Free Canberra Solar Power Information Session Times Announced

 

Energy Matters, a leading Australian renewable energy company, will be running free information sessions on grid connect solar power for Canberra residents this weekend as part of the company's "double dip" ACT solar incentives special offer. 
   
Canberra residents are currently the most advantaged group when it comes to solar rebates in Australia; thanks to the Federal Government's $8,000 rebate for households with incomes under $100,000 and the nation's most generous state administered feed in tariff scheme. 
   
The ACT was first to introduce a gross feed in tariff scheme in Australia in March this year. The Canberra feed in tariff pays a premium of 3.88 times the market rate (currently 50.5 cents) for all electricity generated by grid connected solar power systems for 20 years.
  
The Energy Matters free information sessions will be held on Sunday 19 April at the following venues.
  
- Southside: 10.30am - 12.00 pm, Vikings Club Lanyon , Heidelberg Street, Conder
- Northside: 2.00pm to 3.30pm, Belconnen Premier Inn, Benjamin Way, Belconnen
  
At these meetings, Energy Matters representatives will discuss the program and answer any questions attendees may have about grid connect solar power. Interested participants will be able to register for the program and secure a special discount on a grid connect system.
  
The Federal Government rebate of $8,000 is due to finish on June 30, 2009, however solar industry speculation is that the government may stop accepting applications as soon one w eek before the budget announcements in May. After July 1 a new scheme w ill be introduced - a solar credits program.
  
While the new program will be accessible to many more Australians,  it will offer up to $4500 less in rebates on a 1kW grid connect solar power system.
  
An information kit regarding Energy Matters' offer and free information sessions can be downloaded here (PDF).

Related:

Further details on the ACT / Canberra solar feed in tariff

1 Million Panel Solar Farm

 

First Solar, Inc. announced yesterday the execution of an agreement to construct a 48 megawatt ground-mounted solar panel based solar farm for Sempra Generation near Boulder City, Nevada; around 40 miles southeast of Las Vegas.
 
First Solar (NASDAQ:FSLR) will design, engineer and construct the facility and expects to begin construction in 2009. 
 
Once completed in 2010, the Copper Mountain Solar project  will likely be the largest PV based solar farm in North America, with a solar power generation capacity of 48 MW - enough to supply more than 30,000 homes. Together with the existing 167,000 photovoltaic panels at Sempra's 10 MW facility completed late last year, the power plant will incorporate nearly 1 million solar panels. 
 
The solar farm is largest renewable energy project so far for Sempra Generation, part of Sempra Energy (NYSE:SRE); moving the company closer to their goal of becoming the first U.S. firm to own 500 MW of solar power.
 
First Solar is the largest producer of solar panels in the USA,  with manufacturing capacity growing more than 2,500 percent from 2004 to more than 500 megawatts in 2008. First Solar's 2009's annual production capacity is expect to exceed 1 gigawatt, the equivalent of an average-sized nuclear power plant. The company also recently announced it reduced its manufacturing cost for solar modules in the fourth quarter to USD 98 cents per watt, breaking the USD $1 per watt price barrier.

Australia's Global Carbon Capture And Storage Institute Launch

 

Australian Prime Minister Kevin Rudd formally launched the Global Carbon Capture and Storage Institute at the first meeting of Institute foundation members in Canberra today.
 
The Institute is being established by the Government to accelerate the deployment of carbon capture and storage (CCS) technology globally and will receive annual Federal funding of $100 million. 
 
Founding members of the Global Carbon Capture and Storage Institute include the governments of Canada, France, Germany, Indonesia, Italy, Japan, South Korea, Mexico, Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Papua New Guinea, South Africa, United Kingdom, United States of America and the European Commission. 40 major companies have also signed on as foundation members.
 
The Australian government believes that carbon capture and storage has the potential to play an important role in the global transition to a low carbon economy.

Critics have questioned whether the concept of what's popularly termed "clean coal" or "new generation coal" is really viable both in practice and as an exit strategy from fossil fuel consumption; or just a means for a business as usual approach to the environmentally damaging process of coal mining; which CCS technologies do not address.
 
Some environmentalist groups believe the Government's focus on clean coal has been at the expense of investment in alternative energy sources, such as the establishment of a national gross feed in tariff scheme. According to a report on the ABC, Phil Freeman from the Australian Conservation Foundation stated "We should be focusing in Australia right now on the solutions that are ready and available - that's solar, that's wind."
 

News for Wednesday 15 April, 2009

 

• Solar Power And Direct Propulsion
  


• Victoria's Wimmera Sets Sights On Solar Farm
  

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