Solar Credits To Replace Solar Rebate In Australia

 

Update: June 2009: Australian Solar Credits Program launched - FAQ - click here

Breaking news: The Australian Government has released further details on its 20 per cent Renewable Energy Target and a new 'Solar Credits' program that the government says will encourage the uptake of home solar power systems and contribute to substantially reducing greenhouse gas emissions .

While the recent Carbon Reduction Scheme white paper offered little detail regarding the future of incentives for the uptake of home solar power systems, a press release issued a short time ago by the Australian government provides a glimpse of what could spell very good news for home owners and the Australian solar industry.

According to the draft legislation which has been released, the solar credits system will work by allowing owners of solar panels to earn five times the current level of Renewable Energy Certificates (RECs) for each mega-watt hour of electricity produced by their solar panels. As RECs can be assigned to solar equipment suppliers, the value of the certificates can be offered as a point of sale discount of up to $7,500 for purchasers of solar PV systems.

Minister for the Environment Peter Garrett stated the solar credits multiplier will be provided for new micro-generation systems up to 1.5 kilowatts during the next financial year and would phase down from then to 2015-16.

Minister for Climate Change Senator Penny Wong stated the amendments to the legislation would see 45,000 gigawatt-hours (GWh) of electricity to be sourced from renewable energy sources such as solar, wind and geothermal in the year 2020.

The current $8,000 solar rebate has come under heavy fire in recent months from many sectors after the Rudd government earlier this year implemented a means test that blocked households with an income of over $100,000 receiving the rebate. 

While details are still somewhat sketchy at this point in time and there has been no mention of the proposed gross feed in tariff program that pays solar array owners a premium rate per kilowatt for electricity they produce, the solar credits system could now make home solar power more accessible to many families in Australia, without much of the paperwork and waiting period associated with the current rebate system.

NEW: Australia's Solar Credits Program - Update

Related:

Australian Solar Credits Program FAQ

Australia's Carbon Reduction Scheme Fallout

 

Prime Minister Kevin Rudd and his team probably knew that whichever way they went with the Carbon Reduction Scheme that someone, more likely a lot of people, were going to be miffed. 

However, fallout from the release of the 800 page Carbon Reduction Scheme white paper may have taken them by surprise, with the government being relentlessly attacked since its release by green groups and others who expressed shock and dismay at the unconditional carbon reduction of just 5%. In fact, it's difficult to find any generally positive feedback on the white paper, such is the volume of protests. Regardless, Prime Minister Rudd "makes no apologies" for the 5% unconditional target.

While the white paper offers hope of reductions of up to 15%, that end of the scale is entirely dependent upon all other developed countries agreeing to at least that amount, which Climate Change Minister Penny Wong says is unlikely. Wong's views may be a self-fulfilling prophecy as many fear Australia's 5% has set the benchmark that other countries will follow. 

Even at 15%, many environmental organisations have stated that it is far too low to prevent the planet from disastrous climate-change related consequences. Groups  have also commented on the raw deal renewable energy has received when compared to support heavy carbon polluters such as the Australian coal industry will benefit from. Even though granted generous concessions in the plan, heavy industries such as cement, aluminium and coal mining are now demanding even more.

A poll currently being run by The Australian shows, at the time of writing, 57% of the 5700 respondents believe carbon reduction targets set by the government are too low.

The following is a very small sample of recent comments on the white paper and targets from various environmental groups, academics and industry bodies.

Matthew Warren, the chief executive of the Clean Energy Council: "A soft start only works if it is backed with aggressive investment signals in energy efficiency and clean technology"
 
Mark Diesendorf,  deputy director of the Institute of Environmental Studies at the University of NSW "...the white paper is actually undermining the potential for green-collar jobs in Australia."

Bob Brown, leader of the Australian Greens: ""Prime Minister Rudd's 5% target is a global embarrassment and a recipe for global catastrophe."

Greens Deputy Leader and Climate Change spokesperson Christine Milne: "Kevin Rudd's White Paper has raised the white flag of surrender on climate change."
 
Paul Toni, WWF-Australia: "Compensation for heavily polluting industries robs the clean industries of the future of vital funding....If Australia wants to dramatically reduce emissions we must invest in new technologies such as wind, ocean, geothermal and solar."
 
Julie Pettett, CEO of Conservation Council of South Australia: "This is not the action of a government serious about climate change... In our challenge of combating climate change this barely even constitutes a target!"
 
University of Adelaide Climate Change Professor Barry Brook: "...such a pitifully inadequate attempt to stop dangerous climate change that we may as well wave the white flag now."

Australian Conservation Foundation executive director Don Henry: "ACF is deeply concerned about the billions of taxpayers’ dollars that this scheme plans to hand directly to the big polluters, with virtually no strings attached."

Greenpeace Australia Pacific: ""That's not a target, it's a betrayal.....Mr Rudd has caved in to the bullying tactics of the coal and other polluting industries."

One of the few groups to find good in the white paper was the Australia Industry group who said the Carbon Reduction Scheme was "a positive compromise but a stretch". The AI group partners include the Mining & Energy Services Council of Australia.

The Opposition is yet to comment on the white paper and will no doubt prepare their feedback knowing full well the issue is possibly one of the hottest potatoes in Australian political history.

Rain Power - The Other Alternative Energy?

 

These days, we're all pretty familiar with various forms of renewable energy such as solar power and wind, but perhaps the rain may hold potential as another alternative energy source.
 
Polyvinylidene Fluoride, or PVDF;  is a form of  polymer also used as a protective layer for solar cells - and more recently as part of a polymer solar cell itself. Due to itsa piezoelectric properties, i.e. the potential to generate an electric charge in response to applied mechanical stress, it can be utilized to recover energy from the impact of raindrops. 

In a study published earlier this year, it was noted that a single large raindrop might generate up to 12 milliwatts of power using PVDF; by no means a large amount.

While rain power technology might not see us harvesting energy from the rooftops of our houses such as we can do with a home solar power system, it's envisioned it could be used to power sensors and other small electronics devices in areas that experience reliable and high levels of rainfall. It could also be used in industrial air conditioning systems, where water condenses and drops like rain continuously.

Other ideas for using rain to generate energy relate more to hydro-electric concepts whereby water being discharged from downpipes on large buildings and stormwater drains could be utilised to drive turbines that generate electricity.

More novel approaches to utilising rain power include an umbrella covered in a PVDF material that would light up LED's inside the umbrella as rain struck the fabric. The idea being that the harder it rains, the more dark it is likely to be and therefore the more useful the light would be - perfect for dark and stormy nights!

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