Solar swell for GVW

Close to 3000 solar panels are well on the way to being installed at several of Goulburn Valley Water’s facilities in and near Shepparton.

Several facilities are in varying stages of construction, with installation of the panels on GVW land and infrastructure in Shepparton part of GVW’s strategy to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and operating costs.

Solar surge: Goulburn Valley Water managing
director Peter Quinn with hundreds of solar
panels at the organisation’s treatment facility
 at Daldy Rd, North Shepparton, last year.

More than 2000 panels were installed at the Wastewater Management Facility before Christmas while the Shepparton Operations Centre is currently a construction zone, with nearly 300 panels installed at the Florence St site.

GVW has confirmed more work is planned for its Shepparton facilities, with works scheduled for the administration office in Fryers St, the Sewer Pump Station on Wanganui Rd and the Water Treatment Plant on Welsford St.

GVW senior project auditor Ray Russell said the Welsford St works were expected to take place in the first week of February and could impact customers.

‘‘Three hundred and seventy panels will be installed on the western side of the Water Treatment Plant site, which will require use of a forklift in the

Princes Park Clinic car park area to get materials into position,’’ he said.

‘‘Apologies in advance to anyone affected by this. Customers wishing to use the car park for Princes Park Clinic, GBCMA and Wellsprings may be affected during this time, but we will try to get through it as quickly but as safely as possible.’’

The project, being delivered by Solgen Energy Group, is part of a wider infrastructure program and is expected to result in a reduction in greenhouse gas emissions.

Story from The Shepparton News - “Solar swell for GVW.”

Renewable industry employed 11 million people in 2018

The number of workers employed by the renewable energy industry keeps growing. In 2018, at least 11 million people around the world held jobs across the renewables sector, from manufacturing and trading to installation.

According to the sixth annual jobs report by the International Renewable Energy Agency, the majority of these jobs are concentrated in China, the European Union, Brazil, and the United States.The figures show a steady increase over the years. In 2017, there were 10.3 million jobs. This was up from 9.8 million in 2016 and 8.1 million in 2018.

Read the ThinkProgress story by Kyla Mandel - “Renewable industry employed 11 million people in 2018.”

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.” 

More solar beer as Melbourne boutique brewer installs 100kW rooftop PV

An inner Melbourne craft brewery will soon be powered by rooftop solar, with the installation of just under 100kW of PV panels set for competition at the end of February.

Local business Beon Energy Solutions said on Thursday that it was installing a 96.3kW solar system at Collingwood brewery, Stomping Ground Brewing Co, that – once completed – would generate enough power to supply 20 homes, covering the small business’s sizeable energy needs.

The project was guided by the Yarra Energy Foundation (YEF), an independent Melbourne organisation that helps households, businesses, community groups and governments make the transition to solar.

Renewable powered beer is becoming an increasingly common phenomenon, both in Australia and overseas, both for major international brewers and small, local, boutique concerns.

Read the One Step Off the Grid story by Sophie Vorrath - “More solar beer as Melbourne boutique brewer installs 100kW rooftop PV.”

The Solar Industry Is Creating Jobs 17 Times Faster Than the Rest of the U.S. Economy

A new report released by the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA) reveals that solar jobs in the U.S. (and other nations) are expanding quickly. As of November 2016, the American solar industry employed 260,077 workers. This is an increase of 24.5% from 2015, with a growth rate that is 17 times faster than the United States economy as a whole.

Some critics would say solar jobs figures have been
plucked from the air, but contrary to that, they
hard, defined and measurable.

The lion’s share of these jobs (241,900) were in solar photovoltaics, with an additional 13,000 in solar heating and cooling, and the remaining 5,200 in concentrated solar power (CSP). More than half of all solar jobs in the U.S. were in installation. Another 15% were in manufacturing, with 13% in project development, 12% in sales and distribution, and a final 6% in other areas, including research and development.

Read the Futurism story - “The Solar Industry Is Creating Jobs 17 Times Faster Than the Rest of the U.S. Economy.”

Finding a solar quote from 'SolarQuotes'

The SolarQuotes man.

Beneath the Wisteria makes no judgement about SolarQuotes being good or bad, but it appears to be one-stop shop to find out something about solar power for you home.

Since 2009 SolarQuotes has helped 287,273 people get high quality solar quotes across 2,704 postcodes in Australia.

It says is has published 20,220 uncensored reviews of 1,339 solar installation companies.

“And most importantly, over the last 7 years we have slowly but surely built a network of 202 solar installers across Australia that we trust to provide quotes through this website. And we have turned away hundreds more,” he founder and boss of SolarQuotes, Finn Peacock, says.