Heat Wave Compromises Europe’s Climate Goals

As temperatures last month soared to nearly 100 degrees in parts of Germany and 113 in France – the hottest since reliable record-keeping began in 1880 – Europeans are rethinking their once-cool view toward air conditioning. And that's forcing policymakers and grid-planners to reassess the continent's climate and energy ambitions. 

Europeans have long looked askance at America's love-affair with air conditioning. While roughly 90% of U.S. households have air conditioning devices, fewer than 5% of homes have them in Europe – and those that do tend to use the devices less frequently and to set the temperatures higher. 

Some of that is due to geography: The United Kingdom, for example, is farther north than the U.S. border with Canada, as are parts of other Western European countries such as France and Germany. That area once experienced as few as five days a year above 90 degrees. More recently, however, temperatures in those countries are climbing into the 90s during the summer as often as two weeks per month, forcing homeowners, offices and health centers to reconsider investing in air conditioning. Last month marked the planet's hottest June on record, driven in part by Europe's heat records.

Read the story from U.S. and Worldwide News by Alan Neuhauser - “Heat Wave Compromises Europe’s Climate Goals.” 

‘Unprecedented': Solar panel installations soar, on track to triple 2017 record

Rooftop solar panel installations soared by almost half in the first six months of 2018 as businesses eclipse residential take-up for the first time.

Cleaning up: Solar PV demand is soaring - for now.

In the January-June half, rooftop photovoltaic (PV) panel installations reached 701.9 megawatts, up 48.1 per cent from the same time a year earlier, according to Green Energy Markets, a consultancy.

NSW led the way with 183.6 MW of new rooftop panels, up 70 per cent from a year ago, adding the largest additional capacity of any state.

Queensland's 176.2 MW was the second largest during the half-year, up 35 per cent, while Victoria's 56 per cent jump to 86.8 MW lifted it to third spot.

Read the story by Peter Hannam from The Age - “‘Unprecedented': Solar panel installations soar, on track to triple 2017 record.”

Victorian power bills soar after Hazelwood coal plant closure

Power bills for Victorians have soared one year on from the abrupt closure of the ailing Hazelwood power station but the state has managed to dodge large-scale blackouts and greenhouse gas emissions have dived.

Hazelwood was the biggest coal-fired power station to close in 20 years.

With fewer than six months to prepare for the demise of the brown coal-fired plant in the Latrobe Valley,  authorities had to scramble to minimise the blow from the loss of one-fifth of the state's generation capacity.

Read Cole Latimer’s story from The Age - “Victorian power bills soar after Hazelwood coal plant closure.”