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Solar nark’s worst nightmare: Saudi Arabia solar power project ushers in renewable era

January 27, 2014 2017-10-25T10:07:36 by 56 Comments
oil and solar in the desert

The balance has tipped in favour of solar in Saudi Arabia.

We’ve mentioned before about the huge movement overseas towards a renewable energy future and this includes the home of one-fifth of the world’s proven oil reserves — Saudi Arabia. For many, Saudi Arabia symbolises opulent oil wealth, a desert kingdom so awash in the black stuff that fortunes are measured in billions not millions.

All presided over by the astute al-Saud clan.

Which brings us neatly to this week’s rant. The latest Saudi Arabia solar power project is part of a massive $US100 billion investment in solar energy which will deliver an estimated 41 GW of renewable energy by 2032. According to this 21/1/2014 SMH article, Saudi company Abdul Latif Jameel has teamed up with Spain’s Fotowatio Renewable Ventures in a three-year venture to build solar power plants worth $US130 million each in the desert kingdom and the Gulf region.

This prompts the question: have the oil sheikhs seen the renewable writing on the wall? Or is there one hell of a peak oil crisis on its way, perhaps a lot earlier than we think?

[Read more…]

Filed Under: Big Solar

Taking the politics out of solar power policy

September 2, 2013 2017-10-25T10:12:17 by 4 Comments
Renewable energy is too important to be trusted to pollies.

Renewable energy is too important to be trusted to pollies.

At the end of a depressing week for renewables, talk over the SQHQ water cooler has been centred along the lines of: is it time to keep pollies out of solar power policy?

First we had the shrill and frankly rather desperate tactic of Kevin “The Queensland Kid” Rudd bucketing on the carbon tax introduced by his predecessor Julia “Who?” Gillard. The Kid seemed to aiming to appease the fossil fuel lobby (or was it Murdoch?) when he said his previous government had “got it wrong” on the carbon tax. [Read more…]

Filed Under: Solar Policy Tagged With:

Will Fergie’s inglorious exit herald a new era for solar power?

March 25, 2013 2017-10-25T10:17:06 by 1 Comment
martin ferguson's office

Martin “Fossil Fuel” Ferguson has finally switched himself off.

Well the dust has settled on the federal Labor leadership challenge that wasn’t with Julia “The Ranga” Gillard announced the winner after Kevin “The Piker” Rudd refused to show up for battle.

Actually it was less a leadership struggle than a complete shemozzle and the ructions within the Labor Party following the events will be felt for years, if not decades, to come. The immediate result is a host of ministers felt the need to resign their commissions due to their support for the The Nerdy One. You really couldn’t make this up if you tried, though the soap opera holds promise. Matthew Newton as Kevin Rudd? [Read more…]

Filed Under: Solar Policy Tagged With: ,

‘Walk for solar’ latest to demonstrate grass roots support for Port Augusta solar power

September 17, 2012 2017-10-25T10:22:40 by 1 Comment
port augusta solar thermal plant

Can people power get one of these built in Port Augusta?

The Victorian solar industry and supporters are the latest to suffer what is becoming an event as predictable as Gerry Harvey whinging about online retailers at Christmas time. This was when Premier Ted “The Blade” Baillieu’s government announced a slashing of the state’s feed-in tariff from 25 cents per kilowatt hour down to 8 cents.

However despite being hammered left, right and centre by newly-installed conservative governments across the nation, solar energy in this country has always enjoyed massive support from ordinary folk.

So why don’t the pollies (like video refs) see the game the same as the punters? [Read more…]

Filed Under: Big Solar Tagged With: , , ,

Solar intermittency can be managed: CSIRO report

June 18, 2012 2017-10-25T10:26:00 by 1 Comment
Sun and clouds

Do those pesky clouds mean we can’t use solar as base load power?

One of the chief criticisms fossil fuel narks level against solar power is its alleged inability to provide baseload power. This is defined as the minimum amount of energy needed over a 24 hour period to satisfy the utility’s customers. What about cloud cover? This is the critics’ plaintive cry and rallying point as they call for further subsidies for their beloved, earth-destroying coal and oil fuelled energy sources.

They have a point though, what of cloud cover (known as solar intermittency) reducing solar’s effectiveness? According to the aforementioned narks, solar power is unable to provide energy reliability due to this factor preventing the full exploitation of the sun’s energy potential and therefore cannot be considered a reliable form of energy. [Read more…]

Filed Under: Big Solar Tagged With: , ,

Solar Subsidies : Let’s get the facts straight

June 30, 2011 2017-08-09T14:12:20 by Leave a Comment

Despite running a popular Solar Power website, whose revenue is seriously helped by generous Federal and State solar subsidies, it may surprise you to learn that I’m not a huge fan of government subsidy in any shape or form. Mainly because I have worked for the government and seen how inefficient they really are. Trust me it is frightening.

I would be happy for the Feds to completely scrap their solar subsidy, called Solar Credits, and let the economics of small scale solar stand on its own merit through innovative finance schemes designed by innovative Solar Installers. [Read more…]

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NSW Pollies Back Down On Daft Retrospective Solar Feed In Tariff Legislation

June 10, 2011 2017-10-25T10:41:05 by 3 Comments

By Rich Bowden

The NSW Government’s decision to reinstate the solar fund feed-in tariff to 60c per kilowatt hour has come in reaction to bitter criticism, not just from solar investors and the solar industry but all sides of politics. Opponents of the decision to reduce the compensation to 40c have emerged, not just in the wider community of NSW, but also within the ranks of the NSW Liberal party.

[Read more…]

Filed Under: Solar Policy Tagged With: ,

Solar Power Isn’t Perfect (but it’s still worth it!)

June 12, 2009 2017-05-03T14:08:37 by Leave a Comment

Making solar panels requires old-fashioned coal-fired power

The city of Bay City, Michigan has an interest in solar power, and in this article (http://www.mlive.com/news/bay-city/index.ssf/2009/06/making_solar_panels_requires_o.html) the pros and cons of using this alternative form of clean energy are dissected and stacked against one another to determine whether solar power is really the best way forward for energy production.

[Read more…]

Filed Under: Solar Panels
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