Reports

 Energy storage is emerging as a potential means to support our existing electricity networks, facilitate the efficient operation of electricity markets, improve the stability of our grid as it becomes more dependent on intermittent renewable generation sources, provide for the needs of remote communities, and meet the private needs of residential and commercial customers. This report examines the commercial potential of six energy storage applications, or sub-markets, in Australia. 

It is essential that embedded generator proponents have access to quality information on which to base their investments. A streamlined approach is needed to ensure that larger embedded generators have a clear understanding of the connection processes which they must adhere to. 

This report from SKM MMA shows that Australia’s 20 per cent Renewable Energy Target has delivered $18.5 billion in investment, with the potential for $18.7 billion more if the policy is retained in its current form.

The report also demonstrates that the policy has delivered a reduction in fossil-fuelled power generation since its introduction in 2001, and if left unchanged will result in 12 per cent less coal-fired generation and 13 per cent less gas-fired generation between now and 2030.

Some energy companies have been campaigning to have Australia’s 20 per cent Renewable Energy Target reduced. The Clean Energy Council has prepared this paper to examine some of the central arguments and the implications for investment in renewable energy.

This report, prepared by Intelligent Energy Systems (IES) for the Clean Energy Council (CEC), contains the findings of a review on the implications of various net Feed-In Tariff scenarios in Queensland and the impact on demand for photovoltaic (PV) systems and the local solar industry.

This Sinclair Knight Merz (SKM) study, commissioned by the Clean Energy Council, highlights the investment, employment and carbon abatement figures generated from wind energy in Australia. The report found that for every 50 megawatts of capacity (enough to power nearly 21,000 homes annually), the average wind farm creates up to 48 direct jobs during construction, and then employs around five ongoing permanent staff.

The Clean Energy Council has released some of the most comprehensive polling on wind energy conducted in the last five years. The poll shows very high support for wind power across the board and 75 per cent of those polled were from regional communities around wind farms.

The Clean Energy Council engaged ROAM Consulting to provide a quantitative estimate of future retail electricity prices, particularly identifying the proportion of a residential consumer's electricity bill that is likely to be due to renewable schemes such as the Large-scale Renewable Energy Target (LRET), Small-scale Renewable Energy Scheme (SRES) and state-based Feed-in Tariffs (FiTs).

The Australian Solar Institute (ASI) has released a report on the potential of concentrated solar power (CSP) in Australia. The work was conducted by consultancy IT Power and highlights the global opportunity of CSP and argues that Australia needs to act now to have a stake in the global supply chain.

The report estimates that CSP can provide up to half of electricity generation in Australia by 2050 if given the right support. At present, there are numerous short-term barriers to the development of the technology and the study outlines these including the latest cost of the technologies.

A new Deloitte study commissioned by the Clean Energy Council interviewed major banks, venture capital firms, superannuation funds and other investors to get their recommendations on the $10 billion Clean Energy Finance Corporation.

The group identified the barriers and market failures that could be addressed by an institution such as the CEFC, which would be funded from carbon tax revenue collected from the nation's 500 biggest polluters.