Australia's New Solar Power Battlefield

 

The passing of legislation that finally saw rebates for the Solar Credits program written into law coupled with decreases in prices for solar panels has been a bonanza for consumers.. and a minefield.
   
With many providers still addressing backlogs from the end of the previous Solar Homes and Communities Plan  rebate; some home owners are finding the systems being installed contain solar panels that may meet the basic standards; but likely won't last them the long haul. Additionally, installation workmanship in some cases has been  rushed and shoddy or carried out by inexperienced installers; leading to performance and safety issues.
    
With the new solar rebate program and a renewed rush on systems, competition is fierce and some in Australia's renewable energy sector fear the pressure of smaller margins for providers will see the trend of poor quality materials and workmanship increase, giving Australia's solar industry a bad name.
   
According to Energy Matters, a Victoria- based national provider of solar power solutions for home and business, in order to qualify for the Solar Credits rebate, systems have to be installed by a BCSE accredited installer. However, that doesn't necessarily ensure a quality installation. Energy Matters' consumer guide to solar power asks the questions:
   
"Will the person who climbs onto your roof to perform the installation be the same person who signs off on the paperwork? Does the installer have full BCSE accreditation or is the work done by an electrician and later checked by a more qualified supervisor?" 
   
Energy Matters advises that  home owners shouldn't allow their houses to be classrooms, unless the person is working side by side with a fully accredited installer. If an installer is just learning, he or she will have a provisional number - starting with P. 
   
While home owners now have the opportunity to install solar power systems at low prices and the Solar Credits rebates system does provide some protection in terms of minimum standards for systems, Energy Matters' consumer guide shows there are many loopholes that may be exploited by unscrupulous providers that could see consumers getting far less than what they expected.
  

First Solar Assisted Oil, Now Solar Assisted Coal

 

Yesterday we covered a story regarding Chevron Corp building a solar thermal plant in California that will help extract oil from an aging oil field - now it's coal's turn to turn fossil fuel into something perhaps a little bit greener.
   
Abengoa Solar announced today it had inked a deal with Xcel Energy in the US state of Colorado  to build a demonstration parabolic trough concentrating solar power (CSP) plant at its Cameo coal-fired power generation facilities. According to Abengoa, the project is the first to integrate an industrial solar installation into a coal-fired plant.
  
The four megawatt project is expected to be operational by the end of 2009 and aims to prove that the heat produced by the solar farm can increase the efficiency of a coal-fired power plant while also lowering carbon dioxide emissions.
   
Parabolic trough technology uses collectors that track the sun and concentrate solar radiation onto a heat-absorbing pipe. The heated fluid that circulates through the pipe reaches high temperatures and via a heat exchanger, produces energy that can be used to generate steam.
   
Hybrids of this nature - fossil fuel incorporating clean, renewable energy technology - have raised the eyebrows of some environmentalists concerned with the oil/coal companies involved seeing this as a "greenwashing" opportunity. 
   
However, these recent developments could also finally herald the big polluters' awareness and acceptance that their contribution to climate change must be addressed soon in order to avoid worst-case scenario global disaster.. and these technologies may help buy a little time as the world moves towards a clean energy revolution.
  

News for Thursday 27 August, 2009

 

• Solar Power Equals Green(er) Oil?
  

View all news for Thursday 27 August, 2009 on one page

Recent News

 

• Wednesday 26 August, 2009
  


• Tuesday 25 August, 2009
  


• Monday 24 August, 2009
  


• Friday 21 August, 2009
  


• Thursday 20 August, 2009
  

News archive