Core Ideas An innovative low‐cost open‐source Arduino‐based datalogger was developed. The datalogger was deployed for hydrologic monitoring in tropical watersheds. Arduino datalogger performance was robust after overcoming initial challenges. The system has great potential for automated continuous environmental monitoring. Continuous hydrologic monitoring is limited in many regions of the world, creating serious knowledge gaps for water resources managers and scientists. Recent advances in open‐source software and hardware technologies, such as the Arduino project, show potential for the development of low‐cost (∼$100) automated dataloggers required for continuous data collection. We developed an Arduino‐based datalogger (the Ecohydro Logger) coupled with water sensors providing digital output to establish a hydrologic monitoring network in the data‐scarce wet‐dry tropics of Guanacaste, Costa Rica. While we experienced some challenges with a first iteration of our Arduino‐based datalogger, an improved version was robust and able to capture long periods of high‐frequency stream discharge data. Integration of the monitoring program into the local community was also key to successful deployment, allowing exchange of local knowledge and support. The accessible and low‐cost nature of Arduino‐based dataloggers can provide a means to extend continuous environmental monitoring into data‐scarce regions.

In terms of generation capacity, Victoria has about 12,500 MW, out of a National Electricity Market (NEM) total of over 46,000 MW. A bit over half of Victoria’s capacity is made up of the brown coal generators in the Latrobe Valley (Loy Yang, Hazelwood, Yallourn). Gas-fired generation (mainly large open-cycle peaking plants, designed to operate only in times of high demand) and hydro plants (mainly parts of the Snowy scheme) add about 20% each, with wind currently making up the balance of around 9% of installed capacity in Victoria. In terms of wind farm location across the NEM, installed capacity is predominantly located in Victoria and South Australia, and to a lesser extent in Tasmania, with very small amounts in New South Wales and Queensland. This distribution is almost entirely due to the quality of the wind resource across the country.