Feed-in tariffs, tax incentives needed to fire up Australia’s Big Solar
In Spain, Germany and Italy, feed-in tariffs have driven massive growth in big solar. In the United States, loan guarantees coupled with tax incentives and renewable energy targets have driven growth. Along with the exiting renewable energy target (RET), these incentives should be adopted by whoever wins the federal election to ensure Australia meets its solar potential.
CLIMATE SPECTATOR: Big solar’s big potential, Business Spectator. John Grimes, 16 Aug 2010 This week, the Australian Solar Energy Society joined the Australian Conservation Foundation in calling for an additional 5 per cent of Australia’s electricity to come from ‘big solar’ by 2020.
That target would see the generation of around 8,500 megawatts of large-scale solar, and the construction of more than 30 big solar plants around the country. It would also cut Australia’s carbon pollution by more than 240 million tonnes over the life of the projects.
A 5 per cent target is ambitious, but not unrealistic. The projects exist – Solar Flagships drew out 52 big solar projects, at least scoped at the initial phase, with local partners and support (see table below) – and the technology is ready, including the ability to dispatch power to the grid when it is needed most, 24 hours a day. The only thing missing is the incentive to invest……
The International Energy Agency reports Australia could generate 5 per cent of its electricity from concentrated solar power. In its recent report, Technology Roadmap: Concentrating Solar Power, the IEA indicated concentrating solar power should be a competitive form of peak and intermediate power by 2020, and of baseload power by 2025 to 2030. The IEA went even further, reporting that concentrating solar power would be able to provide 40 per cent of Australia’s electricity by 2050.
But as the IEA makes clear, government incentives will make the difference between the success or failure of big solar in Australia……..
In Spain, Germany and Italy, feed-in tariffs have driven massive growth in big solar. In the United States, loan guarantees coupled with tax incentives and renewable energy targets have driven growth. Along with the exiting renewable energy target (RET), these incentives should be adopted by whoever wins the federal election to ensure Australia meets its solar potential.
CLIMATE SPECTATOR: Big solar’s big potential | John Grimes | Commentary | Business Spectator
No comments yet.
1 This month
of the week – Disrupting War & Militarism in Oceania. Active solidarity. Radical practice.
Antinuclear 
Leave a comment