consumers wanting to save money and fight climate change are taking them seriously.   An example of the growing interest is alternative transport is the work by a not-for-profit group from …

The future looks bright for Victoria’s solar industry after Premier John Brumby indicated that four solar power plants capable of powering 200,000 homes could be built in the state over the next ten years. He also flagged an increase of solar energy share in Victoria’s mandatory renewable energy target, possibly 2.5 percent of the total 10 percent by 2016. "If we set the 2.5% target, that will lead to a very high degree of interest (from companies) … you'll see a rush of activity," he sai…