Is coal now more expensive than solar?

November 4, 2014 2017-10-25T09:46:50 by 1 Comment
pile of coal

The declining cost of solar is making Aussie coal exports look increasingly expensive.

Not-so-strange bedfellows Greg “Smiley” Hunt and Big Clive emerged hand in hand after negotiating the “Dirty Deeds Done Dirt Cheap” (sorry “Direct Action”) legislation earlier this week. Meanwhile a less publicised news article revealed the dirty truth behind the future, or otherwise, of fossil fuel exports to one of our major markets.

That truth is that it is now more expensive for India to import Aussie coal than produce their own solar power. [Read more…]

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Poor Nations Beating Rich Nations in Alternative Energy Race

October 30, 2014 2018-05-09T11:07:39 by Leave a Comment

A recent study of 55 nations, found that wealthy, developed countries have developed an 84% growth rate in using renewable energy sources from 2008 to 2013. Sounds good, right? On paper it sounds nice. Until you see that much poorer nations have experienced a 143% growth in the same time period!

Why is it that poorer nations are moving faster toward greener energy? Well, it’s economics. While the nations themselves are poor, investing in renewable energy is providing much cheaper power than their fossil fuel counterparts. Meanwhile, wealthier nations can afford to keep using fossil fuels, so there is less motivation to use more renewable sources. With that said, it shouldn’t be long before other energy sources are depleted and wealthier nations move forward as their poorer counterparts have done.

Read the full article about this study here:: Poor Nations Go for Solar, Wind at Twice the Pace of Rich Ones

Filed Under: Economics Of Solar, Quick Reads Tagged With: ,

Forget “real 20 percent”, what are the real benefits of going solar?

October 28, 2014 2017-10-25T09:47:11 by 2 Comments

 

God forbid that pesky wind and solar breaches 20% !

God forbid that pesky wind and solar breaches 20% !

The dust continues to swirl on one of the most divisive energy issues in recent years — the government’s attempted slashing of the RET to the so-called “real 20 percent”. We’ll discuss this but really, is this the debate we should be having in this day and age? We’re going to focus on the bigger picture, the debate we should be having: the one on the real benefits of going solar.

This week saw a political sleight-of-hand that we’ve come to expect from the seat polishers in Canberra. Under the guise of “adjusting” the Rudd government’s 20 percent of renewables by 2020, the government has put together a policy that will divide the nation. The so-called “real 20 percent” effectively slashes the RET for large-scale developers by one-third. For sure it will have “real” problems for many solar providers, with many seeing it as an underhand attempt to push through legislation that will cripple the renewable energy industry. [Read more…]

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Why Big Utilities Are Scrambling Towards Solar

October 25, 2014 2018-05-09T11:01:34 by Leave a Comment

Now that solar power has become more of a threat, big US utility companies responsible for providing electricity want to buy in. With the cultural push to become more reliant on renewable energy sources and the increase in people wanting to break free from their higher utility bills, many utility companies are opting to become more solar friendly in order to keep their business.

While overall this might be a good thing, the intentions are purely economic. Big utilities in the USA are in the discussions with local governments in order to build or install solar panels into their networks. Some states have been open to this idea but others have resisted since it appears to only kill off the only competition electric companies have.

To learn more about this development, click here.

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Why Labor Need To Hold Firm On The RET

October 24, 2014 2018-05-09T11:00:57 by Leave a Comment

The government’s starting RET offer which reduces the legislated, previously bipartisan, and pre-election commitment of 41,000 gigawatt hours per year of renewable energy down to 27,000 has been turned down by the Labor Party. Why? Not just because of the environment, but because of economics.

By cutting the target almost in half, billions of dollars invested in the creation of solar and wind power generating devices will go to waste, and billions of dollars of investment will not happen. The 100 job losses at a wind turbine component manufacturer in Portland, Vic announced yesterday is just the beginning.  Not to mention that power prices would continue to climb due to expensive fossil fuels picking up the slack.

Abbott and his cronies are trying to destroy a policy they promised not to touch.  Then when Labor won’t co-operate they blame the opposition for the uncertainty that is destroying businesses. Read more about this story here.

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Nine in ten look to solar to beat rising electricity bills: report

October 22, 2014 2017-10-25T09:47:30 by 6 Comments
rising bills

Rising electricity costs are driving more people to consider solar.

An Ernst and Young utilities survey report released this week has highlighted the battle ordinary Australians are having with their rising electricity bills. The study also found over 90 percent of those surveyed would like to switch to solar power. [Read more…]

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Focus on solar microgrids as fossil fuel wavers

October 13, 2014 2017-10-25T09:59:27 by 3 Comments
microgrid with solar and PV

Taking whole streets (or villages) off the grid is likely to become more common.

What role will community-based solar microgrids play as Aussies look for environmental and affordable energy alternatives?

First, I should explain what a microgrid actually is. It is simply a cluster of buildings, all connected together electrically, but not connected to the wider electric grid. An example would be taking your whole street off the grid instead of simply your own home. If you do this, you can share solar generation and battery storage among other things. As feed in tariffs get lower, this becomes more attractive. Wouldn’t you rather your sell excess solar energy to your neighbour for a fair price than be forced to sell it to someone like Energex for a miserly 6c per kWh?

According to analysts Frost and Sullivan’s report “Analysis of the Asia-Pacific Microgrid Market” the microgrid electrification (including solar programs) is expected to reach a sales figure of $813 million by 2020, growing at an expected astonishing rise of 38.3 percent over that of 2013. Countries surveyed by Frost and Sullivan include Japan, Indonesia, South Korea, Malaysia, the Philippines and (yes!) Australia. [Read more…]

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New community owned energy retailer, Northern Rivers Energy, impresses with vision

October 9, 2014 2017-10-25T09:59:41 by 3 Comments
community solar

Sick of AGL, Origin and their greedy bedfellows? Then start your own retailer!

Fans of community energy got a boost this week with news of plans to launch the country’s first community owned energy retailer. Based in the Northern Rivers region of NSW, a consortium of citizens under the name of Northern Rivers Energy (NRE) has “…won a $54,000 grant to develop a business plan and conduct a feasibility study,” according to RenewEconomy’s Giles Parkinson.

The plan shows again how community-based renewable energy such as solar power can be accessed and owned by the community. [Read more…]

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Big end of town bails out of coal

September 29, 2014 2017-10-25T09:59:59 by 10 Comments
coal cash and solar

The smart money is moving out of coal. Hurrah!

Ever considered the consequences of mega coal companies investing in solar power?

This week news came through of the world’s largest coal miner — Coal India Limited — pumping a cool $1.2 billion into the development of 1,000MW solar plants in the country.

Under huge pressure to source their energy in a more environmentally friendly way, the public-owned company is helping carry out the new Indian government’s effort to promote domestic renewable energy. Researching sites to establish the solar plants throughout the various states has already begun.

However this news — major though it was — paled into insignificance compared to reports this week that the philanthropic arm of the Rockefeller family is leading an international move away from fossil fuels and towards clean energy. [Read more…]

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Focus shifts to solar power in developing countries

September 16, 2014 2017-10-25T10:00:19 by 5 Comments
solar in south africa

A solar powered village in Zululand, South Africa.

Industrialised countries have seen an explosion in renewable energy in recent years but are developing countries proceeding at the same rate? An announcement this week by Norfund — the Norwegian Investment Fund for Developing Countries — has highlighted the role that renewables play in the developing world. Indeed renewables like solar power in developing countries looks to be The Next Big Thing in clean energy investment.

Norfund is to partner with Norwegian solar investment company Scatec Solar to provide an expansion of solar power investment into all areas in which the Norwegian government currently operates. Existing solar investment partnerships are already in place with the two combining in 190 MW of clean energy projects in solar projects in South Africa and Rwanda.

[Read more…]

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