Articles by
Sophie Vorrath
Wind farm noise not harmful to health: New study finds no evidence of wind turbine syndrome
By
Sophie Vorrath
Once again another study confirms there are no health impacts from "infrasound."
Rooftop solar tariff jumps nearly 40 pct in Tasmania as power crisis continues
By
Sophie Vorrath
asmania has become the latest National Electricity Market state to raise the rate households are paid for the rooftop solar they send to the grid, in response to the fossil fuel driven hike in wholesale electricity prices up and down Australia’s east coast.
NSW regulator nearly doubles rooftop solar tariff as coal and gas prices soar
By
Sophie Vorrath
New South Wales solar households can expect to see an almost doubling of some feed-in tariffs offered by retailers in the state, after the pricing regulator raised its guidance for rooftop solar exports to between 6.2-10.4c/kWh.
Victoria slashes rooftop solar feed-in tariff by another 22 per cent
By
Sophie Vorrath
Victoria’s energy regulator has made another cut to the state’s solar feed-in tariff, confirming this week that the minimum rate retailers would be directed to pay households for their excess rooftop PV would fall from its current level of 6.7c/kWh to 5.2c/kWh, starting in July.
The wind farm where turbines shut down 400 times a day when eagles approach
By
Sophie Vorrath
So far, the technology has proven highly successful in protecting the local population of “Wedgies,” with just one mortality due to a turbine collision identified during the initial commissioning of the IdentiFlight system.
Regulator flags another cut in solar feed-in tariffs in NSW
By
Sophie Vorrath
New South Wales pricing regulator, IPART, has flagged another “likely” reduction to the state’s recommended – and entirely voluntary for retailers – feed-in tariff for rooftop solar power exported to the grid, as it prepares to set new benchmarks for the next three financial years.
Queensland regional solar feed-in-tariffs cut as renewables push prices down
By
Sophie Vorrath
Rooftop solar households in regional Queensland are set to receive more than 15 per cent less for the solar PV generated electricity they send back to the grid, after the state’s pricing regulator proposed a cut to the feed-in tariff.
Tasmania wind farm Australia’s first to use eagle protection technology
By
Sophie Vorrath
New technology to detect and prevent eagles from colliding with rotating wind turbine blades will be applied in Australia for the first time – at Goldwind Australia’s Cattle Hill Wind Farm in the Central Highlands of Tasmania.
High altitude solar plant on “roof of Iran” pays off for cement company with FITs
By
Sophie Vorrath
It does this, rather than consuming the solar power directly, because of generous, long-term feed-in tariffs offered by the government. These mean that the €1.2 million system is providing the Shahrekord Cement Company with revenue of €340,000 a year.
Bigger is now better for rooftop solar – even for low energy users
By
Sophie Vorrath
The report, by the Alternative Technology Association (ATA), says that current market indicators, including falling technology costs and rising feed-in tariffs, mean that the economics now favour larger rooftop solar systems – 5kW and above – for almost all types of households in almost all locations.
US study finds properties near wind farm enjoy huge increase in value
By
Sophie Vorrath
Newly released assessments of nearly 1000 properties in the southern part of El Paso, located near a wind farm southeast of Calhan, found no decrease in property values since the wind farm’s installation – but rather a combined increase in value of $US65.3 million.
Queensland lifts solar feed-in tariff by 17% in response to surging gas prices
By
Sophie Vorrath
Households in regional Queensland will get a more than 17 per cent boost to their rooftop solar feed-in tariff come July, in response to rising electricity prices driven by the high cost of gas power in the state.
