Western Australian govt making some strangely anti-commercial decisions on energy
Dumb and dumber energy choices in the wild West, REneweconomy, By Giles Parkinson on 7 November 2012 The Western Australia energy system can proudly lay claim to some notable firsts for Australia. In 1986, it opened the nation’s first commercial wind energy plant near Esperance. Just last month, the state government formally opened the nation’s first utility-scale solar farm near Geraldton.
Now it may have a new but less admired “first” – a power plant that is built, but doesn’t operate, and is paid for by a state-sponsored tariff imposed on consumers. The Perth-based company Merredin Energy is in the throes of completing an 82MW peaking plant near the wheat-belt town of the same name. It is being built at an estimated cost of $95 million and proposes to use expensive and highly polluting diesel fuel, but it may never be switched on.
And if it isn’t, its owners might not care – under WA’s capacity payments system, they’ll likely make enough money simply for being there – around $15 million in its first year. In fact, they might prefer if the plant wasn’t used. Some analysts suggest it would difficult to run the diesel plant at a profit – even during critical peak periods – given the sky-high cost of diesel and the fact that WA power prices rarely jump to more than $300/MWh. Continue reading
How embarassing for Australia’s politicians! Solar power will influence election results
Solar’s irresistible political spell, CLIMATE SPECTATOR: Tristan Edis, 6 Nov 2012 “….. the seats 
most likely to influence who takes the reins of government. Not all the seats have high solar PV penetration, (indeed it seems some of the highest solar PV penetration is in safe regional Liberal and National Party seats). But as an overall average, around one in 10 households have a solar PV system. Even in Victoria, where solar PV tends to be less popular than the sunnier states, all the marginal seats have at least one in 20 households with solar PV. Continue reading
Australia is way behind on centralised solar energy – lack of political vision
Solar Insights: How Australia trails the world in big solar REneweconomy By Giles Parkinson 6 November 2012 How is it that the Energy Minister in London, who possibly spends much of his time dressed in Wellington Boots and a sou’wester, should articulate a solar vision for the UK vastly more ambitious than anything expressed by a government minister in Australia? Continue reading
Australian Solar Council Releases RET Recommendations Analysis,by Energy Matters, 6 Nov 12 The Australian Solar Council has released a detailed analysis by industry experts of the Climate Change Authority’s (CCA) draft recommendations for the Renewable Energy Target.
The Council recently expressed serious concerns relating to the Climate Change Authority’s (CCA) recommendations to slash incentives for residential solar power past what is already set to occur, i.e. the final phase-out of the Solar Credits multiplier next year.
Particularly troubling was the suggestion of introducing a “solar divider” if the cost of solar panel systems fell in the previous year; if the payback period for solar customers was less than 10 years; or if the scheme made up more than 1.5% of electricity bills…….. The full report can be viewed here. http://www.energymatters.com.au/index.php?main_page=news_article&article_id=3452
Rooftop solar energy will be an issue in Australia’s 2013 election
MP’s – How Many Pro-Solar Voters In Your Electorate? http://www.energymatters.com.au/index.php?main_page=news_article&article_id=3450 by Energy Matters, 5 Nov 12 Some MP’s will get a nasty shock and others a pleasant surprise this morning as they gain more insight into how many pro-solar voters live in their electorates.
A map and accompanying tables compiled by consultancy firm Sunwiz and released by the Australian Solar Council, 100% Renewables and the Solar Energy Industries Association shows substantial solar uptake in many marginal seats and a particularly strong showing in the mortgage belts of our big cities and in rural regions. For pro-solar MP’s, the news will be heartening, but to those opposed, the results could be a little worrying.
The map indicates Prime Minister Julia Gillard’s electorate of Lalor in Melbourne has the second highest uptake of solar panels and solar hot water systems.
“Four million Australians now have solar on their roofs, thanks to the Renewable Energy Target, and we know many more Australians want to go solar to cut their power bills”, said John Grimes, Chief Executive of the Australian Solar Council. “This is true peoples’ power.” Lindsay Soutar, 100% Renewables National Campaign Co-ordinator, says solar will be an important issue in the election next year.
“Solar offers householders the ultimate financial control over their power bills so voters will be looking to see which party will help them manage their energy bills now and in the future.”
Our politicians shouldn’t just be concerning themselves with the favour of current solar households, but those wanting to make the switch. An additional estimated 1.5 million Australians are likely to install solar panels on their roofs over the next two years – if the Renewable Energy Target isn’t interfered with.
“Politicians in all electorates are on notice,” says Brian England, National Chairman of the Solar Energy Industries Association
The Climate Change Authority’s (CCA) Review of the Renewable Energy Target Discussion Paper had an unpleasant surprise for small scale solar. The CCA has suggested reducing the level of Renewable Energy Certificates (RECs) attached to home solar power systems; which would impact on the subsidy available. This suggested action would be in addition to the Solar Credits multiplier ending next year.
The Australian Solar Council has strongly opposed the recommendation and 100% Renewables recently undertook a “People’s RET Review” to show the Climate Change Authority the depth of support for an unchanged RET in the wider community.
Who’d have thought it? Solar PV becoming a political issue
Climate-Action Canberra via 100% Renewable News in today! Get set for the 2013 solar election. Rooftop solar in Australia is spreading like wildfire, especially in marginal seats. Check out new data released today by Australian Solar Council, SunWiz and us, showing number of solar homes in each Australian electorate. Sunny days ahead!
How rooftop solar PV suddenly became a hot political issue http://reneweconomy.com.au/2012/how-rooftop-solar-pv-suddenly-became-a-hot-political-issue-13825 By Giles Parkinson 4 November 2012
For years, some politicians have wanted to dismiss rooftop solar PV (and other renewables), as a middle class fetish for wanting to be green. The last thing they would have expected was solar emerging as a political issue, not just on the state and national scale, but in their own electorate.Both views have now been shown to be mistaken.
A whole series of surveys and postcode analysis have shown that Australia has one of the highest deployments of small scale systems on household roofs in the world – beaten only by Japan – and most of this has been put on the rooftops of households in the nation’s mortgage belts, in the city and in regional areas.
Finally, someone has done the obvious and made the effort to link these installations with electoral divisions. The results will take many politicians by surprise. Now they must now sit up and take notice. Continue reading
USA solar PV sales set to grow in Australia
Mixed Greens: USA solar giants target Australia and Asia, REneweconomy, 2 November 2012 The two largest US solar PV manufacturing companies, First Solar and SunPower, said they will target growth in “sustainable” markets such as Australia as part of a new focus on the Asia-Pacific and the Middle East markets. SunPower CEO Tom Werner said Asia-Pacific is offering the best opportunity for growth, with shipments to Japan up 30 per cent and growth expected in Australia, China and India, he told Bloomberg in an interview. First Solar CEO Jim Hughes said his company will be looking to expand in the same regions, along with the Gulf region, where the company has selected the company to build its first solar farm, a 13MW project in the first step of a $US3.3 billion initiative
Australia’s Renewable Energy Target on track to stay
Shrinking the cost of renewables, CLIMATE SPECTATOR: Daniel Palmer , 2 Nov 2012 On Wednesday, the front page of The Australian and the third page of The Australian Financial Review carried stories of complaints about the renewable energy target. It was followed up today by an editorial in The Australian and one suspects many more similar pieces in coming weeks. It represents the last roll of the dice for those critical of the scheme to influence the Climate Change Authority on the RET Review, but it will probably come to nothing…..
Given the Climate Change Authority has come to a preliminary conclusion that the benefits outweigh the costs based on the original modelling that overstated costs, surely its opinion on the worth of the scheme has only gone up in light of this development.
Those against the large-scale scheme in its current form are going to have to shout mighty hard to get through now given the costs have been shown to be so moderate. In fact, their chances of getting the CCA to
alter its mindset in the next few weeks appear remote…… Continue reading
Energy efficiency company moving overseas, as fossil fuel influence too strong in Australia
power consumers were at the mercy of the dominant power generators and retailers such as Origin, Energy Australia and AGL, which had little incentive to innovate or improve energy efficiency.
Australia ‘too difficult’ for high-tech energy company http://www.smh.com.au/environment/australia-too-difficult-for-hightech-energy-company-20121101-28mqy.html#ixzz2B6WBSMBO November 2, 2012 Peter Hannam A HIGH-TECHNOLOGY energy company spun off from the CSIRO two decades ago says entrenched power companies and shifting government policy are forcing it to all but abandon Australia.
Ceramic Fuel Cells, which makes small fuel cells that generate power and heat from gas or renewable energy, has shed 60 of its 110 local staff since July, and expects 98 per cent of sales to come from overseas this year. The company will retain its research and development at Noble Park but will shift the bulk of its operations to Germany. Continue reading
King Island switches from diesel to renewables – with large battery energy storage system
Australia’s largest battery-based renewable energy storage system to be built on Tasmanian island Process and Control Engineering 1 November, 2012 Kevin Gomez Australian energy storage company Ecoult has been awarded the Hydro Tasmania contract to supply the largest battery based renewable energy storage system in Australia for the King Island Renewable Energy Integration Project (KIREIP).
Ecoult CEO John Wood said the UltraBattery storage system would shift and smooth renewable energy generated on King Island and will help maintain stability of the power grid.
“Ecoult’s UltraBattery solutions support the utilisation of renewable energy by storing energy in periods where there is excess generation and making it available when it is needed to better match demand,” Wood said…… http://www.pacetoday.com.au/news/australia-s-largest-battery-based-renewable-energy
Australian Energy Market Operator (AEMO) find S.A.’s solar rooftop energy is lowering mains consumption
Thanks in part to the state’s solar feed in tariffs, currently at nearly 26c per kilowatt hour for new participants for any surplus electricity exported to the mains grid; South Australia has the highest penetration of rooftop PV of all the National Electricity Market (NEM) states.
Solar Driving Down South Australia’s Mains Electricity Consumption http://www.energymatters.com.au/index.php?main_page=news_article&article_id=3448 by Energy Matters, 31 Oct A report from the Australian Energy Market Operator (AEMO) shows a substantial drop in demand for mains grid supplied electricity in South Australia. Continue reading
Free energy fuel: South Australia’s wind power is making fossil fuel power too costly
How wind is changing the energy game in South Australia REneweconomy, By Giles Parkinson on 31 October 2012 Nowhere in Australia has wind energy had as much of an impact on the existing electricity infrastructure as in South Australia. According to the latest figures from the Australian Energy Market Operator, wind energy accounted for more than 22 per cent of capacity and 20 per cent of supply over the past year – although it has been higher over
shorter periods – and at times supplied more than 80 per cent of the state’s energy needs.
The fact that wind energy, once built, supplies energy at near zero marginal cost and lowers the wholesale price of electricity has helped push more expensive fossil fuel generation out of the system, which is why fossil fuel generators are keen to reduce the extent of the renewable energy target. In South Australia, it has forced the closure in winter of the two local coal-fired generators that once supplied nearly one-third of the state’s needs. Continue reading
Wind power for Tasmania, and for export to Pacific islands
Island communities targeted for wind plant BY:MATTHEW DENHOLM :The Australian October 29, 2012 AUSTRALIA is seeking to export an off-grid power plant – capable of providing 100 per cent renewable energy – to remote and island communities currently reliant on diesel throughout the Asia-Pacific.
A prototype of the plant has been developed by Hydro Tasmania on King Island and by the end of next year will be providing 65 per cent of the Bass Strait island’s energy needs from renewable sources, or 100 per cent on windy days.
By reducing reliance on diesel generators – previously the source of 100 per cent of the island’s power – the wind and solar plant will save $4.5m a year….. http://www.theaustralian.com.au/news/health-science/island-communities-targeted-for-wind-plant/story-e6frg8y6-1226504898547
Caloundra’s solar energy array now in operation
SPS Energy Installs 80 kW Solar Array for Caloundra-Based STC AZO CleanTech October 26, 2012 Today marks a new milestone for Australia’s private businesses seeking heightened energy efficiency: the unveiling of what’s believed to be one of the largest privately funded solar installations in the nation , installed by SPS Energy and now operational in Caloundra, Queensland. The Honourable Mark McArdle, Queensland’s Minister for Energy and Water Supply, officiated at the commissioning celebration.
SPS Energy, based in Eumundi, is a preeminent supplier of energy management and renewable energy solutions across Australia.
The 80kWatt solar array is located on the rooftop of the Caloundra-based Saddlery Trading Company (www.saddlerytrading.com ), and powers 75kWatts of inverter capacity. ….
“The installation has already delivered benefits for our business: an energy consumption decline of over 60% in the first billing period after commissioning, followed by further reductions in subsequent periods,” Mr Grant said.
“As a family-owned business, it’s critical for us to keep an eye on the bottom line, while integrating environmentally conscious practices.
“Our family business is proof that solar power can deliver savings, efficiency, and sustainability.”
The solar array provides STC with certainty of power costs into the future and provision for even greater energy autonomy, if needed. …. http://www.azocleantech.com/news.aspx?newsID=17503
The Australian Energy Market Operator (AEMO) finds Australia is “Saudi Arabia” of renewable energy
The Australian Energy Market Operator (AEMO), the body charged with running the nation’s energy supply, has modelled the feasibility of switching to 100 per cent renewable electricity generation by 2030 and 2050. This week, AEMO buried its findings in its monthly Energy Update.
AEMO isn’t due to release its draft report on the study until next March. By the end of the year, the government will already have released its Energy White Paper to chart future energy policies for years to come.
More crucial for the renewable energy sector, though, may be the release of the government’s review into the Renewable Energy Target (RET), perhaps within weeks.
Renewables: Australia’s a land of plenty SMH October 26, 2012 Peter Hannam Carbon economy editor When feisty UN climate change chief Christiana Figueres swept into Sydney this week, she mocked suggestions Australia is alone in cutting greenhouse gas emissions.
“Nothing could be further from reality,” Ms Figueres told the Lowy Institute. Rather than excoriate the government for holding out on signing up for the second round of the Kyoto Protocol to set emission targets, the diminutive diplomat instead stressed how the country was “blessed” with renewable energy resources the envy of much of the world.
While many nations were keen to tap such resources in order to improve health and lower carbon emissions, the real appeal, she said, was economic: “None of them is trying to save the planet. They’re doing it because it’s in their national interest and that’s the most important motivator.”
But for national interest to be rightly understood — and acted upon — it helps if the population is aware of what’s possible. Continue reading
1 This month
15 April – Zoom –Nuclear Power is Not the Solution
Apr 15, 2026 01:00 AM in Canberra, Melbourne, Sydney
Join the International Physicians for the Prevention of Nuclear War (IPPNW) on Tuesday, April 14th for a timely webinar exploring the risks associated with nuclear power and challenging the myth that it offers a simple, safe, carbon-free solution to the climate crisis
of the week – Australians for War Powers Reform (AWPR)
To see nuclear-related stories in greater depth and intensity
Antinuclear 