What does climate mean for wine?

Common wisdom suggests white wine for warmer days and red for cool days, but how climate and weather are connected with grape and wine quality is a complex subject.

Low temperatures can reduce the formation of anthocyanins,
 the chemicals that give red wine its deep colour and tannic structure.

Unusually warm weather during the growing season can cause grapes to develop rapidly and mature earlier at a warmer time in the season, impacting wine flavour and composition.

When the grapes develop too quickly as a result of high temperatures, they can accumulate more sugar, but have less acid causing subsequent wines to be unbalanced and high in alcohol.

In contrast, extremely cool temperatures can have the opposite effect, impacting wine quality by delaying berry development which reduces the formation of sugar and anthocyanins – the chemicals that give red wine its deep colour and tannic structure.

Read the Pursuit story by Dr Nerissa Hannink from the University of Melbourne - “What does climate mean for wine?”

Many people feel lonely in the city, but perhaps ‘third places’ can help with that

Loneliness is a hidden but serious problem in cities worldwide. Urban loneliness is connected to population mobility, declining community participation and a growth in single-occupant households. This threatens the viability of our cities because it damages the social networks they rely on.

Third places are most effective when, like Waverley Community Garden
in Sydney, they appeal to people of all ages and backgrounds.

One response to these trends involves “third places”. These are public or commercial spaces that provide informal opportunities for local people to mix socially on neutral ground.

The concept of third place, developed by Ray Oldenburg, is distinct from first and second places. A first place is the private space of home. Second places are where people spend significant time, often formally. These include schools, universities and workplaces.

Read the piece on The Conversation by a PhD Candidate from Griffith University, Joanne Dolley, and a Lecturer in Urban and Environmental Planning, also the Griffith University, Tony Matthews - “Many people feel lonely in the city, but perhaps ‘third places’ can help with that.”

Victoria to turn to Tesla battery power in time for next summer

Two large lithium-ion batteries will be built and connected to the grid in regional Victoria this year, giving the state’s west a significant renewable energy boost in time for next summer.

Two large-scale batteries will be built in Kerang and Ballarat this year.

The batteries, which will store solar and wind-generated energy,  will be built near Ballarat and Kerang and will have a combined generation capacity of 55 MW and a combined energy storage of 80 megawatt-hours – giving them more than half the power of South Australia's gigantic 100MW Tesla battery.

Read Adam Carey’s story from The Age - “Victoria to turn to Tesla battery power in time for next summer.”

Australia’s first large solar + storage plant connected to the grid

The first large-scale solar and big battery storage installation in Australia – the Lakeland project near Cooktown in far north Queensland – has been officially connected to the grid.

Australia's first large-scale solar/battery installation near
Cooktown in northern Queesnald officially connected to the grid.

The 10.8MW solar facility, combined with a 1.4MW/5.3MWh battery storage facility is located near the very edge of the grid and when first announced in 2016 was being pitched as a world-first for remote, edge of grid technology, and one that would trigger a host of similar projects across Australia.

The project had been due for completion nearly six months ago under its original timetable, but the complexity of the first-of-its-type project – for the developers, the local grid owner, and the market operator – pushed the timetable back.

It has been feeding into the grid since late November, but only recently completed its full sign off with Ergon, the local network operator, and the Australian Energy Market Operator.

Read the RenewEconomy story by Giles Parkinson - “Australia’s first large solar  + storage plant connected to the grid.”