Industry News
300 GW of solar PV to be installed in the next five years
The solar PV industry is set for rapid growth over the next five years, with up to 100 GW annual deployment being targeted in 2018, according to the latest edition of NPD Solarbuzz Marketbuzz. [ + ]
Airbus selects Nexans as main cable supplier
Nexans will design, manufacture and supply 130,000 km of specialised cables for the Airbus modern aircraft family from the single-aisle A320 Neo, the A350 series up to the flagship double-deck A380. [ + ]
Transparent solar cells reach 7.2% efficiency
German organic solar film producer Heliatek GmbH says it has achieved a new record in transparent solar cell efficiency: transparency levels of up to 40% with an efficiency of more than 7%. [ + ]
Inaugural Wind Industry Forum sells out
The inaugural Wind Industry Forum in Melbourne was a sellout, with 200 industry professionals attending to hear insights from leading experts. [ + ]
Report assesses the future of the Aust PV industry
Interested to know how ARENA, the RET Review and the carbon price will affect the PV industry? SunWiz and SolarBusinessServices have released a collaborative report: Australian PV - Market Forecast 2013-2018. [ + ]
AMA statement provides peace of mind for communities near wind farms
Communities living near wind farms have every reason to feel reassured about their safety after the Australian Medical Association (AMA) released a public statement on wind farms and health, the Clean Energy Council says. [ + ]
Changes needed to reap benefits of vectored VDSL2
Communications Alliance has advocated significant regulatory changes that are needed to ensure that the benefits of vectored VDSL2 can be realised if this technology is incorporated into a reworked NBN. [ + ]
Electrical expert to present at ACI Connect conference
Professor Alex Baitch, national president, Engineers Australia, will be speaking at the upcoming ACI Connect conference, to be held in Melbourne on 9 and 10 April. [ + ]
Engineering conference early bird discount ends Friday
Australia's new engineering conference, ACI Connect, to be held in Melbourne on 9 and 10 April, has attracted a high-quality list of speakers and trainers. The 25% early bird conference discount closes this coming Friday, 21 March. [ + ]
Industry video project to boost apprenticeships
Apprentices are the lifeblood of the electrical contracting industry. It is therefore imperative that our younger generation are equipped with the tools and knowledge necessary to make informed decisions about the career pathways available to them within our industry. [ + ]
Power outages increase in frequency and severity across Australia and NZ
Power outages are becoming more frequent across Australia and New Zealand, increasing from 94 reported outages in 2012 to 162 in 2013. These are among the findings contained in the Australian and New Zealand Blackout Tracer Annual report for 2013. [ + ]
VEET is working, says Clean Energy Council
The Clean Energy Council has hit back at claims that cutting the Victorian Energy Efficiency Target (VEET) would reduce household electricity bills, calling them "wrong and short-sighted". [ + ]
Royal Commission into insulation program hearings begins
The Royal Commission into the Home Insulation Program’s second round of hearings has begun in Brisbane. The National Electrical and Communications Association (NECA) has welcomed the investigation. [ + ]
Big solar could boost Australia's power, if renewables funding stays
The recent start of construction on the first of two large-scale solar photovoltaic (PV) power plants in outback New South Wales shows the importance of renewable energy targets and funding. [ + ]
$80m in finance available for green retrofits
Finance is now available for energy-efficiency retrofits of commercial property. Significant additional Environmental Upgrade Agreement finance is available through an agreement between the CEFC and National Australia Bank. [ + ]
