wiredinUSA October 2014

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Kane Thornton , Chief executive at Clean Energy Council

Floating solar

Australians support renewables

Kyocera Corporation, Century Tokyo Leasing Corporation and Ciel et Terre International have announced plans to begin construction on what is believed to be the world’s largest floating solar installation. Terms of the deal call for Kyocera TCL Solar LLC to develop and operate utility-scale floating solar power plants utilizing Ciel et Terre’s Hydrelio © floating solar platforms in two installations totaling 2.9MW at Nishihira Pond and Higashihira Pond in Kato City, Hyogo Prefecture, Japan. The 1.7MWplant, planned at Nishihira Pond, will become the world’s largest solar power generating system installed on water, according to the Kyocera. Kyocera and Century Tokyo Leasing jointly established Kyocera TCL Solar LLC in August 2012 to construct and operate multiple utility-scale solar power plants in Japan under the country’s feed-in-tariff system. Since its launch the company has constructed 28 solar power plants.

An Australian renewable energy industry body has commented that the federal government has not convinced the industry or the public of a need to change the renewable energy target (RET) and should leave it alone. Clean Energy Council’s acting chief executive, Kane Thornton, said that while it was reassuring that the federal government had indicated it would not do anything that damaged billions of dollars in existing investment, the options it has discussed to date would decimate the industry. “Neither the government nor the Warburton review has made any convincing argument for reducing the RET, particularly as the review’s own economic modeling showed every scenario for reducing the target would result in higher power bills,” Mr Thornton said. “The ongoing uncertainty is impacting thousands of businesses and the 21,000 people they employ across the country. Every week that passes there are more stories of businesses shrinking or closing and people losing their jobs in this sector."

ASIA / AFRICA NEWS

wiredInUSA - October 2014

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