This Week in Solar: solar race, recycling, and more

1. I Want to Install Solar But I Don’t Know How Much to Spend

It’s hard to know how much to spend for a solar installation. There’s a huge spectrum between the cheapest systems and the most expensive systems. How do you know that you’re not paying too much?

2. Old and new challenges at Bridgestone World Solar Challenge

The Bridgestone World Solar Challenge (BWSC) has kicked off this week gathering teams of students from around the world looking to push the boundaries of technological innovation and travel 3,000km across a challenging landscape from Darwin to Adelaide in solar-powered vehicles. This year’s event featured 53 entrants from 23 countries, including seven from Australia.

3. Victorian researchers claim solar recycling breakthrough that’s a win for batteries, too

Australian researchers claim to have discovered the “holy grail” of solar PV recycling, by finding a way to extract silicon from discarded panels and repurpose it for use in the next big thing in low carbon energy generation and transport – lithium-ion batteries.

4. Lord Howe Island to build renewable energy microgrid

An integrated solar and storage system, purposely designed for a small and remote location, will be built on the World Heritage-listed island, located in the Tasman Sea 700km north-east of Sydney.

5. Q Cells launches fully integrated residential solar power system

8. Queensland solar charging the state

Queensland solar panels can now produce twice as much electricity as the state’s biggest power station. “More than 560,000 Queensland roofs now sport solar systems, and 30 solar farms are now generating across the state,” Dr Lynham said.