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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Solar technology revolution coming: UBS

September 2, 2014 2017-10-25T10:00:39 by 8 Comments
fist in air and solar panels

Those greenie lefties at UBS bank think a solar revolution is coming.

The dominant role that renewables — particularly solar — will play in the future of our energy consumption seems to have finally sunk in at the Big End of Town. In Europe at least. A recent report from financial giant UBS of Zurich is predicting nothing less than a solar technology revolution.

The hard-hitting briefing paper for investors and clients questions the long term relevance of large-scale coal-fired power plants by predicting their demise within 10-20 years. It says that solar energy and storage will be

“disruptive technologies for the electricity system” and that “steeply declining battery and solar system costs will enable multiple new applications” in the energy sector.

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Is midday the new off peak – thanks to solar?

August 27, 2014 2019-04-15T14:50:07 by 4 Comments
pylons

Pylons carrying electricity at $0.005 per kWh. Last Saturday.

I was at home on a cloudy Saturday morning in Adelaide last week, performing some much needed repairs on my puppets in between refreshing my knowledge of chemistry. (Apparently everything is still made of atoms.) Then I noticed through a crack in the wall that the sun had come out and I opened the electrically operated steel shutters to see that, although there were still patches of cloud around, most of Adelaide was bathed in glorious noon sunshine.

On a whim I decided to check what effect this break in the weather had on grid demand and so I went to the Australian Electricity Market Operator’s site. Fortunately I could do this via internet and so didn’t have far to walk. I saw there had been quite a steep decline in demand which apparently had gone hand in hand with the clearing skies. [Read more…]

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The Solar Council Aren’t Lying. Your Government Is.

August 22, 2014 2019-04-15T14:38:41 by 9 Comments

The government has painted a big bullseye on solar power.

They’ve got it in their sights. They want the renewable energy target (RET) repealed and they’ll do just about anything to make that happen.

Well, anything but come right out and say, “We’re against renewable energy because because we want to protect the fat wallets of our buddies in Big Energy”.

No, they can’t bring themselves to be that honest.

Instead, they’ve engaged in an almost comical game. A game where they attempt to justify their solar enmity with numbers.

The problem, of course, is that numbers don’t lie. [Read more…]

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Over 20,000 solar workers expected by 2018 despite Abbott’s efforts

August 11, 2014 2017-10-25T10:01:27 by 23 Comments
panels going on straw house

Hot water panels for SQHQ, proudly installed by some of Australia’s 13,000 solar workers.

Jobs in the Australian solar industry is a topic that doesn’t excite the pro-fossil fuel press and shriekback radio all that much. Instead the headlines and radio waves over renewables are dominated by imagined consequences of the carbon tax and the repetition of outright lies about the consequences of the Renewable Energy Target (RET).

Witness the recent pressure brought to bear as pro-fossil fuel lobbyists attempt to sway the stacked review board with outright mistruths on the benefit of the Renewable Energy Target. Truth has definitely been the first casualty as the war on renewables enters its next, more destructive phase.

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Fossil fuel lobby on thin ice in RET argument

July 28, 2014 2017-10-25T10:01:52 by 8 Comments
Thin ice sign and a power station

Ever wondered how to lie with statistics? Ask a fossil fuel lobbyist.

As the renewable energy target review commission prepares to bring down its findings, a battle royale rages over how to interpret the economic modelling. Stacked with climate change deniers and fossil fuel-connected industry types, the review committee has been well and truly nobbled. It’s decision is pretty much sealed. For as Basic Governance 101 tells us: you never appoint a review unless you know the outcome. [Read more…]

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Is Solar Leasing a Better Option than Buying Outright?

April 3, 2014 2014-10-27T09:15:38 by 10 Comments
usa and aussie flags

Should Aussies follow the American way when it comes to solar leasing?

Are Americans are getting their butts handed to them with long-term solar leasing? And what can us Aussies do to come out ahead?

It seems the suits perched in the top floor offices on Wall-Street are finally taking notice of solar energy.  And that could spell bad news for American consumers.

American energy firms like SolarCity, a growing solar-energy giant based out of California, have been offering long-term, relatively affordable leasing arrangements to consumers for years; either by financing the installation of panels or charging users by the kilowatt-hour and selling the remaining power back to the grid.

But those arrangements are about to get a whole lot more expensive now that they, and firms like them, are going public.  Why?  Because their shareholders, many of them massive hedge funds and banks, are demanding an American-sized profit which can only be attained through skyrocketing costs to consumers.    [Read more…]

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New research shows most power bills are more than halved with solar.

March 22, 2014 2019-03-12T14:25:55 by 15 Comments

Recent research by the Australian Solar Council shows that the average Aussie that has installed solar has seen an average 65% reduction in their power bills. And to pre-empt a gazillion comments – yes – this is achievable with a crappy Feed-In -Tariff too!  

They have produced a great infographic which sums up most of the benefits of solar that the anti solar brigade wish weren’t true. Here it is:

solar infographic

The joys of solar power. Cue solar nark’s teeth gnashing!

 

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Is crowdfunding solar power the future financing model?

March 17, 2014 2017-10-25T10:05:51 by 4 Comments

 

a crowd in front of solar panels

Crowd Funding Solar Is A Growing Trend

Will crowdfunding solar replace more traditional methods of funding solar energy readers?

At the time of writing we appear to be headed for a clean sweep of conservative governments across Australia (with the exception of the outpost of ACT). Though it is possible that the relatively progressive Weatherill government may retain government in South Australia through postal votes, it must be considered that the governments throughout the country will trend away towards support for renewable energy including solar.

Perhaps the relevant question is: Would this be a bad thing? [Read more…]

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Why Commercial Solar Will Have A Huge Year in 2014

January 1, 2014 2017-10-25T10:08:28 by 12 Comments
meter going to 2014

Smart businesses will see their meters slow down in 2014

As solar fans look towards 2014 with a mixture of dread and anticipation, one thing seems certain; energy prices will continue to rise. Yes that’s right, expect your bills to go up despite Abbott’s promise to reduce them.

People who actually know how the National Electricity Market (NEM) works, understand what the climate-change denying knuckle draggers in government don’t. Even if they do ‘Axe The Tax™’  your electricity and gas prices are going in only one direction: up.  Smart Australian business owners are not expecting their bills to drop anytime soon, no matter what promises Abbott spews forth.

[Read more…]

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