The federal government's decision to set a date to close the solar power rebate is expected to cause a surge in demand from consumers for domestic solar power installations in 2009.

The ACT government has announced that the implementation date for the renewable energy Feed-in Tariff scheme has been brought forward from July 2009 to March 2009.

The ACT government has announced an additional $10.4 million of funding over four years will be allocated for the new Department of the Environment, Climate Change, Energy and Water (DECCEW).

NECA has awarded the 2008 Electrical Trade Teacher of the Year Award to David McKee, a teacher at SkillsTech Australia in Queensland.

HPM Legrand will open its new 12,500 m² national distribution centre in Sydney’s south-west in January 2009.

Schneider Electric will combine its core Australian operations with its Engineered Services division and specialist subsidiaries Citect and NuLec to form one entity as of 1 January 2009.

The ACT Labor Government has appointed PricewaterhouseCoopers as the external adviser for the market testing stage of the Territory's planned solar power facility. The government is expected to call for construction proposals in early 2009.

A South Australian portable appliance manufacturer has been awarded a grant from Australian Industry Group to further its business opportunities in testing and tagging instruments.

A major office and retail project in Brisbane has been awarded a 6-Star Green Star rating by the Green Building Council of Australia, recognising it as a world leader in environmentally sustainable office design.

Electrical contractor, Apps Electrics has been recognised for its apprenticeship and youth training programs in the 2008 Melbourne Business Awards.

Telstra's non-compliant bid for the National Broadband Network raises plenty of questions about their strategy for this massive project. Telco industry analyst Ovum presents its opinion on what's behind the bid.

The PT1199SS ‘Power on a Chain’ power board is designed to provide electrical power to work areas via overhead means, removing the hazards of tripping or electrocution from electrical leads strewn across floors.

To assist in dealing with local skills shortages, the ACT government hosted the National Conference on Overseas Skills that addressed overseas qualifications, offshore assessment arrangements, skills shortages and skilled migration.

O'Donnell Griffin has been contracted by Origin Energy to install domestic solar energy systems nation-wide, which has the potential to secure up to $20 million in revenue for them over the next five years.

Defying the current downward economic trends, a recent ABS reports shows that Australia's construction and engineering markets enjoyed considerable growth last quarter.