This Week in Solar: Smashing Solar Energy Records, Green Hydrogen, 100% Renewables, Solar Hydropanel Technology

Here are some solar news stories you may have missed from this week. Click on the links to read these stories in more detail.

1. 2018 was Australia’s best-ever rooftop solar year – solar energy records smashed

The latest report from the Clean Energy Council (CEC) reveals 2018 was the best-ever year with rooftop solar energy systems adding a record-breaking 1.55 GW of new capacity to the electricity market last year.

2. Huge Pilbara wind and solar project may get even bigger as focus turns to green hydrogen

The developers of the massive 11GW wind and solar project proposed in the Pilbara in north-west Australia have hinted the project could get even bigger, as it eyes huge markets for green hydrogen in the Asia market.

3. Buttah Windee in remote WA now has clean water thanks to solar hydropanel technology

Six solar hydropanels have been installed at Buttah Windee, donated by a WA company who heard about the community’s plight and wanted to help out.

4. Australia: 100% renewables could be cheaper, quicker and easier than thought

According to one of Australia’s leading renewable energy data company’s and project developers, Windlab – the transition to 100 per cent renewable energy will be cheaper, quicker and easier than everyone thinks.

5. Solar supplies more power than brown coal or gas

Solar has grown so much that its output exceeded brown coal and gas over the summer months, between 9am to 5pm. New analysis by Green Energy Markets shows that across the whole of summer, renewable energy produced 128% more megawatt-hours of electricity than gas and 23% more than brown coal.

6. Daintree could be Australia’s first renewable only micro-grid, with help from green hydrogen

Queensland’s world heritage-listed Daintree region could be the site of an Australian-first solar power to hydrogen gas-based microgrid, with newly announced federal government funding tipped to help make the 100 per cent renewable project shovel ready.

7. “Smart Inverters” To Be Mandatory Under Victoria’s Solar Homes Package

Victoria’s government has announced changes to the state’s Solar Homes Package that will make smart inverters mandatory for solar power systems installed from the beginning of July under the program.

8. Bank Australia signs up for 100% renewables, calls on business to lead transition

Bank Australia, one of the country’s largest mutual banks, is calling on Australian business to lead a market-wide shift to renewable power as it becomes the second Australian company to sign up for the 100 per cent renewable power global business initiative, RE100.