EcoGeneration

March/April 2011

Already a subscriber? Login here to download this issue

The Melbourne Water mini-hydro project: one of a kind

During 2009 and 2010, Melbourne Water embarked upon a clean energy initiative using a resource it has ready access to – running water.

Queensland floods a washout for clean energy

by Sally Commins

In the aftermath of the devastating Queensland floods, the Federal Government announced that it would be making cuts of up to $495 million to clean energy programs in order to contribute to the $5.6 billion reconstruction package.

Clean energy lowers emissions

Emissions from energy consumption in Australia continues to fall, according to the most recent CEDEX® report released by pitt&sherry’s climate change division.

Garnaut updates Climate Change Review

During February and March 2011, Professor Ross Garnaut will release a series of eight papers that update his original 2008 Climate Change Review.

National Transmission Network on its way

Australia’s first National Transmission Network Development Plan, launched in December 2010, points to the clustering of future generation facilities to make the best use of both renewable and non-renewable resources.

Performance degradation in solar plants

A solution to prevent potential induced degradation, a recently-discovered new trend in high voltage solar systems throughout the world, has been researched by SOLON SE’s Dr Lars Podlowski and Daniel Hundmaier.

Gold Coast Stadium Redevelopment

Grid-connected, solar, Queensland

Smart inverters good news for utilities

by Grant Behrendorff

Grid connect photovoltaic inverters, with a host of new features designed to improve integration with the grid, offer new opportunities to utilities managing the impact of the thousands of photovoltaic systems being installed around Australia.

Tony Stocken – inside the Australian solar PV industry

Tony Stocken, Australasian Regional Director of BP Solar, sees Australia as unique in its renewable energy potential. Blessed by an abundance of renewable energy resources, Mr Stocken has a vision of Australia as the energy supplier of choice to Asia within 20 years.

Making it big on the solar scene

In recent years the solar industry has grown exponentially. Fuelled by federal and state government incentives, many companies have been born, and others that were already established have fared well, despite the global financial crisis. Here is a snapshot of some successful companies and individuals the solar boom has yielded.

EnaSolar provides a complete package

Operating out of Christchurch, EnaSolar is now producing a range of 1.5, 2.0 and 3.0 kilowatt grid tied solar inverters with others to join the range later in the year.

F Cubed: solar powered water purification

Australian-owned company F Cubed has recently launched a solar-powered water purification and desalination technology.

Light Way lands in Melbourne

Chinese solar photovoltaic panels manufacturer, Light Way, has recently established a head office in Melbourne, Victoria.

FVG ENERGY continues its internationalisation – next stop, Australia

FVG ENERGY, an Italian designer, manufacturer and distributor of efficient, high quality and high power photovoltaic modules, continues its mission in becoming a company of reference in the process of change in global energy management.

Eaton celebrates a century of power delivery

This year Eaton celebrates its 100 year anniversary.

Accounting for the environment while counting biofuel feedstocks

The challenges of counting feedstock for biofuels production in Australia and demonstrating its sustainability credentials is high on the agenda for the Australian bioenergy industry. Dr Joely Taylor from the CSIRO reports.

5 minutes with…Justin Vianello

Commercial Director, Quantum Power Limited

5 minutes with…Vijay Kumar

Technical Director, RenewdUnder

4th Sustainability Victoria Bioenergy Breakfast – an opportunity to unite

With the aim of facilitating bioenergy development in Victoria, Sustainability Victoria and the Victorian Department of Primary Industries have hosted a series of breakfasts during 2009 and 2010 to unite the bioenergy industry with relevant government officials. The 4th Sustainability Victoria Bioenergy Breakfast, held in Melbourne in mid-December 2010 was attended by over 60 delegates. EcoGeneration went along to learn more about the industry’s needs, and government plans to accommodate them.

The untapped potential of wood fuel

by Rob Mallinson

Wood fuel has come and gone throughout the ages, but its current use amounts to nearly a billion tonnes of oil equivalent, a level comparable to the consumption of natural gas or coal. This makes it the largest renewable energy resource in use today.

Janice Larson – an inspired clean energy leader

by Rachel Purchase

Growing up in the Canadian Prairies inspired a conservationist streak in Janice Larson, now the Director of Renewable Energy Development with the Ministry of Energy, Mines and Petroleum Resources in British Columbia, Canada. Ms Larson describes having lived in a place where “the wind blows, the sun shines” and realising that there were renewable energy resources around her all the time.

Réunion Island CETO Power Project

Wave energy, Réunion Island

Hydroelectricity in Australia: past, present and future

by David Harries

The history of hydroelectric development in Australia is largely a history of the Tasmanian hydroelectric system and the Snowy Mountains scheme. Here, a brief overview ensues about the development of these schemes, and an explanation for the recent shift in focus from large-scale to small-scale hydro developments.

Expand your knowledge with the line-up for EcoGen 2011

At EcoGen 2011, numerous clean energy technologies and developments from industry leaders will be showcased, with company professionals on-hand to expand your knowledge and expertise. EcoGeneration spoke with the exhibitors and sponsors to give you a preview of what will be on show at the EcoGen 2011 Conference and Exhibition, held from 4–7 September in Brisbane.

World Bank and ACORE leaders to speak at EcoGen 2011

The World Bank’s Daniel Kammen and the founding President of the American Council on Renewable Energy Mike Eckhart will speak at the EcoGen 2011 Conference and Exhibition.

Make sure you’re in the running for…The EcoGen 2011 Clean Energy Awards.

The Clean Energy Awards will recognise excellence, innovation and outstanding achievement in Australia’s clean energy industry. The awards will be presented at the EcoGen 2011 Gala Dinner on Tuesday 6 September.

Industry comes together at EcoGen networking event

In the lead up to EcoGen 2011, the first in a special series of networking events being held across major cities took place in Sydney. Herbert Geer, hosted the industry briefing event featuring the Renewable Energy Regulator, Andrew Livingston.

20 MW CECEP Solar Sheyang Power Plant

Solar PV, grid-connected, YanCheng, China.

2 MW factory roof project, Ningbo City

Sun-Earth, a Chinese-based producer and supplier of mono- and poly-crystalline photovoltaic modules, has installed a 2 MW solar PV system on its factory roof.

MWM supplies trigeneration gas engine at the University of Adelaide

MWM Energy Australia has supplied a gas engine for a trigeneration plant at the University of Adelaide.

New SMA technology now available in Australia

SMA’s new Sunny Boy HF transformer inverter series has arrived in Australia.

Heating and cooling with Smartbreeze

Smart Roof Australia’s Smartbreeze units are being installed across the nation.

Delta Solivia inverters receive CEC certification

A range of solar inverters by Delta Energy Systems has recently received Clean Energy Council certification for use within Australia.

Affordable and effective solar hot water

Australia pioneered world leading solar thermal technologies years ago. However, with such a low take-up – especially in the commercial sector – the potential of this technology in Australia has not yet been fully realised. Solar Lord makes the case for solar hot water.

Up close with Paul Fox

Based in San Francisco, Australian expatriate Paul Fox is a founding partner of the Californian Clean Energy Angel Fund, a non-profit venture capital fund formed in 2004 that provides funding for early-stage clean energy technologies.