Combet pulls plug on rebates: solar coaster in full flight

November 19, 2012 2017-10-25T10:20:44 by 3 Comments

Greg ‘kneejerk’ Combet seems to enjoy the solar coaster

What solar buyers need to know: If you buy a solar system after the 16th November 2012, you have to have it installed before Jan 1 2013 to claim the current rebate. If your system is installed after that date your solar system will cost approximately $1,000 more regardless of what size you buy.

Well that was quick wasn’t it? Just when you thought the Federal Government’s collective speed on any given issue was only marginally faster than my first car (a VW Type 3: nought to 50 kms/hr in 30 minutes) … out comes a lightning-fast decision from the desk of Climate Change Minister Greg “Coalface” Combet. [Read more…]

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Solar Council’s electorates map destroys ‘rich’ theory

November 5, 2012 2017-10-25T10:21:15 by Leave a Comment
lots of roofs, no solar

Solar only for the rich? You won’t see many solar panels in Pott’s Point! Photo: Flickr – philoye

There’s a false perception in Australia — perpetrated in part by the anti-solar brigade and their fellow travellers — that the only people who invest in domestic solar systems are those who are rich. According to this theory it is only those in the more affluent parts of Australia that have the resources to afford solar panels. Working and lower middle class families apparently don’t have them on their roofs because they are out of their price range. [Read more…]

Filed Under: Solar Policy

Independent inquiry to support solar for Port Augusta? Yes minister!

October 21, 2012 2017-10-25T10:21:40 by Leave a Comment
yes minister

The news of a Inquiry into Solar at Port Augusta is awesome! But let’s hope it is not hijacked by vested interests…

Recent efforts by solar activists to force the South Australian government to replace the current coal-fired station at Port Augusta with a solar thermal power station appear to have borne some fruit. Last week SA Energy Minister Tom Koutsantonis announced the setting up of an inquiry into the feasibility of building a solar thermal power plant to replace the ageing fossil fuel plants that currently supply 40 percent of SA’s energy. [Read more…]

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Can Queensland be a solar energy powerhouse under the Newman government?

September 30, 2012 2017-10-25T10:22:16 by 2 Comments
tim flannery speaking

Tim Flannery reckons Campbell Newman may be a closet solar fan. Unlikely?

The Climate Commission’s recent report pointing to Queensland as a potential solar energy powerhouse has caused a bit of a traditional brouhaha in the opinion pages of the press and online journals.

 

Nothing like a bit of biffo as we say here at SQ headquarters (particularly in the wake of a grand final weekend) so we thought we’d examine the argument, squeeze out more on a favourite theme  (government inaction on renewables) and have a bit of a rant ourselves. [Read more…]

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Breaking News! Vic Slashes Solar Feed In Tariff

September 3, 2012 2017-04-28T15:35:39 by Leave a Comment

The Victorian government has just announced that their FIT has immediately been slashed from 25c per kWh to 8c per kWh.

Basically if you haven’t already paid a deposit on your solar system, you can’t claim the 25c FiT any more.

The details are a bit hard to get out of the Vic pollies at the moment. For example the 8c scheme starts on Jan 1 2013. So what happens to all the electricity a new solar system exports until then?

Also they say:

“The tariff will then be adjusted by the government each year in 2014, 2015 and 2016 based on the wholesale electricity price, before moving to a fully floating market price in 2017.”

Anyone care to hazard a guess as to what that actually means?

Read more from the Age here and from the horse’s mouth here.

 

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Year Zero approaches with Comrade Tony Number One in waiting?

August 27, 2012 2017-10-25T10:23:27 by Leave a Comment
Tony Abbott on telly

Tony seems to be struggling with the reality of affordable solar

After a week which saw Opposition Leader Tony Abbott perform more gaffes, backflips and nonsensical quotes than the average Barnum and Bailey circus, your columnist thought it high time to check out The Man’s policy on clean energy. This was a bit more difficult than first expected due to the fact that Big Tony, and his front bench colleagues….er… don’t seem to have a properly functioning clean energy policy to present to the Australian people. [Read more…]

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Solar energy Australia: the sky’s the limit

August 13, 2012 2017-10-25T10:23:50 by 1 Comment

Solar Panels and SkyOne of the key sub-themes that tends to elbow its way through these SolarQuotes weekly columns is the understating, or inability to recognise, of the potential of solar energy in Australia. Time after time we at SolarQuotes HQ are forced to report on cuts in support from slow-moving and slow-thinking state governments. The bad news is not restricted to the states either with influential Canberra pollies such as Martin “Fossil Fuel” Ferguson bemoaning the alleged lack of growth in the solar sector.

This wouldn’t be so bad except that old Fossil Fuel is Minister for Energy and Natural Resources! [Read more…]

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Time to batten down the hatches as China, EU solar trade war looms

August 3, 2012 2017-10-25T10:24:15 by Leave a Comment
chinese and EU fists

Is the next solar trade war between China and Europe?

News on the international solar front is not good this week solar fans, with rumblings of a trade war between China and the EU.

The dispute revolves around German company SolarWorld AG which has asked the European Union to investigate allegations of dumping by Chinese-based solar firms. Instead of keeping their heads down and riding out the quarrel, Chinese firms Yingli Green Energy, Suntech Power Holdings Co., Trina Solar and Canadian Solar (which operates in the country) have come charging out of their corner, swinging punches like a drunken flyweight. [Read more…]

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Australia’s solar sector from a German perspective

July 26, 2012 2017-10-25T10:24:48 by Leave a Comment
How much solar contributed to german electricity production on July 23

Great illustration of how much solar can contribute to a nation’s power needs. Source: www.Facebook.com/EnergyRebellion

Reading news of the Australian solar industry, the recent carbon tax and our energy industry in general can become a little wearisome. The constant carping, criticisms from conservative politicians and vested interests can make it difficult to “see the light” in news reports and articles with regard to the solar industry.

Dare I say certain fossil-fuel interest-driven politicians, combine with (again unnamed) news outlets to paint the renewable energy picture as one of risk and expense instead of a brave new sustainable and clean energy future for the country? [Read more…]

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Queensland’s feed-in tariff: playing politics with solar?

July 5, 2012 2017-10-25T10:25:25 by 2 Comments
Solar Cuts

Solar Feed In Tariffs axed in Queensland

Unsurprising news this week that solar feed-in tariffs in Queensland will be cut from one of the country’s most generous (0.44c per kilowatt hour) to 0.8 cents per kilowatt hour has led the solar news this week in Australia.

Regular readers of this column may be expecting your correspondent to fly off into an anti-state government tirade about favouring earth-destroying fossil fuels over the renewable energy industry. [Read more…]

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