Renewables
From the Archives, 1964: Solar power for the University of Melbourne
Archimedes, the Greek mathematician and inventor, experimented with the reflective properties of bronze shields to focus sunlight. Several thousand years later the University of Melbourne’s department of mechanical engineering was using search light reflectors to gather light from the Sun and convert it to power.
- by Statt writer
Latest
Global pioneer: Outback WA is going off grid to fix cyclone, bushfire outages
Storms or bushfires that down power lines and disrupt supply are the nightmare of grids around the world. Western Australia has found an alternative -- taking remote customers completely off the grid.
- by Rob Verdonck
Putting solar panels on Perth Airport could power a whole WA city
Rebate after rebate tries to lure households to place panels, while wasting away are kilometres of prime space that would leave domestic production in the shade.
- by Emma Young
Wind farm builder donates to Victorian Labor Party as $2b project awaits green light
Two businesses linked to a proposed $2 billion wind farm project gave money to the Victorian Labor Party last month, just as the state government was considering its final planning submission.
- by Michael Fowler
Opinion
Global warming
What keeps climate scientists like me awake at night - and why the next 10 years are so critical
The Climate Council says Australia needs to triple its ambition to cut carbon emissions by 2030. Here’s why.
- by Lesley Hughes
‘The future, now’: Solar-powered bus takes first passengers
An electric bus powered with 100 per cent solar energy carried its first regular passengers on Monday as it entered service in TransLink’s fleet.
- by Stuart Layt
Power grid can be rid of coal ‘without price rises, outages’
New modelling has challenged the long-held claim that keeping coal-fired plants running is key to ensuring affordable and reliable electricity.
- by Mike Foley and Nick Toscano
Government eyes cheaper power from Sunshine Coast hydro plant
Queensland has several good options for exploring pumped hydroelectricity as a potential renewable energy source, including Borumba Dam near Gympie.
- by Tony Moore
Opinion
Opinion
Barnaby Joyce’s latest antics do nothing to move Australia forward
Don’t get me wrong, it is novel to see a Nationals member attempting to tap the views of their electorate. But Joyce’s motives are not genuine. It’s politics over science.
- by John Hewson
Joe Biden unveils $2.6 trillion infrastructure bill to beat China, move to green energy
The US President said that in 50 years people would look back on his infrastructure package as “the moment that America won the future”.
- by Matthew Knott
Australian emissions fall again due to renewables and COVID-19
Australia’s greenhouse gas emissions continued to decline at the end of 2020 as an acceleration of the decarbonisation of the electricity sector outweighed a revival of pollution from transport and industry, according to analysis by consultants Ndevr Environment.
- by Peter Hannam