Solar Power Australia, through our Electric Vehicle division ELMOFO, are building a high performance Electric Radical Race Vehicle. The objective of this project is to build an electric powered Radical that can mix it up on the track with the extremely high performance V8 powered Radical SR8s. Our performance modelling indicates that we will have more power and torque than the V8, but will be carrying more weight. It should be an interesting comparison when our car hits the track.

The Radical SR8 chassis and body design provides high aerodynamic down-force for physics-defying grip and cornering. The Radical SR8 is not able to be registered for on-road use in Australia, but it can be in England, much of Europe and some other parts of the world. The Radical SR8 currently holds the two (2) fastest Nurburging lap times for a road registered vehicle.

The ELMOFO Electric Radical will feature some of the highest performance EV components currently available. Some of these components have been designed and built specifically for this vehicle, but will have uses in other performance projects. These include a prototype dual-inline stack AC electric motor and prototype high output liquid cooled Lithium battery modules.

Photos and information on the build will be progressively posted here, so stay tuned…

Additional information and updates can be found on the ELMOFO website and our ELMOFO facebook page.

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Solar Power Australia was contracted to design and install Stand Alone Solar Power Lighting Systems to illuminate two (2) double sided billboards on the M7 Motorway near Sydney NSW. The requirement was for lighting systems that could reliably provide light levels of 400 Lux on the billboard sign adverts for 7 hours after sunset and 3 hours before sunrise.

The billboards are located in the Dean Park and Eastern Creek regions of the M7 Motorway which are relatively remote with the nearest grid power supply at a distance of around 1.5km. The client requested that the solar panel array be mounted in a highly visible manner to promote the renewable energy aspect of these sites.

Each of the billboard solar power systems incorporated 27 x LG 225W Polycrystalline Solar Modules which had their output current boosted and regulated by an array of Outback FM60 MPPT Solar Regulators. The power is stored in large Hoppecke OPzV Gel deep cycle battery banks. Illumination to each side of the billboard is provided by 6 x 120W LED Floodlights.

Please contact us for more information about our solar powered billboard lighting systems.

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Solar Power Australia is proud to have been a part of the “Panasonic Eclipse Live by Solar Power” event held at Port Douglas in November 2012.

Panasonic Japan commissioned Solar Power Australia to design and construct a portable solar power system to charge the Lithium battery packs to run all the camera and computer equipment required to film the total eclipse of the sun in Cairns and Port Doulas in QLD Australia. The equipment was also to be used to broadcast the live footage of the eclipse to hundreds of thousands of viewers around the globe.

Through the success of this project, Panasonic (powered by SPA) were able to capture some of the best footage of this spectacular event which was broadcast nationally on Australia’s Channel’s 7 and 9, as well as globally through the internet.

The most practical method to make a relatively large solar power system portable is to build it on a trailer. As the project required a considerable amount of energy production, even using the high efficiency Panasonic 235W HIT solar modules, the necessary number of modules would require a very large trailer. As such, we designed a system where the electronic components were housed in the payload area of a box trailer and the solar modules were attached to the side of the trailer and deployed on the ground.

The Panasonic Eclipse Solar Trailer system incorporated a 2.115kW solar array consisting of 9 x Panasonic 235W HIT solar modules. Boosting and regulation of the charge current was performed by a Midnite Classic 250 MPPT solar controller which fed the current to the 48V 216Ah Geltech storage battery bank. An Outback Power Systems VFX3048 Inverter Charger provided 230VAC power to run various equipment, while large DC-DC Converters provided power to charge the Lithium battery packs.

Please contact Solar Power Australia for more details or to provide us with your solar trailer requirements.

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Solar Power Australia’s ST-235 Solar Communications Trailer was developed to service the growing distributed communications networks on mine sites. The ST-235 is designed to power a wireless mesh system based on the Rajant Breadcrumb LX series and have been providing reliable power for networks across Australia since 2008.

Fleets of ST-235 solar trailers have been deployed in all major mining regions of Australia including the Hunter Valley NSW, Mackay QLD, South Australia and the Pilbara Region in WA.

The ST-235 is manufactured to the MDG-15 Mining Specification and incorporate a high efficiency Sanyo/Panasonic HIT solar module, ultra-reliable Blue Sky Energy Solarboost MPPT solar controller, long-life Gel deep cycle batteries, stainless steel equipment enclosure and hot dip galvanised trailer chassis and components.

Please contact us for more information on our range of solar trailers.

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Solar Power Australia’s solar powered bus shelter lighting systems increase public safety and reduce the likelihood of vandalism. These purpose-built solar lighting systems are adaptable to most bus shelter designs and have sufficient energy production to provide light from dusk til dawn.

Our bus shelter lighting systems incorporate low profile, light weight UNI-SOLAR flexible solar panels. The UNI-SOLAR stick-on amorphous thin-film solar modules virtually become part of the bus shelter roof. These vandal resistant glass-less modules are more shade and heat tolerant than typical crystalline modules and are better suited to pick-up incident light.

The power from the UNI-SOLAR modules is directed to the maintenance-free gel batteries via an advanced Blue Sky Energy Maximum Power Point Tracking (MPPT) solar controller. These US built controllers boost the daily energy production by up to 30% and they have proven to be one of the most reliable MPPT solar regulators currently available.

Solar Power Australia designed and supplied one of these bus shelter solar lighting systems for Newcastle City Council. The system, which features vandal resistant LED strip lights, was installed in Mayfield NSW on one of their busiest bus shelters.

Please contact us for more information on these systems.

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Solar Power Australia’s conversion of a DeLorean DMC-12 to a performance Electric Vehicle was completed in June 2012. We are pleased to say that the conversion was a success with the electric drive providing much better performance than the V6 petrol engine.

Our DMCEV Electric DeLorean is charged from outlets in solar powered buildings or our mobile solar trailer. As such, this electric vehicle is EMISSION FREE!

Additional information and updates can be found on the ELMOFO website and our DMC-EV facebook page.

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Model:
1981 DeLorean DMC-12

Original Motor:
2.8L PRV V6
95kW (130hp) 207Nm Torque

Electric Motor:
EVO Electric AFM140 Axial Flux Motor
167kW (224hp) 612Nm Torque

Motor Control:
Rinehart Motion Systems PM100DXR Motor Controller
450Amp AC Liquid Cooled Inverter

Battery System:
A123 Systems Lithium Ion Nanophosphate Modules
370V(nom) 405V (peak) 22kWh

Battery Charging:
3.5kW CAN Controlled On-Board Charger

Recharge Time:
Typically 4 to 5 hours
Full charge from flat in under 7 hours

Vehicle Range:
130km with Regenerative Braking in use

Despite promises by Campbell Newman during his campaign that the solar bonus scheme would not be cut, the Queeensland State Government has now followed suit and become the last state in Australia to cut Solar PV feed in tariffs to the point where they may as well not even exist.

From July, the net feed-in tariff will be cut from a 44c/kWh to just 8c/kWh. This political backflip is bad news for the solar industry, but at least existing Scheme customers will continue to receive the 44 cents tariff (provided they maintain their eligibility for the scheme).

Customers who wish to access the 44 cent rate will need to lodge a network connection application before midnight on 9 July 2012 in order to be considered for the existing 44 cent tariff. This provides a notice period of 10 business days for people who have already purchased their PV system on the basis of the 44 cent tariff, but have not yet applied for the scheme. Customers in QLD, should visit the Department of Energy and Water Supply website or call the Queensland Government Customer Service Centre  on 13 43 87.

The Queensland Greens believe the decision will create “uncertainty and service delivery problems for small businesses installing solar panels” and The CEC estimates that 4,500 jobs could go in Queensland. What happens now in the Queensland market will be interesting to see – in the last year Queensland accounted for nearly half the rooftop PV installations in Australia.

In stark contrast to this decision, the state government has subsidised coal and coal seam gas to the tune of  almost $7 billion in in the past five years.  In the same period, only $900 million was spent on renewable energy and energy efficient industries.

According to the Institute of the Renewable Energy Industry (IWR),  German solar power plants produced a world record 22 gigawatts of electricity last Friday and Saturday which is roughy equal to 20 nuclear power stations at full capacity.  This is great news for another country that is set to abandon nuclear power after the Fukushima nuclear disaster last year.

Long term, all nuclear reactors will be replaced by renewable energy sources such as wind, solar and bio-mass.

If you’re wondering just how much electricity that is, 22 gigawatts supplied nearly 50% of Germanys midday electricity needs.

As Norbert Allnoch, director of the Institute, explained: “Never before anywhere has a country produced as much photovoltaic electricity,”

Government-mandated support for renewables has helped Germany became a world leader in renewable energy and the country gets about 20 percent of its overall annual electricity from those sources. This record breaking event is evidence that solar can be used at scale, and is a reliable alternative for every power needs (which many critics will often argue against).

In Germany, incentives through the state-mandated “feed-in-tariff” (FIT) are the lifeblood of the industry until photovoltaic prices fall further to levels similar for conventional power production… although, Merkel’s centre-right government is trying to accelerate cuts in the FIT, which has already fallen by between 15 and 30 percent per year, to nearly 40 percent this year.

Interestingly though, while feed in tariffs have also been slashed in Australia, we’re setting some records of our own and a good indication that the REC program is making a difference in down under.

A Renewable Energy Certificate (REC) calculator allows you to make an estimate of the amount of credits that you can receive for your installed solar power system unit. The Federal Government has currently adopted RECs as the rebate scheme to promote renewable energy – it’s commonly referred to as ‘solar credits’. REC represents a renewable energy measurement and it can be traded for cash. One megawatt hour of electricity is equivalent to one REC and you can generate credits from eligible solar hot water systems, photovoltaic systems, wind energy systems, etc.

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Australia is cited as one of the countries that faces a great amount of risk from climate change. The burning of coal is seen as a major factor contributing to climate change in Australia. However, Australia has a significant potential for generating power from renewable energy sources such as solar, wind, geothermal, etc. Design and installation of such technologies are expected to mitigate the generation of greenhouse gases substantially.

With a view to increase the generation and use of renewable energy, the Renewable Energy (Electricity) Act 2000 made it compulsory for electricity retailers and major users to purchase a specified amount of electricity from clean energy generators. They also needed to produce evidence of purchase of renewable energy by acquiring Renewable Energy Certificates (RECs). Each REC represents one MWh of electricity purchased. In case of failure to acquire the requisite number of RECs that would meet the annual target according to the legislation, the parties have to pay a fine of AUD40 per MWh. Read More …

The Clean Energy Council (CEC) is an industry association representing the clean energy sector of Australia. More than 600 member companies, many of which represent the renewable energy sector and others working in the energy efficiency field, make up the council. The members of the CEC are involved in the development and implementation of modern technology systems for clean energy generation and management, including solar, wind, marine, hydro, geothermal, etc.

CEC is a non-profit incorporated association which is based at Melbourne. It operates nationally and is primarily funded through membership fees. Additional income is generated through industry-associated programs such as accreditations. Read More …

With support from the Australian Solar Institute, Associate Professor Tim Schmidt from the University’s School of Chemistry, together with the Helmholtz Centre Berlin for Materials and Energy, has developed a “photochemical up conversion” that allows energy, normally lost in solar cells, to be turned into electricity.

This new breakthrough means that low cost solar cells suitable for rooftop panels could reach up to 40 percent efficiency in the near future.

Using the new upconversion technique (a process which harvests the part of the solar spectrum currently unused by solar cells) will also eliminates the need for costly redevelopment of solar cells.

As Associate Professor Tim Schmidt explains, ”We are able to boost efficiency by forcing two energy-poor red photons in the cell to join and make one energy-rich yellow photon that can capture light, which is then turned into electricity,” Read More …

Australia’s latitudinal position on the planet and a near-perennial dry climate makes it immensely suitable for solar energy production and usage. On any given day, a major part of Australia receives a high measure of solar radiation during any given time.

Solar panels have been fitted in many Australian household rooftops since the 1970s and nationwide, there’s an estimated 300 MW of installed photovoltaic (PV) power, contributing an estimated 0.1 to 0.2% of total electricity production. Read More …

Australian Resource Focus speaks with Brett Sutherland about Solar Power Australia, how the company has grown, where it’s going and why solar is so important.

As the article points out, the solar market is no longer a niche area, it’s a highly competitive and whether or not you believe in global warming, the cost of electricity is sky rocketing and most people are looking at ways to reduce their energy bill.

As Brett explains, “ “What they talk about now is solar power achieving grid parity, and they believe in Australia it’s pretty close. What that essentially means is that your investment to install a solar power system to produce an amount of energy will be recouped within 25 years, which is within the life of the system. The price of power from the grid is regularly increasing, whereas the cost of solar power is coming down. So it definitely has a place.”

The full article is online at the AFR website. 

Solar Power Australia has been featured as “Circuit” mag’s Company of the Month. It’s great recognition for the one of the country’s largest suppliers and integrators of sustainable energy products.

As Brett (our MD) points out, “We’re not just a household solar company like a lot of other companies – we actually come from an industrial background and are able to service industrial clients.” Customers can choose from a range of packaged deals or have a system tailored specifically to their budget and needs”.

Check out the full article after the jump or download the PDF version of the article here. Read More …

The Australian government is encouraging the installation and use of solar power by households and small businesses through rebates and feed-in tariffs to reach the goal of substituting 20% of the continent’s energy consumption with energy from renewable sources by 2020. This article is intended to provide you with some information in selecting and installing the right solar power system for your household. Read More …

The Australian Government has been working to increase solar energy uptake from as early as 2001 through the Mandatory Renewable Energy Target (MRET) scheme. The MRET has since been merged with the state and territory targets to form RET that currently consists of the Small-scale Renewable Energy Scheme (SRES) and the Large-scale Renewable Energy Target (LRET).

With the SRES in place, solar uptake has seen a marked increase in Australian households. Some of the solar energy facts of the Australian Clean Energy Council’s (CEC’s) annual assessment report of 2011 are as listed below and they paint an encouraging picture:

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Australia’s greenhouse gas per capita emission values are currently the highest in the world with a major portion of the emissions, about 35%, contributed by the electricity generation sector. In order to bring down the greenhouse gas emission levels, the Australian government has begun focusing on renewable sources of energy. The outcome of this focus is the government sponsored Mandatory Renewable Energy Target (MRET) scheme that was implemented in 2001 with a view to increase energy contribution from this area. Read More …

If you’re looking to install a solar power system, it is important to choose the right components to suit your individual requirements. This article aims to discuss the importance of choosing the right type of solar panels to maximize the benefits of installing a solar power system. Read More …