Bundaberg – Queensland’s solar capital.
Solar power: Queensland city Bundaberg has more solar energy systems installed than any other place DARYL PASSMORE THE SUNDAY MAIL (QLD) JUNE 07, 2015
Bundaberg now has a new claim to fame — as Queensland’s solar capital. The subtropical city has more rooftop photovoltaic solar energy systems installed than any other city or town in the state.
Data from the Clean Energy Regulator reveals that 9400 houses with the postcode 4670 — which includes Bundaberg and Bargara — now have solar systems with a combined output capacity of more than 28 megawatts. “There’s huge demand,’’ Bundaberg Solar managing director Ashley Clark said.
More than 330 days of sunshine a year makes the central Queensland city a perfect place for solar power. “I would put it down to the fact that this is an area with a lot more retirees who are a bit more cautious about where their money goes,’’ Mr Clark said.
It is a trait Bundaberg shares with Hervey Bay and Caloundra, which fill the second and third spots on the list. Mr Clark said demand was now so strong that residents were having trouble getting approval from Ergon to connect to the electricity network….
- The regional feed-in tariff is now 6.5¢ , while householders in the Energex area have to negotiate a rate with power companies. The Palaszczuk Government says a new Queensland Productivity Commission will set a fair feed-in rate……
Australian Greens Senator for Queensland Larissa Waters said the state’s residents were collectively saving $214 million on electricity bills a year by embracing solar.
Queensland leads the country with 433,770 of the 1,393,526 solar installations nationwide. A quarter of houses in the state now have rooftop solar panels. Queensland Energy Minister Mark Bailey says the state has a target of one million homes having rooftop solar panels by 2020. http://www.couriermail.com.au/news/queensland/solar-power-queensland-city-bundaberg-has-more-solar-energy-systems-installed-than-any-other-place/story-fnn8dlfs-1227386107531
Australia trashes its international reputation, in its adoration of coal
Australia stands out as a major recipient of overseas public finance for coal and coal seam gas projects, grabbing some $3.96 billion of public financing from overseas governments.
Through Australia’s own Export Finance and Investment Corporation, the country financed some $1.39billion between 2009 and 2014 for coal industry projects.
But as Paris draws nearer, is Australia willing to sacrifice its international reputation and the future state of its own climate on the alter of coal?
Will Australia continue to sacrifice its international reputation on the altar of coal?, Guardian 7 June 15 Graham Readfearn Arguments that coal is the answer to poverty are based on “implausible economics with unsubstantiated evidence” says report led by Kofi Annan. We’re now well passed the halfway point on the long road to Paris and a new global climate agreement to cut greenhouse gas emissions.
Australia took its turn to defend its domestic policies and targets during United Nations talks in Germany yesterday,
You can hear the whole exchange on the UN website but in short, Australian representatives insisted that it had the policies in place to meet its “not credible” target to cut emissions by five per cent by 2020 from 2000 levels.
Just to be clear, the Australian delegation didn’t describe the target as “not credible” – that came from the government’s own Climate Change Authority back in 2013.
Australia also talked-up its Direct Action climate policy – a measure that asks taxpapers to pay for emissions reductions and leaves fossil fuel companies unaffected.
Australia’s real self-interest Continue reading
Northern Territory Mines Departments Credibility and ERA’s Contaminants both down the Creek
ENVIRONMENT CENTRE NT – AUSTRALIAN CONSERVATION FOUNDATION 5 JUNE 2015 On World Environment Day NT and national environment organisations have called on the NT Department of Mines to explain why Energy Resources of Australia, operator of the embattled Ranger uranium mine, should not be prosecuted over a major radioactive spill inside the boundaries of Kakadu National Park.
“Today – World Environment Day – marks twelve months since Energy Resources of Australia gained approval to restart processing at Ranger following a major radioactive spill from a collapsed leach tank in December 2013,” said Lauren Mellor from the Environment Centre NT.
“That a spill of over 1.3 million litres of radioactive slurry happened inside a World Heritage listed National Park is unacceptable: that we still don’t know why twelve months after operations have been resumed is derelict”.
Environment groups are concerned that a subsequent string of regulatory failures indicates that the NT Mines Department is ill-equipped to meet its responsibilities to protect the environment, workers and communities.
In the 12 months since the Ranger restart was approved DME has:
- Failed to release its report into the 2013 radioactive spill accident, even to other Investigative Taskforce member agencies or Traditional Owners.
- Failed to prosecute ERA for clear operational breaches under the Mines Management Act to improve safety and environmental protection at Ranger.
- Been unable to oversight ERA’s water monitoring due to staff shortages and deficient testing, meaning at some sites with contamination trends there was no independent oversight.
- Not implemented a key recommendation of the Independent Expert’s incident report into the leach tank failure and radioactive spill calling for a complete regulatory overhaul at Ranger.
- Failed to address contamination trends in Gulungul Creek, part of Kakadu National Park downstream from the mines leaking tailings dam. DME must apply statutory requirements to its deficient monitoring program as recommended by a 2003 Senate Inquiry into Ranger Uranium Mine. This is despite significant spikes of electrical conductivity indicating impacts from the mine are now being seen in Kakadu waters.
“The NT Mines Minister’s inaction on this major incident appears to be a case of prioritising the operations of Energy Resources of Australia above the protection of Kakadu National Park,” said ACF campaigner Dave Sweeney.
World Environment Day is a perfect time to send a clear message that poor mining practises are neither acceptable, nor above the law. Kakadu deserves better than complacency,” concluded Mr Sweeney.
Contact: Lauren Mellor, Environment Centre NT, 0413 534 125 Dave Sweeney, Australian Conservation Foundation, 0408 317 812
Australia is obligated to take back Lucas Heights nuclear waste from France
the Australian Conservation Foundation doesn’t think the outback is the ideal location.
Spokesman Dave Sweeney believes the bulk of the waste should remain at the ANSTO facility in Sydney and at the CSIRO facility in Woomera, SA, where the country’s, if not the world’s top minds, are located.
He says there wasn’t an urgent need to move the waste and argued there were still risks associated with transporting and storing radioactive material in the middle of nowhere.
“We are not aware of all the sites that have nominated, but we are aware of some of them and there are problems,” Mr Sweeney said.
The sites the ACF are aware of all rest in outback WA
At present, a Royal Commission is being held in South Australia to examine the feasibility of developing a nuclear storage facility which would house not only our waste but international waste.
Time is ticking for Australia’s first nuclear waste dump, news.com.au JUNE 05, 2015“…..[THE AUSTRALIAN GOVERNMENT] put out a call for any land owner, council or company to nominate their land for the facility. Submissions closed last month. And the Department of Industry and Science plans to release the short list in mid-July. Industry and Science Minister, Ian McFarlane, has said he wants to settle on a site by mid-2016.
Why the hurry?
Well, at the end of next month around 28 steel canisters of reprocessed nuclear waste is set to return home from France and the government needs to find somewhere to put it. Continue reading
Northern Territory Government fails to act on radioactive spill by Energy resources of Australia
NT govt must end delay on Ranger action http://www.sbs.com.au/news/article/2015/06/05/nt-govt-must-end-delay-ranger-action It is “completely unacceptable” Ranger uranium mine operators have not been prosecuted over a slurry spill within Kakadu, traditional owners say.
The Northern Territory government is taking too long to punish those responsible for a radioactive spill on Aboriginal land in Kakadu, traditional owners say.
They have set their sights on the Department of Mines and Energy, which has investigated the 2013 spill of up to 1.5 million litres of acidic slurry from a collapsing leach tank at the Energy Resources of Australia operated Ranger uranium mine.
But the department is yet to share its report with stakeholders, despite a request six months ago from the Office of the Supervising Scientist.
The Gundjeihmi Aboriginal Corporation, which acts for the Mirarr traditional owners, says the delay is “completely unacceptable” especially given ERA was able to restart operations at Ranger a year ago.
“Members of the investigative taskforce as well as the general public are still waiting for the regulator to release its report, let alone prosecute the mining company,” corporation CEO Justin O’Brien said.
The traditional owners want the government to impose a fine, or declare an operational breach for the spill.
The Environment Centre NT claims ERA breached its operating conditions, and in particular a section of the Mine Management Act which requires “no unauthorised release of waste or contaminant”.
A department spokeswoman said the incident was still being investigated. Comment is being sought from ERA.
“Normalising” radioactive trash – Maralinga as tourist attraction
The indigenous people who used to wander these lands called the radioactive plume the “puyu,” or black mist, and still are reluctant to visit despite having fought hard for the land to be returned.
“They deem it as a bad place, what they call ‘mamu,’ like a devil country,” says Mr. Matthews, whose wife is indigenous to the area…….
Australia’s Newest Tourist Attraction: Nuclear Test Zone At Maralinga, Australia, visitors are given an unusual welcome: Don’t stay too long and never, ever dig. WSJ, By
Maralinga, a deserted former military base in the Outback, has become ground zero for an unusual type of vacation Down Under. In a country best known for its white beaches and coral reefs, Mr. Matthews wants vacationers to wish they were here: on land once used for nuclear-weapons explosions.
Nearly 2,000 warning signs ring the red soil around Maralinga, displaying a Ghostbuster-style graphic prohibiting camping ……
The stark beauty of the hills here, on the edge of the vast Nullarbor Plain where the sun sinks in the same ocher color of the desert, belies its notorious past. Continue reading
Yackandandah – small Victorian town with a big renewable energy future
Yackandandah’s small steps to a big renewable future, http://www.theage.com.au/national/yackandandahs-small-steps-to-a-big-renewable-future-20150605-ghfj1l Michael Green The old brick-veneer community centre in Yackandandah has been transformed.
“We’ve had some really cold days this week,” says Ali Pockley, the centre’s manager. “But you come in here and it’s just toasty. It was hopelessly inefficient up until the retrofit, no doubt about that.”
With the help of a state government grant, local tradies installed a large solar photovoltaic system, insulation, double-glazing, shading and efficient air conditioners for heating and cooling. Electricity bills have plunged by three-quarters.
Pockley launched the retrofit of the community centre together with an even bigger initiative: Totally Renewable Yackandandah. A group of residents are aiming for the north-eastern Victorian town to produce more electricity than it uses, by 2022. They began working on their scheme twelve months ago, and already the number of solar households in the town has jumped. Now, one in every three houses has solar power, more than double the national average.
Matthew Charles-Jones, from Totally Renewable Yackandandah, says they’re surveying residents and working on their grand plan, with the help of a local council grant. In the meantime, new solar panels, like those on the Men’s Shed, will make it easier to reach the target.
Yackandandah is one of four Australian towns plotting to become 100 per cent renewable, along with Newstead, in central Victoria, and Byron Bay and Uralla in northern NSW. Newstead was recently awarded a $200,000 grant from the state government to develop its plan. Continue reading
International embarassment: Led by Tony Abbott, Australia has lost the plot on climate change
Australia was grilled by other delegatesat a United Nations conference in Bonn, Germany on Thursday.
Australia has forfeited world leadership on climate policy, says Kofi Annan panel, Guardian, Shalailah Medhora, 5 June 15 Canberra has withdrawn from constructive engagement on the issue, says report, as Australia is grilled at crucial meeting in Germany. Australia has forfeited its position as a global leader on tackling climate change and is now a “free-rider”, a panel led by former secretary general of the United Nations Kofi Annan has said.
The Africa Progress Report 2015 disputes claims by the fossil fuel lobby that moving away from carbon would impede economic growth in developing countries. It says high-emitting nations, such as Australia, have stepped back from global discussions in favour of unilateral action.
It is particular scathing about the direction in which Australia’s climate change policies are headed.
“With one of the world’s highest levels of per capita emissions, Australia has gone from leadership to free-rider status in climate diplomacy. Repeal of the Clean Energy Future Plan effectively abolished carbon pricing. Continue reading
House of Representatives passes draft laws on Renewable Energy Target
Draft laws on renewable energy targets pass through lower house 9 News 3 June 15 Draft laws on a bipartisan renewable energy target have passed the lower house despite the concerns of two government MPs.Nationals MP Keith Pitt broke ranks during debate on the legislation, which pares back the target from 41,000 gigawatt hours to 33,000,
………However, his vote was not formally counted among those in opposition, with only independents Bob Katter and Andrew Wilkie voting against the bill.
Liberal Craig Kelly questioned the efficacy of solar panels, saying such an investment would simply be “pissed up against the window”.
He ridiculed how building 2000 new wind turbines would reduce the impact of climate change……..
The government included the burning of wood waste as a renewable source of fuel in the legislation, to much consternation from Labor, which wants it removed and omitted from any future laws on the target.
The opposition argues that what is considered wood waste is not just timber offcuts, bark and branches but also the whole of any tree not harvested………
Read more at http://www.9news.com.au/national/2015/06/03/02/36/draft-renewable-energy-laws-pass-through-lower-house#HlQSdZTUvSdZvczq.99
South Australia the renewable energy leader- and now with battery storage!
Plans for Australia’s first non-hydro renewable storage project move forward http://reneweconomy.com.au/2015/plans-for-australias-first-non-hydro-renewable-storage-project-move-forward-52911 By Giles Parkinson on 4 June 2015 The potential site for what will be the first large-scale, non-hydro storage project for renewable energy in Australia has identified three possible sites in South Australia, and received more than 40 different storage proposals and ideas. The project – known as Energy Storage for Commercial Renewable Integration South Australia (ESCRI-SA) – is a ground breaking project for Australia because it will be first and biggest of its type.
South Australia has already reached 40 per cent generation from variable renewable energy sources such as wind (33 per cent) and solar (7 per cent). It is one of the highest penetrations of variable renewables in modern industrial economies.
Up to now, that share of wind and solar has been relatively easily accommodated, but as this share grow, battery storage will be required as yet more coal-fired generators are retired, and even the need for gas plant diminishes.
The storage will be needed to soak up excess generation (such as wind at night-time or solar during the day) to be stored for use at peak time. It will also be used to provide ancillary services such as frequency – a critical component of the grid. In Germany, battery storage is being used for the same purpose.
Paul Ebert, from Worley Parsons who is leading the project lead funded by the Australian Renewable Energy Agency and with support from AGL Energy, and transmission group ElectraNet says the storage is likely to be located in one of three locations – near Port Lincoln on the Eyre Peninsula, near the Monash sub station on the Yorke Peninsula, or the Dalrymple sub-station in the river land area of the state. Continue reading
Queensland’s Millmerran solar farm to go ahead – biggest in Australia?
Millmerran solar farm plans move ahead despite disappointment over lower Renewable Energy Target http://www.abc.net.au/news/2015-06-04/solar-firm-pushes-ahead-with-plans-for-big-darling/6520796 By Fidelis Rego, 4 June 15 A solar company says it is disappointing the Federal Government wants to reduce the Renewable Energy Target (RET) but it is still forging ahead with plans for a solar farm on the Darling Downs in southern Queensland.
The Government and Opposition have agreed to reduce the amount of power produced from renewable energy sources to 33,000 gigawatt hours by 2020.
Angus Gemmel from Solar Choice said it had not jeopardised its plans to build what could be the country’s biggest solar farm at Millmerran.
He said construction was expected to begin later next year.
“It’ll certainly have an impact, it is sad to see Australia is the first country to go backwards on a renewable energy target rather than forwards, so I guess it’s with a mixture of disappointment but also relief that we can finally get some first major stages underway,” he said.
“We’re still very confident that even in the medium to longer term this project will be built.
“We’re at an excellent site with optimal conditions for large-scale solar farming long-term and once our first stage is in the ground that’s going to make it so much easier and cost-effective to make stages two and three and subsequent away as well.”
Australian electricity utilities to supply battery energy storage
Australian Utilities Cozy Up to Home Storage: ‘If We Don’t Respond, Someone Else Will’ Three Australian power companies are set to offer Panasonic’s residential battery systems. Greentech Grid Jason Deign June 5, 2015
Australian utilities are moving to combat the threat of revenue loss from residential energy storage by opting to supply batteries themselves. Three companies — Red Energy, Ergon Energy and ActewAGL — announced trials offering Panasonic battery systems.
“Our customers are already showing interest in this technology, and if we don’t respond to what our customers want, someone else will,” said ActewAGL CEO Michael Costello.
The Australian Capital Territory utility, which already has more than 15,000 residential installations in its catchment area, expects to start offering the systems this October.
“The trial will validate batteries as a product offering in the Canberra environment and evaluate the product functionality,” Costello said.
He confirmed ActewAGL had been working with Panasonic for two years “on how to make a trial of battery energy storage in Canberra a reality.”
Panasonic, which last year won the contract to supply Tesla’s Gigafactory in the U.S., is said to be keen on using utilities and retailers as a channel to the residential market, rather than selling direct to homeowners…….http://www.greentechmedia.com/articles/read/australian-utilities-cozy-up-to-energy-storage
Solidarity between Indigenous Australians and Canadians in fighting fossil fuel pollution
“We are here because we also believe making strong relations with First Nations around the world is essential to the fight with the fossil fuel industry,” said Johnson. “The fossil fuel industry is not the wave of the future.”
The Wangan and Jagalingou people have twice refused to give consent for the mine, despite the company’s offer of compensation for loss of property, said Burragubba.
But Adani is taking the company’s case to Australia’s tribal land court to try to override the objections. That would allow the state to grant the lease. “We do not intend to give consent and no amount of compensation will get us to give consent,” said Johnson.
Aboriginal group fighting massive Australian coal mine consults with Alberta First Nations http://www.edmontonjournal.com/Aboriginal+group+fighting+massive+Australian+coal+mine+consults+with+Alberta+First+Nations/11106554/story.html BY SHEILA PRATT, EDMONTON JOURNAL JUNE 3, 2015 On Adrian Burragubba’s ancestral lands in Australia — arid pasture land, beautiful mountains, rivers and clear springs — the world’s second-largest coal mine would devastate the wildlife and the land, he says.
“We’re the messengers here to tell the world together we can stop this mine,” Burragubba said Wednesday.
Burragubba and Murrawah Johnson have come to Alberta to learn from Alberta First Nations who have struggled to protect land, wildlife and water in the middle of vast open-pit oilsands mines in the boreal forest.
The $16.5-billion Carmichael coal mine, proposed by Indian conglomerate Adani, Continue reading
Renewable energy storage to be sold to Australia’s electricity utilities
Panasonic To Sell Energy Storage To Australian Utilities http://cleantechnica.com/2015/06/04/panasonic-sell-energy-storage-australian-utilities/June 4th, 2015 by Jake Richardson Panasonic will start to sell energy storage solutions to Australian power companies like Red Energy and ActewAGL this October, according to recent reports. Like Tesla’s energy storage products, built around Panasonic cells, they are lithium-ion batteries. Panasonic energy storage solutions will be available in New Zealand as well.
“Power companies in Australia are faced with dropping sales as the installation of solar panels expand and yet they still need to maintain the grids. We have been exploring ways to work together to benefit both users and retailers of electricity,” explained Katsufumi Miyamato, a Panasonic manager.
Australia reportedly has over one million homes with solar panels. It seems the adding of more solar panels has created much greater interest in energy storage, which is only natural. Additionally, having the ability to store electricity generated by solar panels for the times when sunlight isn’t available makes solar power much more attractive.
In fact, Kane Thornton, CEO of the Clean Energy Council estimated that there are about 1,000-2,000 battery storage systems currently in Australia. The largest power producer in Australia, AGL Energy Ltd., announced recently it would be offering a 6 kilowatt-hour battery storage system for homes sometime fairly soon. Continue reading
Renewable energy chemicals can be exported to Australia’s energy customers
Any form of renewable electricity can be used in electrolysis, including wind and solar. Research around the world and in Australia continues to aim at reducing the costs of electrolysis………
The possible future scale of producing renewable energy chemicals in Australia is enormous. To imagine it one can mentally sum up all the investments that have made in Australia in coal, in liquefied natural gas (LNG), and that will be made in renewable energy to meet our own domestic energy needs, and more.
Hundreds of billions of dollars indeed. At MEI, we think it is time to start planning how Australia can competitively meet the future renewable energy needs of our traditional energy customers.
Meeting the future needs of Australia’s energy customers with renewable energy chemicals, Climate Spectator TIM FORCEY 4 JUN, “…… One day those fossil fuel exports and imports will cease as Japan and South Korea continue to improve their energy productivity and expand their use of renewable energy. Some of that will be home-grown – renewable energy that Japan and South Korea can make for themselves. Already Japan is building impressive large-scale solar photovoltaic facilities out over the sea.
However, these man-made solar islands illustrate the physical and economic limits Japan and South Korea face while recognising they will need to rely partly on renewable energy imports. But imports from where? Preferred will be imports from countries that have extensive renewable energy resources that can be harvested and transported at reasonable cost, that are politically stable, and that have long histories as reliable energy suppliers. In other words, countries like Australia.
But how can renewable energy be exported 8000km from Australia to northeast Asia? Continue reading
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