This week has showed how solar power is growing all over the world as well as becoming cheaper than fossil fuels. We can do some pretty cool solar power installations today and Australia can lead the world to more renewables.

Reports published in the US have shown a pretty stable second quarter to 2013. Usually the second quarter experiences some uncertainty and the third quarter becomes stronger again. However, research shows that while residential and commercial solar power didn’t increase (or decrease much) utility scale solar power increased making for a 15% overall increase from the first quarter of this year. The US installed 832MW’s of new solar power in the second quarter of this year alone. Click here to read the full article. 

An Australian state has a once again had a world first in the renewable energy sector with Adelaide running the first 100% solar powered bus. The bus is a free bus named Tindo which is an Aboriginal word for sun. Operating since February, the bus goes around 200kms between recharges and has saved the Adelaide City Council around 14 000lts of diesel alone. The Adelaide Central Bus Station has a solar power system installed to recharge the 11 Zebra batteries that run the bus. Click here to read the full article. 

A business headquarters building in Scotland has had solar power installed in a pyramid shape – yes, perfect triangles completely out of rectangular solar panels. It is quite impressive – design and ingenuity at its best. Many companies turned down the job but Sustainable Renewable Technologies embraced the challenges and got the job done. Click here to read the full article. 

Research in the US has calculated the cost of electricity from renewables and fossil fuels taking into account the environment and health factors of burning coals etc. Many federal agencies have clubbed together to put a price on these factors and called in the Social Cost of Carbon or SCC. Using the conservative figures, renewables are once again cheaper than fossil fuel generated electricity but it is also showing that it is financially viable to stop running existing fossil fuel plants and replace them with clean energy alternatives. Click here to read the full article.

We are expecting a great weekend of sunshine – don’t forget the sunscreen and we hope your solar system will be generating you free electricity while you enjoy it!