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SolarGen's Official Opening |
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Wednesday, 28 July 2010 14:49 |
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Today we held the official opening of our new head office in Bundoora, the day was a success and went better than anticipated with staff, politicians, industry leaders and international suppliers present. Shadow Environment Minister Greg Hunt MP was present and spoke about his party's plans for the future and in particular our industry, we would again like to take this opportunity to thank Mr. Hunt for his time time today, it is greatly appreciated. We also heard from Harry Jenkins MP who is not only the local member for Scullin but also the Speaker of the House of Representatives. Mr. Jenkins also gave us some insight on his party's plans for the future and again touched on our industry in particular. We would also like to thank Mr. Jenkins for his time today it is also greatly appreciated. Last and certainly not least we heard from Matthew Wright, head of the non-profit organisation, Beyond Zero Emissions. Matthew gave us some great insight in to what his organization is and has been working on while also challenging the politicians present. Beyond Zero Emissions has calculated that Australia could quite easily be utilizing renewable energy sources at 100% by 2020 in comparison to the Governments proposed Renewable Energy Target of 20% by 2020. Naturally we would like to thank Matthew for his time also, we appreciate him taking time out for our opening. 
During the day we were also able to conduct some interviews which are available below. When clicking the links to these files please keep in mind they may take a little while to start depending on the speed of your internet connection. Interview with Mr. Greg Hunt MP - Shadow Environment Minister. Interview with Mr. Harry Jenkins MP - Local Member for Scullin & Speaker of the House of Representatives.
The above interviews are the exclusive property of SolarGen and may not be distributed, used, edited or otherwise without written consent from SolarGen. |
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SolarGen Head Office Opening |
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Friday, 23 July 2010 08:53 |
Greg Hunt, Harry Jenkins and Matthew Wright to open SolarGen!
Event Time: Wednesday 28 July, 11am – 12pm Event Location: 2/19 Enterprise Drive, Bundoora, 3083 Matthew Wright, Executive Director of Beyond Zero Emissions, will speak at the launch of the new SolarGen head office. Shadow Environment Minister, Greg Hunt and Minister for Families, Housing, Community Services and Indigenous Affairs will also be speaking at the event. Also in attendance will be Harry Jenkins, Mr. Jenkins is the local member for Scullin and also the Speaker for The House of Representatives. Beyond Zero Emissions recently launched their Zero Carbon Australia plan, which shows that transitioning Australia’s entire electricity sector to 100% renewables in 10 years is technically feasible and affordable. The plan was the result of a collaboration between researchers from Beyond Zero Emissions and the University of Melbourne Energy Institute. There has been a huge amount of interest in the plan from politicians, the media and the public. The SolarGen launch event will be an opportunity to hear more about the plan from Matthew Wright and to direct questions to him and the ministers present. SolarGen is an Australian company that specialises in solar photovoltaic power systems. Through the booming Australian residential photovoltaic market, they have experienced a rapid expansion in the last couple of years to become one of the leading players in the Australian residential solar industry. With over 50 staff, SolarGen is an Australian success story. For further information and comment: Matthew Wright, 0421 616 733 Alternative contact: Pablo Brait, 0421 011 182 |
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Wednesday, 21 July 2010 16:03 |
NATIONAL: Australia’s peak clean energy body today launched a guide to help householders make an informed choice when buying solar photovoltaic (PV) panels.
Clean Energy Council Policy Director Russell Marsh said the guide will help consumers find the right system to suit their needs.
“There are now more than 100,000 solar PV systems installed across Australia and the range of solar companies, installers and products is mind-boggling,” he said.
“Although the solar industry has an excellent safety record, being an informed consumer has never been more important.
“The guide is a general introduction to solar PV systems. It includes a list of sensible questions to ask when inquiring about solar power to ensure the installer and type of panel you choose is up to scratch,” Mr Marsh said.
The solar industry has grown very quickly over the last couple of years and the solar energy installed across Australia avoids more than 260,000 tonnes of greenhouse gas emissions every year – the equivalent of taking around 60,000 cars off the road.
The Clean Energy Council runs an accreditation program for solar PV designers and installers to ensure a high standard of installation quality. To qualify for Federal Government subsidies, solar PV systems must be signed off by an accredited professional who has completed training in the design and installation of solar power systems.
Mr Marsh said there were more than 2000 accredited installers across Australia and the system had helped the industry maintain a high standard over the last decade during a period of remarkable growth.
The new consumer guide to buying solar panels and a list of accredited installers can be found here. |
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Wednesday, 21 July 2010 15:50 |
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VICTORIA: Today’s announcement by the Brumby Government shows the Premier is serious about solar power in Victoria, according to the clean energy industry. Premier John Brumby announced that five per cent of the state’s electricity would come from solar power by 2020, through incentives encouraging industrial solar power stations and medium-sized commercial installations in places such as the roofs of shopping centres. Clean Energy Council chief executive Matthew Warren said the policy should deliver investment and jobs in regional Victoria, develop emerging industries and help reduce the state’s greenhouse emissions. “Mr Brumby is to be congratulated for demonstrating real leadership in developing a world-class renewable energy industry in Victoria,” he said. Victorian households are already able to access support for installing solar power, and it’s important that businesses are encouraged to embrace the technology to reduce their carbon footprint. “Industrial scale solar power stations have real potential to play a major part in Australia’s energy future and measures like this are crucial to realizing that potential,” said Mr Warren. “It should help companies gain the foothold they need in the Australian market to start generating solar energy at the lowest cost. “Initiatives like this will help to make Victoria a preferred destination for clean energy investors and help us to leverage our world-class renewable energy resources,” he said. The largest solar power station in Australia is currently a 1 MW facility at the Adelaide Showgrounds. |
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Enhanced Safety Rules for Solar |
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Wednesday, 14 July 2010 12:26 |
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Companies seeking to install solar photovoltaic (PV) panels under the Government’s Renewable Energy Target will be subject to tougher safety and compliance requirements from today, the Government has announced. Minister for Climate Change and Energy Efficiency, Senator Penny Wong, said new regulations for the RET – signed by the Governor-General on 15 June 2010 - will commence today. The regulations include: - To be eligible for Renewable Energy Certificates (RECs), installations must now comply with state and territory regulations for siting panels and building codes, including for panel mountings and connection;
- Installers must be both Clean Energy Council (CEC) accredited and licensed electricians, with the exception of some remote non-grid connections; and
- Requiring installers of solar panels to retain documentation of how they have met the above requirements.
The requirement to be a licensed electrician, which is already part of the CEC accreditation requirements, will now be an explicit requirement for the RET and its compliance regime. If these requirements are not met, installers will face penalties such as fines, injunctions, ineligibility to create RECs or criminal charges. "Solar panels allow householders to play their part in reducing our greenhouse gas emissions," Senator Wong said. "The government takes safety for solar PV very seriously and these additional measures will further strengthen safety arrangements for solar panels supported by the Renewable Energy Target." Senator Wong said the enhanced RET, currently before the Senate, also includes a number of new compliance measures such as civil penalties, tougher financial penalties and more stringent documentation requirements to prove compliance. The RET Bills were introduced on 12 May 2010 and the Government is committed to passage of the legislation before Parliament rises. "The amendments give the Renewable Energy Regulator more power to use against people that do the wrong thing, including breaches of safety requirements," Senator Wong said. The Office of the Renewable Energy Regulator continues to work with the CEC to deliver an enhanced program of compliance and performance checks. These checks would further ensure that the standards which underpin installation safety are met. "These checks will be rolled out as part of an ongoing process of improving compliance and performance in the renewables sector," Senator Wong said. Information for consumers is available at: www.climatechange.gov.au. |
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