THERE has been movement in the renewable energy sector in recent weeks with commercial solar photovoltaic contracts awarded to Solco and Renewable Logic, while Energy Made Clean’s Carnarvon solar power station has connected to the grid.
The $2.9 million, 290-kilowatt power station is owned and operated by EMC, with regional power utility Horizon Power its customer.
Australian Securities Exchange-listed Solco announced late last month that it had secured two new contracts worth more than $1 million, a 50kW system for two council buildings in Victoria and 65kW in this state’s north west.
The projects take Solco’s order books to a total value of $1.7 million.
Earlier last month, Renewable Logic announced it had secured a contract with joint venture partner TES Electrical to supply and install 99kW for the Cockburn Integrated Health and Community Centre.
Meanwhile, Energy Made Clean chief executive John Davidson said the company recently lodged an application for a permit to connect 2 megawatts to the South West Interconnected System, which services the area from Geraldton to Kalgoorlie and Albany.
EMC recently moved to improve solar photovoltaic options for small businesses by acquiring an electricity retail licence in order to build, own and operate 30kW systems and retail the power directly to the business.
Mr Davidson said with the carbon tax coming into play shortly, and the decreasing costs of solar PV systems, interest in employing solar systems had grown in recent months.
“The general interest from the mining sector and the business community is definitely on the rise,” he said.
Solco executive chairman Dave Richardson said the company’s recent contract wins showed it was well placed to increase its market share in the commercial project space.
“With the viability of solar energy now being realised by the commercial sector, the amount of projects we are tendering on is growing rapidly,” he said.
