As the world deals with climate change and running out of fossil fuels, finding new energy sources is crucial. Biomass is one popular option. It’s made from plants and other living things.
But how is biomass energy as a fuel alternative for Australian businesses? Let’s find out.
Usually, when plants like crop leftovers, trees, or food scraps break down, they let out gases that are bad for the environment.
But with new technology, we can use these leftovers for energy and reduce pollution.
Turning leftover plants into fuel is essential for balancing the amount of carbon in the air. Plants take in CO₂ from the air and turn it into biomass.
When we turn biomass into fuel and burn it, it releases CO₂ back into the air.
But since the CO₂ originally came from the air, it’s a closed cycle that doesn’t add more carbon to the atmosphere. It helps keep carbon levels balanced and reduces the harm caused by greenhouse gases.
What is Biomass Energy?
Bioenergy technologies
Biofuels
Biopower
Bioproducts
How are Biofuels Produced from Biomass?
Biofuels are made from biomass, including plants, wood, and waste from living things.
Here’s how they’re produced:
Growing Biomass: First, we need plants or crops rich in sugars or oils. These plants can be grown on farms just like other crops.
Harvesting: Once the plants are grown, they are harvested, which means they’re cut down or collected.
Processing: After harvesting, the plants are processed to extract the valuable parts. For example, if the plant has a lot of sugar, it might be crushed to get the sugar out.
Fermentation: In some cases, like making ethanol, the extracted sugars are fermented. This means they’re mixed with particular bacteria or yeast that turn the sugars into alcohol.
Distillation: After fermentation, the mixture is distilled, which means it’s heated to separate the alcohol from other parts of the mix.
Refining: The alcohol or other biofuel might need further refining to remove impurities and make it suitable for use as fuel.
Blending: Sometimes biofuels are mixed with regular fuels like gasoline or diesel to create blends that can be used in vehicles.
So, in simple terms, biofuels are made from plants or other living things. These plants are processed to get the valuable parts out, which are then turned into fuel that can power vehicles.
Biomass as A Sustainable Alternative to Energy and Environment
Renewable Resource:
Reduces Greenhouse Gas Emissions:
When biomass is burned for energy, it releases carbon dioxide, but the plants that produce it absorb that same carbon dioxide from the air while growing.
So, burning biomass doesn’t add extra carbon dioxide to the atmosphere like burning fossil fuels does.
Burning biomass produces approximately the same amount of carbon dioxide as burning fossil fuels.
However, fossil fuels emit carbon dioxide captured by photosynthesis millions of years ago, creating an essentially “new” greenhouse gas.
Biomass, on the other hand, emits carbon dioxide offset mainly by carbon dioxide captured during its growth (depending on the amount of energy used to grow, harvest, and process the fuel).
However, studies have found that clearing forests to grow biomass incurs a carbon penalty that takes decades to recover, so it is preferable to grow biomass on previously cleared land, such as underutilized farmland.
Reduces Waste:
Supports Local Economies:
Can Improve Soil Health:
Some biomass byproducts, like biochar, can be returned to the soil to improve quality. This helps crop growth and can even help the soil absorb more carbon from the atmosphere.
Overall, biomass provides a way to produce renewable energy, reduces greenhouse gas emissions, reduces waste, supports local economies, and can even improve soil health. These benefits make it a sustainable alternative to traditional energy sources.
Implementation of Bioenergy in Australia
In Australia, many businesses are starting to use bioenergy, which is energy made from plants, wood, or waste.
Here’s how they’re implementing bioenergy and why it’s important:
Farming Biomass:
Using Waste:
Generating Electricity:
Reducing Carbon Footprint:
Opening New Employment Market:
Government Incentives:
Innovative Solutions:
Some businesses are exploring innovative bioenergy solutions, such as using algae to produce biofuels or capturing methane from landfills for energy. These technologies have the potential to reduce greenhouse gas emissions further and create new economic opportunities.
Overall, implementing bioenergy in Australian businesses helps reduce reliance on fossil fuels, lowers emissions, creates jobs, and supports sustainable development. It’s an essential step towards a cleaner and more sustainable energy future.
Biomass Utilization for Australian Businesses
In Australia, there are different ways to use biomass, which is energy made from plants, wood, or waste.
Here are some simple explanations of how biomass is used:
Burning Biomass:
Turning Biomass into Fuel:
Gasification:
Anaerobic Digestion:
Pyrolysis:
Pyrolysis involves heating biomass without oxygen to produce bio-oil, syngas, and biochar. These products can be used for energy or other applications.
These biomass utilization technologies help Australia produce renewable energy, reduce waste, and lower greenhouse gas emissions. They’re essential for creating a more sustainable energy future.
Energy Potential of Waste
Bioenergy is renewable energy made from materials like leftovers from farms, food factories, and forests, as well as household and industrial waste. It’s important because it can help us recycle materials and provide energy from waste products.
Some examples of biomass materials include leftovers from farming and food production.
Modern plants turn waste into energy in places like Europe, East Asia, and the United States. These plants are clean, work well, and can help reduce the gases that cause climate change.
Some of these plants use a process called gasification. It changes biomass and waste into a gas called synthesis gas. This gas can then be used to make other useful things like fuels for vehicles or fertilizers.
We have an excellent opportunity to make bioenergy even better in Australia. It can help us use cleaner energy and recycle more while still providing reliable electricity and reducing the amount of waste we throw away.
Contact Cyanergy for any commercial renewable energy solutions. Talk to an expert today!
Your Solution Is Just a Click Away
The post Biomass Energy As A Fuel Alternative For Australian Businesses appeared first on Cyanergy.
Biomass Energy As A Fuel Alternative For Australian Businesses
Weather Guard Lightning Tech
North Sea Summit Commits to 100 GW Offshore Wind
Allen covers Equinor’s Hywind Tampen floating wind farm achieving an impressive 51.6% capacity factor in 2025. Plus nine nations commit to 100 GW of offshore wind at the North Sea Summit, Dominion Energy installs its first turbine tower off Virginia, Hawaii renews the Kaheawa Wind Farm lease for 25 years, and India improves its repowering policies.
Sign up now for Uptime Tech News, our weekly newsletter on all things wind technology. This episode is sponsored by Weather Guard Lightning Tech. Learn more about Weather Guard’s StrikeTape Wind Turbine LPS retrofit. Follow the show on YouTube, Linkedin and visit Weather Guard on the web. And subscribe to Rosemary’s “Engineering with Rosie” YouTube channel here. Have a question we can answer on the show? Email us!
There’s a remarkable sight in the North Sea right now. Eleven wind turbines, each one floating on water like enormous ships, generating electricity in some of the roughest seas on Earth.
Norwegian oil giant Equinor operates the Hywind Tampen floating wind farm, and the results from twenty twenty-five are nothing short of extraordinary. These floating giants achieved a capacity factor of fifty-one point six percent throughout the entire year. That means they produced power more than half the time, every single day, despite ocean storms and harsh conditions.
The numbers tell the story. Four hundred twelve gigawatt hours of electricity, enough to power seventeen thousand homes. And perhaps most importantly, the wind farm reduced carbon emissions by more than two hundred thousand tons from nearby oil and gas fields.
Production manager Arild Lithun said he was especially pleased that they achieved these results without any damage or incidents. Not a single one.
But Norway’s success is just one chapter in a much larger story unfolding across the North Sea.
Last week, nine countries gathered in Hamburg, Germany for the North Sea Summit. Belgium, Denmark, France, Britain, Ireland, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Norway, and their host Germany came together with a shared purpose. They committed to building one hundred gigawatts of collaborative offshore wind projects and pledged to protect their energy infrastructure from sabotage by sharing security data and conducting stress tests on wind turbine components.
Andrew Mitchell, Britain’s ambassador to Germany, explained why this matters now more than ever. Recent geopolitical events, particularly Russia’s weaponization of energy supplies during the Ukraine invasion, have sharpened rather than weakened the case for offshore wind. He said expanding offshore wind enhances long-term security while reducing exposure to volatile global fossil fuel markets.
Mitchell added something that resonates across the entire industry. The more offshore wind capacity these countries build, the more often clean power sets wholesale electricity prices instead of natural gas. The result is lower bills, greater security, and long-term economic stability.
Now let’s cross the Atlantic to Virginia Beach, where Dominion Energy reached a major milestone last week. They installed the first turbine tower at their massive offshore wind farm. It’s the first of one hundred seventy-six turbines that will stand twenty-seven miles off the Virginia coast.
The eleven point two billion dollar project is already seventy percent complete and will generate two hundred ten million dollars in annual economic output.
Meanwhile, halfway across the Pacific Ocean, Hawaii is doubling down on wind energy. The state just renewed the lease for the Kaheawa Wind Farm on Maui for another twenty-five years. Those twenty turbines have been generating electricity for two decades, powering seventeen thousand island homes each year. The new lease requires the operator to pay three hundred thousand dollars annually or three point five percent of gross revenue, whichever is higher. And here’s something smart: the state is requiring a thirty-three million dollar bond to ensure taxpayers never get stuck with the bill for removing those turbines when they’re finally decommissioned.
Even India is accelerating its wind energy development. The Indian Wind Power Association welcomed major amendments to Tamil Nadu’s Repowering Policy last week. The Indian Wind Power Association thanked the government for addressing critical industry concerns. The changes make it significantly easier and cheaper to replace aging turbines with modern, more efficient ones.
So from floating turbines in the North Sea to coastal giants off Virginia, from island power in Hawaii to policy improvements in India, the wind energy revolution is gaining momentum around the world.
And that’s the state of the wind industry for the 26th of January 2026.
Join us tomorrow for the Uptime Wind Industry Podcast.
Based on the polls, we can see that most of the American people have a seething hatred of Trump, but at least God thinks he’s done a good job.
If you live in Australia, you might have heard the rumours that commercial solar rebates are being phased out.
Just got thinking if your business has missed its chance to cash in on government support?
Hold on! Let’s set the record straight: the government rebates and incentives are still active, and in 2026, they’re more strategic than ever.
Australia remains a global leader in rooftop solar, but the rules of the game have evolved. It’s no longer just about covering your roof with solar panels and exporting cheap power to the grid.
In 2026, the smart move is pairing commercial solar with battery storage, demand management, and tax planning to maximise savings and control when and how your business uses energy.
From small cafes and warehouses to large manufacturing facilities and corporate headquarters, businesses of all sizes can still unlock substantial rebates, tax incentives, and funding opportunities.
The main goal is to understand how the current program works and how to stack them correctly before the rebates end.
Therefore, this guide breaks down how to maximise government rebates for commercial solar in 2026 in Australia, so you can slash power bills, boost energy independence, and make every incentive dollar count.
Let’s dive in!
In this blog post:
-
Understand the Federal Government’s Core Incentive Options
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How Can You Stack State & Territory Rebates and Grants?
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Turn Australian Tax Deductions into Business Advantage: Here’s How!
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Let’s Explore Strategic Funding & Innovative Financing Methods
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Plan Your Install with Timing & Market Awareness
-
Financial Metrics That Matter: Cash Flow, ROI & Payback
-
End Notes
Understand the Federal Government’s Core Incentive Options
At the national level, Australia’s federal government continues to support commercial solar through several key programs. The rebate program includes:
Small-scale Renewable Energy Scheme (SRES)
This is one of the most popular commercial solar rebates across Australia. Under the SRES, eligible solar systems that are up to 100 kW generate Small-scale Technology Certificates.
These certificates are tradable and provide upfront discounts when you install solar. Your installer usually handles the paperwork, and the value is passed as a discount during installation.
Why does this matter for business owners?
STCs can directly reduce your upfront costs by tens of thousands, making solar a much more affordable long-term investment. This might sound exciting to many. But act sooner rather than later.
Why?
Because the value of STCs gradually decreases as we approach the RET (Renewable Energy Target) end date in 2030.
So, planning a 2026 installation can secure more certificates at higher values.
Large-scale Generation Certificates (LGCs)
For bigger commercial solar systems above 100 kW, it’s a different story. These systems fall under the Large-scale Renewable Energy Target and generate LGCs based on the electricity they produce each year.
These certificates are sold in the market, generating ongoing revenue, not just an upfront discount.
Why are LGCs a great option?
- Provide cash flow over many years.
- Can often outweigh STC savings for larger systems.
If your roof can support a system over 100 kW, you can easily scale up to access LGCs and create an annual income stream rather than just an upfront rebate.
New Federal Battery Rebate
From mid-2025, the federal government introduced battery rebates under the SRES framework, which continue into 2026.
In this battery home program, systems paired with solar can receive rebates for each usable kWh of storage installed up to 50 kWh.
This helps to:
- Reduces battery cost by approximately 30%.
- Enhances the value of your solar by allowing you to use more of the energy you generate rather than exporting it at a discount.
Pair solar with batteries wherever profitable. Solar alone saves you money, but paired with batteries, your business becomes more resilient and less exposed to low grid pricing.
How Can You Stack State & Territory Rebates and Grants?
Federal incentives are powerful, but stacking them with state-level rebates and grants can multiply savings.
Here’s what’s active or expected to continue in 2026:
New South Wales (NSW)
NSW supports commercial solar and batteries with:
- STC rebates on solar.
- Reset Peak Demand Reduction Scheme (PDRS) rebates for batteries. $1,600–$2,400 in addition to bonuses for VPP participation.
Here’s a pro tip! If you add a VPP-ready battery to existing or new solar installations, you can claim both state and federal rebates.
Victoria
Victoria continues its Solar for Business initiatives with:
- Rebates for smaller commercial systems.
- Interest-free loans and technical support.
- Extra funding to encourage SME solar adoption.
You can pair your Victorian rebate with federal STCs and depreciation allowances for the best stack.
Queensland
Queensland has regional programs such as:
- Energy audits for businesses.
- Co-contribution grants.
- Targeted agricultural support to reduce daytime energy costs.
Regional businesses often qualify for multiple small grants, so schedule an audit early in your planning to identify all available incentives.
Turn Australian Tax Deductions into Business Advantage: Here’s How!
Government support isn’t just limited to rebates; tax incentives can be just as valuable.
Instant Asset Write-Off & Temporary Full Expensing
Businesses installing solar can often write off the full cost of the system in the year it is installed, resulting in significant reductions in taxable income. This also:
- Improves cash flow in the year of investment.
- Can stack with rebates.
Before installing, consult your solar installer to ensure you’re claiming the maximum allowable deduction and that the structure aligns with your business’s tax year.
Standard Depreciation
Even if you don’t qualify for instant write-offs, solar is still a depreciating asset. You can claim deductions over its useful life, typically 20+ years, blending your return through ongoing tax savings.
Let’s Explore Strategic Funding & Innovative Financing Methods
You don’t have to own the system outright to enjoy the benefit:
Environmental Upgrade Agreements (EUAs)
There are councils, such as Environmental Upgrade Agreements (EUAs), that link loans to your property, allowing you to finance energy upgrades through your rates rather than traditional debt, often at better rates and longer terms.
In this method, solar starts saving money immediately, and a new cash-flow strategy makes solar accessible even without large upfront capital.
Power Purchase Agreements (PPAs)
With a PPA, a third party installs and owns the solar system, and you buy the energy at a reduced rate for 7–15 years.
What are the benefits:
- Zero upfront cost.
- Consistent electricity pricing.
- Reduced risk.
A PPA may not generate STCs for you, but it can reduce out-of-pocket costs and be more financially advantageous for smaller businesses or those with constrained budgets.
Plan Your Install with Timing & Market Awareness
If you plan to install solar on your commercial property, timing is very crucial. The reason is simple and straightforward.
- The rebate values decline over time. The SRES scheme reduces the number of certificates annually as 2030 approaches.
- The battery rebates also step down periodically.
Therefore, all you need to do is book an appointment early, obtain free quotes, sign contracts, and schedule installations early in the financial year to secure the highest possible rebate.
How To Qualify for Maximum Returns?
In Australia, if you want to qualify for federal incentives, you must follow these two rules:
- Panels and inverters must be Clean Energy Council (CEC) approved.
- Installer must be accredited (Solar Accreditation Australia or equivalent).
Be aware! Skipping an accredited installer or choosing low-quality equipment can disqualify you from getting rebates, so always verify credentials and approvals.
Financial Metrics That Matter: Cash Flow, ROI & Payback
Understanding your commercial solar project isn’t just about grabbing rebates; it’s about making them count. Here’s how to approach it:
Build a 10-Year Financial Model
Include:
Upfront costs before rebates Rebate cash inflows (STCs, state grants, battery subsidies) Tax deductions Avoided electricity purchases Revenue streams (LGCs for large systems)
Then calculate:
- Payback period
- Net Present Value (NPV)
- Internal Rate of Return (IRR)
In most cases, businesses with high daytime usage see paybacks in 3–6 years, which is far better than traditional capital investments.
End Notes
Beyond rebates and tax savings, commercial solar boosts your business in ways that don’t show up on a spreadsheet instantly. It brings:
Brand credibility: Customers increasingly want sustainable partners.
Energy resilience: During peak grid pricing or outages, solar + battery keeps the lights on.
ESG leadership: If you report on environmental goals, solar is a visible, measurable contribution.
By 2026, Australia’s commercial solar incentives will still be robust, but navigating them takes strategy:
Do this first:
- Understand federal incentives (STCs, LGCs, battery rebate)
- Explore state rebates and stacking opportunities
- Talk to your accountant about tax deductions
- Get multiple quotes and install early in the year
- Choose an accredited installer and products
And then:
Consider financing alternatives like EUAs or PPAs Build a financial model before signing on the dotted line Look beyond dollars to brand and operational resilience
Finally, the clean energy transition isn’t just an environmental choice; it’s a smart commercial move. With thoughtful planning and the right rebate stack, commercial solar in 2026 can be one of the most lucrative sustainability investments your business makes.
Ready to go solar?
Start with a trusted installer like Cyanergy, get a tailored quotation, and lock in every available rebate before they step down.
Your Solution Is Just a Click Away
The post Maximise Government Rebates for Commercial Solar in 2026 appeared first on Cyanergy.
https://cyanergy.com.au/blog/maximise-government-rebates-for-commercial-solar-in-2026/
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