Antinuclear

Costs of solar energy in Australia dropping, competitive with coal

  Australia, Solar Costs Actually Compete with Coal Calfinder  (USA) 9 Sept 11, Solar energy. Solar panels. Solar affordability. We’ve talked about it a lot. And for good reason—solar energy is emerging more and more into the social consciousness as a great alternative for coal and other exhaustible energy. Places all around the world are finding that the cost of solar energy is dropping. Especially in Australia.

Solar power generated by photovoltaic cells has created such a drop in cost for solar energy in Australia that the energy source has become incredibly cheap. In fact, these cells produce power for as little money as coal-derived electricity.

To find out how much solar costs in your area, click here.

Such a drop in cost, says the Australian Photovoltaic Association, has allowed solar to finally rival coal. The idea is called grid parity, where the government itself has begun to rethink pricing models and availability of solar paneling.

That’s saying a lot. But these solar panels are doing a lot. Across the country, governments are abandoning the concept of paying people for the power that their solar cells generate.

Despite the controversial feed-in tariffs, blamed largely for the country’s rapid rise in electricity costs, solar panels are generating electricity so cheaply that the solar source has become competitive with coal—even without subsidies, according to Photovoltaic Association spokeswoman Dr. Muriel Watt…. http://solar.calfinder.com/blog/news/australia-solar-costs/comment-page-

September 10, 2011 - Posted by Christina Macpherson | AUSTRALIA - NATIONAL, solar | solar