Election 2016. Solar is safe only if Nick Xenophon’s Team supports it.

July 4, 2016 2024-10-04T06:55:15 by 5 Comments
marcom turnbull and renewable energy

Turnbull’s submission to the right on issues such as renewable energy has not worked out so well for him.

Ah yes. Turnbull’s big gamble of calling a double dissolution election to regain control of policy looks like it’s failed. And failed miserably. Not only has the Coalition been stymied in its attempt to gain control of the Senate, it hasn’t yet been confirmed as having enough seats to govern in its own right in the Lower House.

For the solar industry this is most likely good news.  A Liberal controlled upper and lower house would almost certainly have resulted in another attempt to kill the Renewable Energy Target, and with it the solar rebate. That is unlikely to happen now. [Read more…]

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Keith De Lacy Is Not Right About Solar And Wind Power – Not Here, Not Anywhere

June 27, 2016 2017-04-18T18:01:05 by 26 Comments
article

A response to Keith De Lacey’s article in the Australian last week.

The Australian recently published an opinion piece by the Director of an oil shale company and former Chairman of Macarthur Coal, entitled, “Solar And Wind Power Simply Don’t Work – Not Here, Not Anywhere“.

This was surprising because the solar panels above my head are producing electricity right now.  And since I know exactly how much I paid for them I know they are definitely economically worthwhile. Also, because I know exactly how much the STCs I received as part of Australia’s Renewable Energy Target were worth I know the rooftop solar system would still pay for itself even without subsidy. [Read more…]

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Election 2016: renewables roundup week #7 – the Brexit Edition

June 27, 2016 2017-10-25T08:23:30 by 5 Comments
brexit text on solar

Q. What does the Brexit mean for Australian Solar? A. Higher prices.

Well that was interesting wasn’t it folks? Just as the Australian election was drifting off into the sunset, we get hit by the arrival of an enormous, loud and dangerous elephant in the room. I’m talking of course of the surprise Brexit result where Brits voted to exit the European Union, a result that sent shock waves across the world.

Prime Minister Turnbull was quick to grace our screens (sans the hi-vis vest and hard hat this time) to assure us — in his most statesmanlike voice — that the vote would not affect Australia in any way. The fact that he looked like a kid hauled before the headmaster, with a trembling bottom lip and shaky “wasn’t me, wasn’t me” speech didn’t make him look that convincing though.

Next came Bouncing Billy Shorten, who will now see his chances of winning the election recede, also determined to tell us that his party’s policies are the best choice in these now choppy waters. [Read more…]

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How Australia Ended Up With A Renewable Energy Target

June 20, 2016 2024-07-03T11:23:12 by 30 Comments
John Howard and a ray of light

The Creator of The Renewable Energy Target. Mr John Howard.

Australia’s Renewable Energy Target, or RET, was first introduced in 2001 by Liberal PM John Howard. It has been almost entirely responsible for getting Australia’s graceful collection of wind turbines erected and getting solar panels on the roofs of 19% of our homes.

However, despite all its success, not many of us know very much about the RET.

This is understandable, as on the surface the topic is fairly dry. But once you get past that desiccated surface you soon discover what lies beneath is actually about as dry as crawling through the Simpson Desert without water for three days and then eating six plain SAO biscuits off a salt flat.

But don’t worry, I’m going to save you from having to experience that yourself. I recently filled in the gaps my knowledge of the RET and I’m ready to present you with all the juicy tidbits of information I gleaned from that dry and dusty landscape.

Feel free not to read on if you are already confident in your mastery of the topic. But before you do that, just be certain you can answer in the affirmative when I ask, do you get RET yet? [Read more…]

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Election 2016 — renewables roundup week #6

June 20, 2016 2017-10-25T08:23:47 by 2 Comments
wind energy worker

What’s been going on in Week #6 of the election campaign?

If jobs and growth are really the cornerstones of the Coalition’s election campaign, they’d be well served by promoting a more pro-clean energy platform, according to a report released by the Clean Energy Council. [Read more…]

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Election 2016 — renewables roundup week #5

June 14, 2016 2017-10-25T08:23:59 by Leave a Comment
wind turbines in a field

Why does Nick Xenophon hate wind so much?

A bit of housekeeping before we launch into the Election 2016 renewables roundup for week #5. Last week we touched on the growing interest in the independents and — in particular — the rise and rise of the Nick Xenophon Party, especially in the senator’s home state of South Australia. [Read more…]

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Election 2016 — Renewables roundup Week #4

June 6, 2016 2017-10-25T08:24:25 by 2 Comments

As Election 2016 reaches the halfway point, it’s time to consider a few possibilities in our weekly election renewables roundup. With the polls tightening even further, what chance is there of another hung parliament? More importantly, what does that mean for renewables such as solar energy development in Australia over the next three years?

pylons

The spectre of a hung parliament raised its head in Week#4.

[Read more…]

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Election renewables roundup Week #3

May 31, 2016 2017-10-25T08:25:07 by 2 Comments
pollution from coal power station

As the polling gap closes, climate and renewables are conspicuously absent from the mainstream debate.

Our election renewables roundup for week 3 sees the polling gap between the two major parties to be the width of a cigarette paper with Bouncing Billy Shorten closing the preferred prime minister margin.

The closeness of the campaign shows a single issue cuts across party and demographic lines, is popular amongst the majority of voters and may be the difference between winning, losing or a hung parliament. [Read more…]

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Election renewables news roundup Week #2

May 22, 2016 2017-10-25T08:25:19 by 5 Comments
turnbull

Whilst pollies spent the week campaigning, Aussie researchers made the biggest breakthrough in solar efficiency in years.

Used to being marginalised during election campaigns, the renewables sector hasn’t exactly sprung to the centre of attention during the latest most important election since the last one. However there are signs that the two major parties are taking notice of the Australian electorate’s overwhelming support for a strong renewable energy policy as we dip into the election renewables news roundup for the second week. [Read more…]

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Election renewables news roundup Week #1

May 15, 2016 2017-10-25T08:25:35 by Leave a Comment

election-week-1

And it’s on for young and old! It was a race to the wardrobe to find the hi-visibility vests and hard hats as soon as our PM got the nod for an early election last week. Breathless, the two have traversed the land in the first week, trying to appear with as many workers and small business people as possible to squeeze in one camera shot. [Read more…]

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