Smart inverters will become mandatory for rooftop solar installations under Victoria’s $1.3 billion Solar Homes program from July 1, 2019. Victorian Energy Minister Lily D’Ambrosio said the smart inverter requirement would ensure Victoria’s grid could safely handle the supply from an expected one million new solar households over the next 10 years.
The latest report from the Clean Energy Council (CEC) reveals 2018 was the best-ever year with record rooftop solar with renewable records smashed across the board. The Clean Energy Australia Report 2019 shows rooftop solar energy systems added a record-breaking 1.55 GW of new capacity to the electricity market last year.
Queensland startup ACE EV has plans to revive the Australian car making industry with their range of cars assembled from imported flat-pack electric vehicle kits. Costing just $40,000, the ACE range of EVs are also one of the cheapest electric cars available in Australia. The team used special carbon fibre body panels from Taiwan and glued the EVs together in a Brisbane warehouse.
The Federal Budget energy measures released last night offered no surprises in terms of energy infrastructure, electricity costs and Australia’s energy future. It did include election-priming electricity bill relief of $75 for social security recipients, which could be a case of too little too late.