Solar power in Tasmania is an endangered species!
A Call To Save Solar In Tasmania http://www.energymatters.com.au/index.php?main_page=news_article&article_id=3683 11 April 13, An alliance of householders, community groups and businesses including Energy Matters have called on the Tasmanian government to safeguard the state’s renewable energy future.
“The government is rushing headlong into arrangements for the privatisation of Aurora’s retailing of electricity, including putting legislation to Parliament this week, but has been conspicuously non-committal on the future of feed in tariffs,” said Jack Gilding, spokesperson for the group.
Earlier this week we reported Tasmania’s feed in tariff is one of the most generous active programs in the nation – a 1 for 1 arrangement – but it’s a program without a set duration. This has led to growing concern the incentive could be slashed when Aurora Energy is replaced by private companies in 2014.
Such a change could affect 10,000 households in Tasmania that have already installed solar PV systems and have a dramatic impact on the state’s renewable energy sector.
“It’s not just about solar panels on houses,” said Mr Gilding. “Tasmania has the potential to be the renewable energy powerhouse of Australia. Changes to the electricity market could be an opportunity to harness the potential for many Tasmanians to be producers, not just consumers of electricity. Households, communities, farmers and businesses are keen to invest in these opportunities, but the government needs to provide a supportive policy environment.”
The group is calling for a public consultation and review process that sets a fair price for solar and other small renewable energy technologies; with “fair” being more than the wholesale price of electricity as it does not take into account the many additional benefits of distributed generation.
The group is also seeking guarantees existing tariff arrangements will continue for people who have already installed solar PV systems and those who order before new arrangements are finalised.
Further details can be viewed and a petition signed on the Save Solar Tasmania web site.
Myth of “baseload power” – Renewable electricity IS reliable
Why 100 per cent renewables is possible… and affordable, Climate Spectator Mark Diesendorf 11 April 13, “…..In a previous article for The Conversation I reported on the initial results of computer simulations by a research team at the University of New South Wales that busted the myth that renewable energy cannot supply baseload demand. However at the time of the article I was still under the misconception that some baseload renewable energy supply may be needed to be part of the renewable energy mix.
Since then Ben Elliston, Iain MacGill and I have performed thousands of computer simulations of 100 per cent renewable electricity in the National Electricity Market, using actual hourly data on electricity demand, wind and solar power for 2010. Our latest research, available here and reported here, finds that generating systems comprising a mix of different commercially available renewable energy technologies, located on geographically dispersed sites, do not need baseload power stations to achieve the same reliability as fossil-fuelled systems.
The old myth was based on the incorrect assumption that baseload demand can only be supplied by baseload power stations; for example, coal in Australia and nuclear in France. However, the mix of renewable energy technologies in our computer model, which has no baseload power stations, easily supplies baseload demand.
Our optimal mix comprises wind 50-60 per cent; solar PV 15-20 per cent; concentrated solar thermal with 15 hours of thermal storage 15-20 per cent; and the small remainder supplied by existing hydro and gas turbines burning renewable gases or liquids. (Contrary to some claims, concentrated solar with thermal storage does not behave as baseload in winter; however, that doesn’t matter.)
The real challenge is to supply peaks in demand on calm winter evenings following overcast days. That’s when the peak-load power stations, that is, hydro and gas turbines, make vital contributions by filling gaps in wind and solar generation. http://www.businessspectator.com.au/article/2013/4/11/renewable-energy/why-100-cent-renewables-possible-and-affordable#ixzz2QC1tYRM9
Renewable electricity is affordable
Our latest peer-reviewed paper, currently in press in Energy Policy journal, compares the economics of two new alternative hypothetical generation systems for 2030: 100 per cent renewable electricity versus an ‘efficient’ fossil-fuelled system. Both systems have commercially available technologies and both satisfy the NEM reliability criterion. However, the renewable energy system has zero greenhouse gas emissions while the efficient fossil scenario has high emissions and water use and so would be unacceptable in environmental terms.Energy efficient buildings and appliances, solar hot water, onshore wind, solar photovoltaic modules, concentrated solar thermal power with thermal storage and gas turbines burning a wide range of renewable liquid and gaseous fuels are commercially available on a large scale. The costs of these technologies have declined substantially, especially those of solar PV. Continue reading
Analysing the motives of anti wind power campaigners
5. Nuclear Advocates
These people may or may not believe that global warming is real, but they are invested heavily in nuclear energy as the answer to almost all of our energy needs and often have a poor understanding of grid management. They tend to be smart but ignore human dynamics of problems, and have a blind spot about the effort and time required to develop nuclear engineers and maintenance workers. Their greatest challenge to renewables campaigns is that their arguments are leveraged by others who are just against wind energy…….
If countered, the average nuclear advocate will drag out more and more factoids about nuclear energy’s value and wind power’s lack of value. They will likely reference amateur and professional studies which look good until you dig in and realize the biases. Generally a time suck, so avoid digging into their arguments in too much depth…… . Talk past them to those listening.
Examples: Willem Post (USA), James Lovelock (sadly, UK), Barry Brook (Australia)
NOT JUST NIMBYS: UNDERSTANDING ANTI-WIND ENERGYCAMPAIGNERS Barnard on Wind, by Mike Barnard 8 April 13, NIMBY is a nice crisp acronym, but it is completely inadequate as a categorization of the various people fighting against broader penetration of renewables in energy grids world wide and their motivations…..
1. NIMBY – Not In My Back Yard Continue reading
Exposing Sarah Laurie’s deceptive anti wind farm propaganda
Sarah Laurie’s windfarm fearmongering enough to make you sick, Independent Australia, 9 Apr 13 In spite of 17 reviews and a new landmark study, Sarah Laurie defiantly continues her propaganda campaign against wind farms. Mike Barnard reports. A LANDMARK STUDY by Fiona Crichton at the University of Auckland recently showed that propaganda linking the low levels of noise from wind to sickness is a strong cause of anxiety related symptoms. The control group, which hadn’t watched the video of health fears from anti-wind campaigners, had no symptoms.
The findings backed up previous reports in Australia showing “unwarranted fear-mongering might cause greater health impacts than the presence of any actual ‘Wind Turbine Syndrome’”.
Sarah Laurie, head of the Waubra Foundation, an offshoot of the anti-wind, astroturfer, the Landscape Guardians, is the source of a great deal of the anti-wind propaganda which is harming people’s health.
To date, Sarah Laurie’s work has been largely constrained to south-eastern Australia, however she has begun to spread her wings. We can expect a related spread of so called ‘Wind Turbine Syndrome’, an illness that Professor Simon Chapman has famously dubbed a ‘communicated disease’. (Due to her active spreading of disinformation, she’s up for the Australian Skeptics’ annual Bent Spoon award for 2013.)….. Continue reading
Australia’s 1 million solar systems, 8,000 solar jobs, and solar’s financial benefits
the recent national 1 million systems milestone being reached
Australia’s solar industry currently employs over 8,000 Australians.
a good quality 5kW solar power system can return a financial benefit of up to $2,540 each year, depending on installation location.
Australia’s Top Solar Postcodes – 2013 Update http://www.energymatters.com.au/index.php?main_page=news_article&article_id=3675 8 April 2013. Australia’s Clean Energy Council (CEC) has released updated data showing the nation’s top solar postcodes.
Top 10 postcodes in Australia (ranked by number of installed solar panel systems), current as of 10 March 2013: Continue reading
Wollongong’s revolutionary “solar renewal house”
A Photovoltaic Thermal Air System creates heat in winter while in summer the system creates cool air through the night. In winter the thermal storage allows the system to store heat during the day and then release this to the home at night. In summer the reverse occurs.
Solar renewal in the suburbs http://www.theaustralian.com.au/news/features/solar-renewal-in-the-suburbs/story-e6frg8io-1226611687319 BY:STEPHEN BROOK :The Australian April 05,
A QUIET design revolution is taking place in the streets of Wollongong which, if successful, could change the shape of the construction industry and our suburban landscape at the same time.
A team of 30 students from the University of Wollongong and the adjacent TAFE Illawarra, schooled in the disciplines of engineering, architecture, creative design, construction and marketing, supported by a network from industry and academia, are close to realising their dream – the transformation of the humblest of domestic dwellings, the fibro home, into an energy- efficient house of world class.
Just how world class will become apparent in August when the project – dubbed the Illawarra Flame – is displayed on the world stage.
The Illawarra Flame has won a place in the finals of the Solar Decathlon, one of the world’s biggest renewable energy competitions, scheduled to take place in August in the city of Datong, in northern China. Continue reading
Rapid growth in Australia’s home solar systems
1,000,000+ Rooftop Solar Power Systems Installed In Australia http://www.energymatters.com.au/index.php?main_page=news_article&article_id=3674 5 April 13 More than one million solar panel systems have been installed on the rooftops of homes and businesses throughout the nation. According to a Sydney Morning Herald article, the milestone was passed last month states an analysis by SunWiz Consulting; which found 1,011,478 systems had been installed by the end of March. This figure does not include solar hot water systems.
It wasn’t that long ago the 1 million mark seemed like a pipe dream – in 2001 only 118 Australian homes had solar panels installed. Continue reading
Australia’s big power retailers against renewable energy
Renewables future at mercy of big power retailers The Age, April 2, 2013 Peter Hannam Carbon economy editor A “buyer’s strike” by two of Australia’s biggest electricity retailers is potentially stalling growth in the renewable energy industry just two weeks after the government gave its backing for the sector, a big renewable energy supplier said.
Andrew Richards, executive manager of corporate affairs at Pacific Hydro, said EnergyAustralia and Origin Energy, which control more than half the national electricity market, had halted the signing of long-term power purchase agreements with wind and other renewable energy suppliers, in effect blocking developers from securing loans for new projects.
“For whatever reason, they’re just not contracting,” Mr Richards said. “Unless they start contracting, you just simply can’t get the finance – particularly non-recourse project finance – to build these projects.”
Last month, the government agreed to leave the renewable energy target largely unchanged after its latest biennial review. Under the policy, large-scale generators must supply 41,000 gigawatt-hours of renewable energy annually by 2020……http://www.businessday.com.au/business/carbon-economy/renewables-future-at-mercy-of-big-power-retailers-20130402-2h4ki.html
Solar energy plant for Broken Hill approved by New South Wales govt
$200m Broken Hill solar plant approved ABC News By Eugene Boisvert Apr 2, 2013 A $200 million solar power station for the far west has been recommended for approval by the NSW Government.
Electricity company AGL is planning to build the plant at Rob Day Station south-west of Broken Hill.AGL has indicated there will be 150 jobs in construction and four ongoing positions once the solar power plant is operational at the end of 2015.
The company has agreed to environmental conditions the state has imposed in approving the solar power station….. AGL is also planning to build a wind farm near Silverton. It has not yet been approved for construction.
Both have been named major projects by the NSW Government. http://www.abc.net.au/news/2013-04-02/24200m-solar-plant-approved-by-state-government/4604438
Fully renewable energy is a practical option for Australia
Switch to fully renewable energy within reach: report, SMH, 3 April 13, 2013 – Peter Hannam Carbon economy editor Australia’s main electricity market could source all of its electricity from renewable energy with the help of a carbon price of as low as $50 a tonne, according to research at the University of NSW.
The researchers found currently available renewable energy technologies such as wind and concentrated solar thermal power could displace all fossil-fuelled power plants in the National Electricity Market, according to a peer-reviewed paper published in the international Energy Policy journal.
It would cost us a bit but it would be quite affordable Continue reading
Sunflower solar power at Byron Bay bluesfest
Solar Power At Byron Bay’s Bluesfest by Energy Matters 1 April 13 Byron Bay Bluesfest’s Lotus Palace sound system is powered by solar panels this year. Called the Sunflower, the 1.2 kilowatt solar power system’s panels are arranged in the shape of flower petal that can be tilted and positioned for optimum orientation to the sun.
The off grid system was created by Southern Cross University’s Doctor Barry Hill and SCU’s Visual Arts technicians and students, who incorporated cutting-edge latest digital audio amplification technology and a lithium battery bank.
“The aim of the project is to show the way sustainable design principles can be promoted within the Australian music industry, as well as promoting best practice in alternative power generation and energy efficient audio-visual technology,” said Dr. Hill.
The Sunflower project is ongoing and will further develop and refine a high efficiency audio visual production system…… http://www.energymatters.com.au/index.php?main_page=news_article&article_id=3664
A note of optimism: Australia’s renewable energy initiatives are being kept.
New-look Climate Change Department: What’s ahead? ABC News,
By environment reporter Sarah Clarke Mar 27, 2013 “………Which agencies are safe? A spokesman from Mr Combet’s office says the “Clean Energy Regulator, Clean Energy Finance Corporation and the Australian Renewable Energy Agency (ARENA)” are all clear.
The Clean Energy Regulator will remain independent with the newly-merged Climate Change Industry, Innovation, Science, Research and Tertiary Education portfolio.
The Clean Energy Finance Corporation is an independent agency within Treasury. That too won’t change.
ARENA is independent within the Resources, Energy and Tourism portfolio. That too continues as is.
But can Climate Change and Industry work together? The Climate Institute thinks so.
“It’s not illogical to have Climate Change, Industry and Innovation under one umbrella,” chief executive John Connor said.
Mr Connor says what matters is that climate change is taken seriously across all of government and across all portfolios.http://www.abc.net.au/news/2013-03-27/climate-marriage3a-will-it-work3f/4595794
Queensland’s way of slowing down solar rooftop energy
Political moves in Australia’s renewable energy landscape, PV Magazine 25 MARCH 2013 BY: JONATHAN GIFFORD, “……….In the state of Queensland, where over 1 GW of photovoltaics is expected to have been installed when its Feed In Tariff expires on July 10, a report into the electricity market has suggested new pricing structures for households installing a photovoltaic array……
The report recommended that a price of AUD0.0755/kWh be paid for electricity fed back into the grid from photovoltaic arrays, in south east Queensland, in 2013/14. It also found that compulsory minimum FITs were not required, and left the possibility of “gross FITs” open. Gross Feed In Tariffs have been vigorously opposed by the solar and renewable energy industry as they essentially prevent the self-consumption of electricity from a rooftop array.
In areas outside of the major population centers in the state, the Competition Authority report recommends the monopoly utility pay between AUD0.08 – AUD0.14/kWh for solar electricity from households.
The report has been criticized by supporters of renewable energy, because it does not take into account the advantages and savings that additional photovoltaic capacity adds, but rather assesses it only as a cost. These advantages include the reduction of wholesale electricity prices – the “merit order effect” – and a reduction of demand in peak times.
The report was also illustrative of some of the potential obstacles the solar industry may face in the future in Australia. The Queensland Department of Energy Supply and Water proposed to the Competition Authority that a limit be introduced to the amount of electricity that could quality for a FIT from each household and even the right of utilities to refuse solar connections http://www.pv-magazine.com/news/details/beitrag/political-moves-in-australias-renewable-energy-landscape_100010677/#ixzz2OxVmPPeE
The facts on Australia’s potential for rooftop solar energy
Rooftop Solar Could Supply 134% Of Australian Residential
Power Needs (includes excellent table illustrating Australia’s rooftop potential and costs) http://www.energymatters.com.au/index.php?main_page=news_article&article_id=3660 27 March 2013: Australians feeling the pinch from high electricity prices have an economical alternative, and if every suitable rooftop in Australia was turned into a solar power station, the amount of energy generated would supply more than 134.8% of the country’s residential electricity needs.
Not only would the installation of solar on every roof be a boon for jobs, the cost of the electricity being generated would be reduced to a mere 7 cents per kWh. This potential new pricing point is in total contrast to what Australians are currently paying; up to 40 cents per kilowatt-hour (kWh)1 in some parts of the country, which is predicted to continue climbing. Continue reading
1 This month
Help Aunty Sue Protect Her Land and Sacred Sites From Destructive Rocket Testing.
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PETITION – To: Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and the Australian Labor Government
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