Search Results for: tasmania

Should you scrap your 1.5kW solar and replace it with a bigger system?

solar rag and bone man

Should you bite the bullet and scrap your 1.5kW solar system so you can fit a bigger system on your roof?

Five to eight years ago, just as the Australian solar industry was getting underway, many people locked in high feed in tariffs for their new, cutting-edge solar power systems.  For example, many people in Victoria with systems installed before 2012 are now getting 71.3 cents per kilowatt-hour of solar electricity exported into the grid.  And they will continue to receive this for almost 7 more years. [Read more…]

Flinders Island Hybrid Energy Hub Officially Opened

Flinders Island - Wind And Solar Power

Image: Google Maps

The residents of Flinders Island now have a cleaner electricity supply – the island’s $13.38 million Hybrid Energy Hub was officially opened yesterday. [Read more…]

Want $0 Electricity Bills? On-Grid Solar Beats Batteries.

zero dollar bills?

Want Free Future Electricity Without Blowing The Bank?  Get On-Grid Solar Without Batteries.

When it comes to buying rooftop solar and batteries, people have a wide range of motivations.  Some want to save money, most are environmentally concerned, there are tech-heads interested in the technology, while others just want to be trendy.  Then there are confused people who ordered a battery thinking they were buying artillery or possibly a chicken.

But one motivation that pervades our society is love.  Love for free stuff.  In this case, free electricity.  Most people I know would love to have $0 electricity bills or better yet, be paid for providing clean solar electricity to the grid.

If $0 bills are what you want, it’s okay to admit it.  You’re among friends here. [Read more…]

Australian Solar System Interest Index – November 2017

Australian solar system interest index report

Last month again saw a great deal of activity on the SolarQuotes website from Australians interested in reducing their reliance on mains grid power and slashing their electricity bills through installing solar panels. [Read more…]

A Fair Solar Feed-In Tariff For Australia Is Around 22 Cents

 

Solar Feed-In Tariffs Should Be Higher Than They Are — But Not As High As Some Believe

In my not at all humble opinion, Australian solar feed-in tariffs are too damn low!  People aren’t receiving a fair deal for the clean solar energy they export to the grid.  This is bad for our nation and the world because with a fairer price we would see more rooftop solar installed which would reduce the damage to our health and our environment from burning fossil fuels.

But before I am voted leader of the revolution for higher feed-in tariffs and march my armies on Canberra — or maybe somewhere that’s actually nice to go — I should point out that, unlike some people, I don’t think solar feed-in tariffs should equal the retail cost of electricity.  While feed-in tariffs  should be higher than they are now, a “fair” price is likely to still be less than what most of us are are normally charged for grid electricity.

As a result, this article will probably end up a successful attempt at making the maximum number of people possible disagree with me. [Read more…]

Door-To-Door Solar Sales: Know Your Rights

Door to door solar salesman

Door to door solar salespeople are common in Australia. Here’s what you need to know if you are approached.

If you own an unshaded roof in Australia, filling your roof with solar is probably the best investment you can make. That sounds like a smarmy sales pitch, but the numbers are there for everyone to see.

Yet over 75% of Australian roofs still don’t have panels.

So how can the solar industry get the message out to non-solar homeowners that they really need to at least run the numbers on getting panels installed?

[Read more…]

How Many Solar Panels Do You Need To Charge An Electric Car?

dude charging his car with solar

If you are thinking of buying an electric car and have solar then you need to read this.

I recently wrote about how an electric car revolution is coming thanks to declining battery costs and rising environmental concern.  I made a promise in that article I would soon write about charging electric cars with rooftop solar and soon is now.  Or at least it soon will be. [Read more…]

Proposal To Penalise Coal Seam Gas Holdout States Gains Steam

CSG - Coal Seam Gas

CSG gasfield in Queensland | Image: Lock The Gate Alliance

States banning unconventional gas and fracking activities could miss out on some GST revenue if a proposal by the Commonwealth Grants Commission is implemented.

[Read more…]

Electric Cars Will Roll Over The Competition

Tesla Superchargers

Tesla superchargers connected to Tesla S electric luxury vehicles in Adelaide sitting opposite Mitsubishi MiEVs.

The Electric Car Revolution Is Coming And Cannot Be Stopped

Electric cars are approaching a major milestone.  Soon they will reach 1% of total world vehicle production.

If you don’t think that’s a big deal, consider how quickly things changed once 1% of people had the internet or 1% had smartphones.  This might not seem like a reasonable comparison, as a brand new electric car costs more than twice as much as the latest iPhone, but things are definitely taking off. [Read more…]

Solar Savings Bonanza From August Small Scale PV Installations

Electricity bill savings from solar panels

Solar panel image: B137,CC BY-SA 4.0

The latest Renewable Energy Index from Green Markets indicates rooftop solar panels (small scale systems) installed across Australia last month will deliver $180 million in electricity bill savings over 10 years.

[Read more…]

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