In reality, Western Australia’s Solar Feed In Tariff is an economic boon
Western Australia’s Solar Feed In Tariff Ramifications Exaggerated http://www.energymatters.com.au/index.php?main_page=news_article&article_id=3211, 17 May 12, Professor Ray Wills of the Sustainable Energy Association of Australia (SEA) has challenged the notion that spending more on renewables is somehow a bad thing and brought the situation regarding Western Australia’s solar feed in tariff into perspective.
Professor Wills points out while the media circus has focused on the “blowout” in Western Australia’s scheme; there has been no analysis of the benefits. “Energy Minister Peter Collier rightly points out that 76,000 WA homes now have solar panels on their roofs as “a terrific outcome”,’ says Professor Wills, who says the uptake hasn’t been confined to the wealthy, but spurred on by average households in Western Australia now slashing their electricity bills.
“We are yet to calculate the savings that this program has bought – savings that will amount to fewer upgrades to poles and wires, has in the vast majority of cases delivered improved electricity quality and reliability, and will avoid the need for investment in new fossil-fuel based generation.” Continue reading
Australia and China – a solar energy story, with more achievement to come
China’s solar story is Australia’s solar story. It is an untold story of Australian innovation and climate change action. Everywhere I went in China, I met Aussies. So many of the leaders of China’s PV industry – indeed the global PV industry – were trained in Australia, at the University of New South Wales or the Australian National University.
Suntech is just one example of Chinese and Australian innovation, action on climate change and strategic investment in solar.
The solar partnership between Australia and China is making the economics of solar persuasive, and the introduction of a carbon price, the establishment of the Clean Energy Finance Corporation and the continuation of the Renewable Energy Target will open up investment opportunities.
Power in numbers: Tapping the Aus-China solar alliance, REneweconomy, By John Grimes on 4 May 2012 Greg Combet’s recent visit to China for the annual Australia-China Climate Change Forum was a timely reminder of the strong action China is taking to cut its carbon pollution levels and the importance of the partnership between Australia and China in reducing global greenhouse gas emissions. Nowhere is that partnership more important than in the clean energy space.
As the world’s largest greenhouse gas emitter, largest population centre and second largest economy, China is facing the extraordinarily difficult challenge of disconnecting its rapid economic growth from soaring greenhouse emissions. China is introducing a pilot emissions trading scheme in seven provinces, with a combined population of 250 million people, before introducing a national emissions trading scheme from 2015-16. China is committed to reducing its national carbon output per unit of GDP by 17 per cent by 2015, and 40-45 per cent by 2020.
China has also made a strategic investment in renewable energy, with the unstated aim of leading the world as it moves into the next industrial revolution. China is already the world’s leading manufacturer and installer of wind turbines and is the home of seven of the world’s top ten solar PV manufacturers (up from four in 2009). It won’t be long before China takes the lead as the largest installer of PV…… Continue reading
Bega, New South Wales, getting very Smart about Solar Energy
the stored energy can also be fed back into the network at peak demand times – say, at night when people come home and cook dinner, watch television or play computer games, or use their hot water systems for things like showers and washing up
The battery banks can also be configured to be charged from the network, creating a micro-grid
Bega library’s bright future Eden Magnet, BY BEN SMYTH 03 May, 2012 The roof of the Bega library is sporting a new look this week. On Friday, a network of solar panels was installed as part of a project that will see considerable savings for the Bega Valley Shire Council and, in turn, ratepayers.
In a first for regional NSW, Essential Energy is constructing an “intelligent” solar energy system, which will showcase the benefits of community-based renewable energy solutions and effectively make the library self-sufficient in regards to its electricity consumption. According to Essential’s regional general manager south eastern, Phillip Green, who was on hand to launch the project with Member for Bega Andrew Constance, the library’s system is the third phase of the energy company’s “Intelligent Network”. Continue reading
1.2 million solar installations already in Australia
Australia Home To More Than 1.2 Million Solar Installations http://www.energymatters.com.au/index.php?main_page=news_article&article_id=3186, by Energy Matters,2 May 12
Either Australia is chock-full of tree-hugging hippies, or the average Aussie is increasingly understanding how much money can be saved by making the switch to solar… and yes, it’s the latter. According to statistics published by the newly-formed REC Agents Association (RAA), 665,215 solar power systems for which certificates have been registered were installed between 2001 to the end of March this year, representing an installed capacity of 1.431 gigawatts. Add to that 574,503 solar hot water systems and throw in 149,420 air source heat pumps (arguably also a solar technology) for good measure and the total figure is actually closer to 1.4 million systems.
The RAA says 20% of Australian households that could have a PV or solar hot water system installed have done so, thanks largely to support provided under Australia’s Renewable Energy Target (RET), which has helped reduce the installed cost of a PV system 75% over last 5 years. Continue reading
In Western Australia – a window in Australia’s solar future
“[It’s] a window into Australia’s solar future,” – Australian Solar Energy Society chief executive John Grimes
“Big solar makes sense in the Mid West. The region’s enormous appetite for energy is matched by some of the best sunshine in the world.
“Solar increasingly makes economic sense in the Mid West, with a dramatic fall in the price of solar PV countering a significant rise in the cost of electricity.”
Mr Grimes said there was no reason why solar could not provide a significant amount of Austral’s electricity needs by 2020, particularly with the introduction of the carbon tax from July 1 and the national 20 per cent renewable energy target.
Historic solar farm transforms WA landscape http://www.watoday.com.au/wa-news/historic-solar-farm-transforms-wa-landscape-20120412-1ww3t.html#ixzz1s49L4pPw WA Today, Courtney Trenwith April 12, 2012 WA’s historic solar power farm will soon be glistening in the outback, with the first panel installed today. In what will be the largest solar energy generator in the country, the farm will house 150,000 panels across 80 hectares, creating a remarkable sight and producing an environmental feat.
The 10 megawatt Greenough River Solar Farm is being built 50 kilometres south of Geraldton, with 100 construction jobs created. It is expected to generate enough electricity for 3,000 average homes while displacing 20,000 tonnes of greenhouse gas each year – the equivalent of taking 4000 vehicles off the road. Continue reading
Australia’s lost opportunities in solar power
the big dish was by-passed in the Federal Government’s Solar Flagships program. The claim that it was not “commercially ready” is directly contradicted by the creation of the Solar Oasis consortium that is now building a 40 MW big dish solar power generator at Whyalla, in South Australia.
Solar lessons from Korea, Daily Mercury, John Mathews | 14th April 2012 “……. [Korea] is streamlining investment into the new green sectors, that so far run to financing of nearly $50 billion. That’s billion, not million – compared with Australia’s much-touted Solar Flagship program which is funded at the level of millions.
………the Korean approach will be – mark my words – to turn the solar dish concept into a central component of their new green growth industrial strategy. They will be expected to acquire rights to the technology, and then adapt it through the intervention of Hyundai or LG or Samsung (the Korean innovation champions). They will mass produce the dishes in the thousands and then promote use of the technology throughout the world, providing all the components and materials from Korean sources.
The contrast with our approach in Australia could not be more stark. So far, we have seen two major solar technologies starved of funds and shipped offshore. There was thin-film solar photovoltaic technology, developed at the University of NSW under Professor Martin Green, that became a political football and a casualty of NSW state politics (when Bob Carr was premier). It was eventually sold off to Germany. Continue reading
Solar powered air conditioning – the answer to Australia’s electricity peak load
How solar air-con could avoid costly network upgrades http://reneweconomy.com.au/2012/how-solar-air-con-could-avoid-costly-network-upgrades-46101 REneweconomy By Giles Parkinson 13 April 2012 The biggest strain on our electricity networks right now – and the cause for at least one third of the $45 billion network upgrades, and at least half of the recently announced tariff increases – are the “super” peak demand periods triggered when everyone returns home from work and flicks on their air conditioning.
In some states this might only occur for a few hours a year, more in others, but network operators have been at a loss to address the issue, apart from building more capacity. Other solutions have been offered – demand management being one of them – but what if the network operators could turn to solar-powered air conditioners as the solution to reduce peak load? Continue reading
Rural communities like Broken Hill keenly taking up solar energy
Broken Hill embraces solar power, Margaret Paul, ABC News, April 12, 2012 The peak body representing renewable energy in Australia says regional New South Wales is leading the way in terms of the number of households installing solar panels.
The Federal Government’s Renewable Energy Regulator office has released the latest figures which show 19 per cent of properties in Broken Hill have installed solar panels….. Russel Marsh, policy director with the clean energy council, says it is no surprise to see regional areas ranked highly. “Increasingly, the people and the households who are installing solar
panels are not those who live in the urban areas, but those who live in regional areas who tend to be on lower incomes.
“We think that’s because they have the most to gain from installing solar panels on their roof, in terms of the savings they can make on their electricity bill as a result of generating their own electricity from the sun.”….
http://www.abc.net.au/news/2012-04-12/solar-postcodes/3945504
Photovoltaic solar energy boom in Australia benefits rural and low income communities
Love of a sunburnt country a boon for solar set http://www.smh.com.au/environment/energy-smart/love-of-a-sunburnt-country-a-boon-for-solar-set-20120406-1wgtn.html#ixzz1rNtGo1ee 7 April 12, THE humble city of Dubbo has emerged as the solar power capital of Australia, with more than a quarter of the houses in one postcode generating their own electricity from rooftop panels.
Even as subsidies are slashed, data shows the boom in photovoltaic solar panel continues.
The breakdown of solar use by postcode shows a clear bias towards regional Australia and city suburbs with lower-than-average incomes, industry body the Clean Energy Council says. ”Solar panels are fast becoming the Hills Hoist of the 21st century,” the council’s acting chief executive, Kane Thornton, said. Continue reading
REneweconomy lists Australia’s top solar energy postcodes for 5 States
The top solar postcodes, and Australia’s solar capital, REneweconomy, By Giles Parkinson 6 April 2012
The top 10 NSW solar postcodes:
1. 2830 Dubbo and surrounds 28.0%…….
The top 10 Queensland solar postcodes
1 4551 Caloundra, Pelican Waters, Golden Beach 27.3% of houses have solar power systems……
The top 10 West Australian solar postcodes:
1. 6208 Pinjarra, Oakley, Blythewood, Ravenswood 24.7% of houses have solar power systems…..
The top 10 South Australian solar postcodes:
1. 5211 Victor Harbor, McCracken, Hindmarsh Valley 25.9% of houses have solar power systems….
The top 10 Victoria solar postcodes:
1. 3564 Echuca 13.3% of houses have solar power systems…..
http://reneweconomy.com.au/2012/the-top-solar-postcodes-and-australias-solar-capital-28344
Stock analysis report shows the advantages of solar power, worldwide
In Australia, the solar industry is driven by several regulatory initiatives that support the installation of solar PV modules in both rooftop and free-field applications, including the federal government’s nationwide Renewable Energy Target, which has set a renewable energy goal for Australia of 20% by 2020. Clean Energy Finance Corporation (CEFC) and Australian Renewable Energy Agency (ARENA), both established in 2011, will begin implementation in 2012.
Alternative Energy Stock Outlook – April 2012, By: Zacks Equity Research April 03, 2012 “……A worldwide industry association for solar photovoltaic electricity market, the European Photovoltaic Industry Association (EPIA) forecasts that the power generated from solar modules in Europe could be competitive in relation to conventional forms of energy by the end of the current decade. The major solar markets under survey were Germany, Italy, France, Spain and Britain…..
A major growth area in this space is Solar Energy…… Continue reading
Queensland solar energy plan will go ahead, despite no help from government
the nature of solar – there’s no waste, there’s no ongoing costs, there’s no emissions,
Funding cuts won’t cast shadow over Gulf solar plans ABC News, http://www.abc.net.au/news/2012-04-04/funding-cuts-wont-cast-shadow-over-gulf-solar-plans/3931956?section=qld April 04, 2012 A plan to power properties in north-west Queensland’s eastern Gulf Country with solar electricity is likely to go ahead, despite cuts to State Government clean energy funds. Continue reading
A clever solar energy tariff plan from Western Australian firm
Horizon finds a smart way to price a solar tariff, REneweconomy, By Giles Parkinson 5 April 2012 Western Australia energy utility Horizon Power has achieved what appears beyond the capabilities of its larger peers in the eastern states, the Victorian and NSW governments and regulatory pricing authorities, and produced Australia’s first differentiated feed in tariff for rooftop solar PV.
Horizon, which services 100,000 residents and 9,000 businesses in towns and communities across the state, beyond the grid located in the south-western corner, is introducing area-specific solar feed-in tariffs which recognise a higher value for solar put back into the grid from remote locations, and a lower value for solar energy fed from near towns and alternative energy sources. Continue reading
Rooftop solar energy to turn out to be an election winner for Gillard?
it could also have a big impact on established energy utilities, both generators and retailers, and has the potential of changing the political rhetoric as the next federal poll is fought on cost-of-living issues, mostly retail electricity prices.
A new surge in the deployment of rooftop solar in Australia could have an impact on generators, who are already worried about the impact it is having on their profits…. AGL highlighted the potential for this to happen in Australia, which is why it is lobbying to slow down the growth in the solar industry in Queensland, the last state to have a significant feed in tariff.
The Clean Energy Future can indeed be clean, exciting (new technology), and cost a lot less than sticking with polluting fossil fuels.
Zero-cost solar: Will this be Gillard’s election secret weapon?, REneweconomy, By Giles Parkinson 2 April 2012 Australian solar installers are racing to become the first companies to offer long-term leasing arrangements that will allow householders to install large rooftop solar installations at zero up-front cost and hedge against rising electricity prices. Continue reading
Western Australia’s Horizon Power’ s solar feed-in tariffs will especially benefit rural communities
Solar households in towns located further from energy generation sources, or where power generation is expensive, will be offered higher prices for the electricity they export to the grid…. For households in regional and remote areas of Western Australia, under Horizon’s new feed in tariff structure the savings could be much higher.
Horizon Power To Offer Location Based Solar Feed In Tariff, Energy Matters, 3 April 12, In what appears to be a first for Australia, Western Australia’s Horizon Power will introduce area-specific solar feed-in tariffs. While owners of systems in some towns will receive a much higher rate, others will receive less.Horizon Power’s Renewable Energy Buyback Scheme rate is currently equivalent to a customer’s current electricity tariff, minus GST. Horizon’s incentive is in addition to Western Australia’s state government mandated feed in tariff rate of 8c per kilowatt hour. Continue reading
1 This month
of the week – Disrupting War & Militarism in Oceania. Active solidarity. Radical practice.
Antinuclear 