Hi everyone,
 
Welcome to another issue of the Solar Quotes weekly newsletter - please feel free to forward it on to others.

As always, it's been an interesting week on the solar scene in Australia and overseas - check out the stories below. 
 
By the way, don't forget you can get 3 solar quotes from trusted solar installers at our website - and you can also stay in touch with what's happening on SQ via our Facebook page.
 
Regards,

SQ VIEWS

Rooftop Solar And Exclusion Zones: Where Solar Panels Dare Not Go
Ideally solar panels should not be installed right up to the edges of your roof. But how much space should be left exactly?
 
Australian Solar Systems Interest Index – January 2018
While the holiday season and lead-up to it had an impact on the number of Australians looking at going solar (as it often does), interest in new solar power installations was still very strong in December.

SOLAR NEWS

More Solar Savers For Victoria’s City Of Darebin
The City of Darebin is boosting its Solar Saver program in an effort to help the City increase its installed solar power capacity from 18MW to 36MW. 
  
Construction To Start On Poland’s First "Designer" Solar Farm
A 10MW solar farm to be built in Jelenia Góra will have panels arranged in the shape of a city symbol – a deer.
  
Claim Australians Back HELE Coal Power Questioned
Results from a poll indicating 68% of Australians surveyed back so-called high-efficiency, low emissions (HELE) coal fired power generation have been met with a healthy degree of skepticism. 

Yarranlea Solar Farm Construction To Commence Soon
The construction of a 100MW solar farm 45 kilometres west of Toowoomba is expected to start early this year after recent approval from the Australian Electricity Market Operator (AEMO). 

Clock Ticking For Coal Power In Great Britain
The UK government announced last week how it intends ending unabated coal fired power generation in Great Britain by 2025 – and the date its proposed rules will come into effect. 

Electric Plane Takes First Flight In Australia
Last week reportedly saw the first time a certified electric aircraft has flown in Australia – a Pipistrel Alpha Electro owned by Electro.Aero that successfully completed test flights in Perth. 

Solar Power To Feature In Victorian Turkey Farm Expansion
Leadoux Turkeys in Bairnsdale is relocating and expanding its free-range production and processing venture, part of which will include installing a solar power system. 

280MW+ Of Big Solar In The Pipeline For Victoria’s Moira Shire
TheShire of Moira looks set to be home to at least two and possibly three large scale solar farms in the near future.

New York State Governor Sets 1,500MW Energy Storage Goal
New York State Governor Andrew M. Cuomo has proposed a USD$200 million investment to assist the state’s private sector in meeting an energy storage target of 1,500MW by 2025.

China’s Solar Electricity Generation Up 72%
Solar power systems installed in China cranked 106.9 billion kilowatt-hours of clean electricity last year through to the end of November according to the country’s National Energy Administration. 

Queensland’s Oakey 2 Solar Farm Reaches Financial Close
Australia’s Clean Energy Finance Corporation (CEFC) has committed $55 million in debt finance to the 55MW Oakey 2 solar farm project in south-east Queensland, construction of which will start soon. 

Australian Distributed Solar PV Electricity Generation Statistics
Close to 1.8 million solar power systems are now installed in Australia – how much electricity have PV installations been generating?
 
Read more from the blog

FRESH IS BEST

If you're yet to get 3 obligation-free solar quotes from our network of trusted installers, or perhaps you didn't go ahead on a set of quotes issued previously for whatever reason and still want to install solar, now is a great time to submit for fresh quotes!

USEFUL SOLAR INFO

Solar Power Forecast Tool
We developed this handy tool in collaboration with WeatherZone to help you forecast your solar system's output up to 48 hours ahead. 

Important Mistakes To Avoid In Buying Solar 
Don't become a lost sheep in a field of wolves. Learn about the top 7 mistakes people make when buying solar power systems.

13 Questions To Ask A Solar Company
Before you sign on the dotted line, ensure you have satisfactory answers to these important questions.

Solar Battery Storage Explained
How to buy a solar system with battery storage. Do you need backup functionality or not? How much should you pay, and what batteries are safe and reliable?
 
Compare Solar Feed In Tariffs 
Make sure you are getting a good solar feed in tariff - try this easy to use comparison tool

Solar Battery Comparison Table
Discover battery prices and specifications of dozens of energy storage solutions with our solar battery storage comparison table.