Solar + Supercapacitors Powering IoT Sensors
A combination of solar power and an energy storage device that never needs changing could play an important role in making Internet of Things (IoT) devices more sustainable and practical. Some estimates put the number of active IoT devices in 2020 as high as 50 billion. In our increasingly interconnected world, various sensors will become […]
Beer Behemoth A Renewable Energy Convert
Many after-work pints will soon get a whole lot greener with the world’s biggest beer brewer, Anheuser-Busch InBev, announcing its global operations will switch to 100 percent renewable energy by 2025. The commitment means the company, which owns and distributes popular brands such as Budweiser, Becks, Corona, Stella Artois and Carlton United Breweries beers, is […]
End Of A Toxic Era – Hazelwood Power Station Offline
After nearly 50 years of operations, one of the world’s heaviest carbon polluting electricity generators – Hazelwood Power Station in Victoria’s Latrobe Valley – is now offline. At 5pm yesterday, the last of Hazelwood Power Station’s eight generation units shut down. Built between 1964 and 1971 and powered by brown coal, Hazelwood was responsible for […]
Northern Ireland’s Largest Solar Project Commences Operations
A 32MW solar development in Antrim, Northern Ireland was switched on earlier this week, adding a significant contribution to the region’s renewable energy goals. Made up of a network of five sites across the County with capacities ranging between 5 and 10M, the installations share a single connection to the mains grid. The project will […]
Solar Energy To Power 70% Of Australian Potash Project
Agrimin Limited has inked an agreement with Danish company Aalborg CSP that will see the development of a solar thermal heating system for Agrimin’s Sulphate of Potash Project in Western Australia. Sulphate of potash (potassium sulfate – K2SO4), also known as arcanite, is a white crystalline salt that is predominantly used as a fertiliser. As […]
Electricity Price Hike Looms For Canberra
Residents of the ACT are facing a significant electricity price increase from the beginning of July this year that will add hundreds of dollars onto the average annual power bill. The Independent Competition and Regulatory Commission (ICRC) yesterday published its draft determination (PDF), which states based on information available up until the end of February, […]
More Electricity Price Rises For Western Australia
Households in Western Australia could be facing electricity price rises of seven per cent each year for the next three years – and perhaps even more. ABC reports the state’s new Energy Minister, Ben Wyatt, wants electricity prices to match cost. “If you are not at [cost reflectivity] it costs the taxpayer a significant amount […]
Australian Solar Supporter Survey – Have Your Say
With more than 1.6 million solar power systems now installed throughout the nation, this year’s Solar Citizens Supporter Survey could see a record number of responses. Solar Citizens is an independent non-profit community based organisation with a mission of advocating for solar energy, system owners and those wanting to go solar in Australia. The annual […]
ACCC To Review Australia’s Retail Electricity Market
The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission has been tasked with reviewing retail electricity prices across the nation. We recently reported on a Grattan Institute study that found retail electricity prices in Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane and Adelaide have almost doubled over the past decade. In the case of Victoria, the report expressed concerns the profit margin […]
Solar Powered Synthetic Tactile Skin Unveiled
In the not too distant future, amputees could regain the benefits of a sense of touch through motorised prosthetic limbs featuring solar powered synthetic skin. After developing a graphene based ‘electronic skin’, also known as tactile skin, researchers at the University of Glasgow have been tinkering with using solar energy to power it. Their synthetic […]
