Antinuclear

As costs tumble, Australia poised for large-scale solar boom

Australia on cusp of large-scale solar boom as setup costs tumble, experts say, ABC News, PM By Angela Lavoipierre , 30 Mar 17 Large-scale solar looks to be on the cusp of an Australian boom.

The country has quietly had a record-breaking year in the construction of major solar projects, and the trend is predicted to continue.

Seven large-scale solar projects were completed in 2016 and even more will be built over the next 12 months, as rapid advances in technology propel large-scale solar towards price parity with wind power.

Clean Energy Council CEO Kane Thornton said it was “a record year” for large-scale solar, which could soon overtake wind as the cheapest form of renewable energy, thanks to rapid advances in technology.

“Already this year in 2017, we’ve had over a dozen projects committed and now moving onto construction,” he said.

“The costs of large scale solar has halved in just the last few years here in Australia. “We expect over the next couple of years [it] will really reduce the cost to a point that it is the lowest cost form of renewable generation in this country.”

Ivor Frischknecht, who heads the Australian Renewable Energy Agency (ARENA) — the agency that delivers Federal Government funding for renewable projects — said the boom was approaching sooner than anyone expected.

“A couple of years ago we analysed the market and thought that by the early 2020s we might be able to get there, to be cost competitive with wind,” he said.

“But in fact we’re there already — we’re seeing large scale solar projects happen without any support.”

ARENA said the formation of a domestic solar industry had also brought down costs.

Moree solar farm ‘ground-breaking’

Moree is the site of one of Australia’s newest large-scale solar farms and the fourth largest in the country.

The town of less than 10,000 people in northern New South Wales has perfect conditions for generating solar power, enduring a record 54 consecutive days over 35 degrees Celsius this summer.

The Moree solar farm is an example of the kinds of challenges once faced by large-scale solar in Australia……http://www.abc.net.au/news/2017-03-29/australia-on-cusp-of-large-scale-solar-boom-experts-say/8377226

March 31, 2017 - Posted by Christina Macpherson | AUSTRALIA - NATIONAL, solar