Ferguson Dumps On Solar Feed In Tariffs ..Again

 

 
Australia's Resources Minister Martin Ferguson used the recent Solar Flagships conference to again reject a proven way to massively boost solar energy uptake in Australia - a gross, uniform national feed in tariff that pays the owners of solar power systems; including home owners, a premium rate for all electricity they produce. 
    
Australia currently has a fractured feed in tariff system, with each state having its own program or none at all. The incentives vary wildly - from the ACT's generous gross feed in tariff that pays for all energy produced by a solar power system, to Victoria's upcoming system that some say hardly qualifies to use the term.
    
A gross feed in tariff has been shown time and again to be one of the most powerful ways to boost renewable energy investment. It's been called a stimulus package without the public debt. The idea of such a system being implemented here has the support of many Australians, demonstrated by the 18,000 plus signatures on a petition at FeedInTariff.com.au.
    
But Mr. Ferguson remains unconvinced. 
    
At the Solar Flagships conference last week,  Mr Ferguson outlined quite a few concerns, among them: "Feed in Tariffs are not the solution some make them out to be...The Government should not be attempting to pick winners...A solar PV feed in tariff does not guarantee Australian jobs. In fact it could simply result in greater imports of PV panels...Germany's solar subsidy saw German consumers in 2007 pay more than €1 billion in additional power bills to cover the cost of this policy – and yet - only around half of 1% of Germany’s gross electricity consumption come from solar PV that year."
     
The full text of Mr Ferguson's speech can be viewed here.
     
An article in The Australian by Giles Parkinson counters some of what Mr. Ferguson had to say about the German experience:
    
"But the solar industry points out that was never the point of the scheme in a country with such lousy solar conditions. Germany now possesses the intellectual property and the manufacturing and export capacity that is expected to make it one of the three dominant global players in an industry that will be worth tens of billion dollars a year. It now has 50,000 employees in the solar industry. Australia, with the best solar conditions in the world, and the home of some of its best technological developments, has little more than 1000, and no manufacturing capacity to speak of."
    
Switching to a gross national, uniform gross feed in tariff for solar power may not be so much "picking winners" as Mr. Ferguson puts it, but more about choosing an already proven winning strategy on multiple fronts - boosting renewable energy investment in Australia, creating thousands of green jobs, reducing power generation related greenhouse gas emissions and a solid alternative to Australia's controversial RECs (Renewable Energy Certificate) multiplier system.
   
What are your views on state vs. national feed in tariffs? Share your thoughts here.
 

Ireland Receives $335 Million Loan For Wind Power

 

Ireland is highly dependent on imported fossil fuels for power generation, but has huge potential for wind power. 
 
The European Investment Bank (EIB) announced yesterday it will assist in tapping this potential by lending the country up to EUR 500 million to help Ireland secure and green its electricity supplies. 
 
EIB will lend EirGrid, a provider of electricity transmission and market services in Ireland, up to EUR 300 million (AUD 502 million)  to assist with the construction of a 256 km cable between Ireland and Wales. The project plays an important role in the development of renewable energy as it will allow the import and export of excess wind power.
 
ESB, the state owned electricity company of Ireland, will also receive up to EUR 200 million (AUD 335 million) in loans to develop wind power infrastructure in the country. The money will go towards installing 248 megawatts of wind power capacity by 2012, expanding its total wind portfolio to 600 MW by that year. By 2020, one-third of ESB’s generation will be wind-based. ESB has a goal of becoming carbon-neutral by 2035. 
 
Ireland currently meets 95 percent of its energy needs through imported fossil fuels. According to the US Energy Information Administration, in 2007, the country consumed 2.59 million tonnes of imported coal for the year and 194,000 barrels of imported oil a day. Carbon dioxide emissions for the same year came to an estimated 46.86 million tonnes. 
 
The Irish Government has set a target of meeting 40 percent of electricity consumption from renewable sources by 2020. 
 

Townsville Solar City Project First Anniversary

 

Environment Minister Peter Garrett today joined project leaders, council representatives and others to celebrate the first year of the $32 million Townsville Solar City initiative. The occasion is coinciding with Solar 09, the annual conference of Australian and New Zealand Solar Energy Society, also being hosted in Townsville this week.
 
Townsville is one of seven cities in the Australian Government’s $94 million Solar Cities program. 
 
Mr Garrett praised the efforts of Townsville, saying “Anticipation has been turned into reality, with so many achievements in the first year alone – 1445 Smart Meters and around 70 photovoltaic systems generating 160 kilowatts of electricity are in place, while hundreds of residents and businesses have received free energy assessments."
 
Mr Garrett said electricity consumption on Magnetic Island is now three per cent lower than it was a year ago, or nine per cent lower than where it would have been without the project.

To further observe the occasion, the Townsville Solar City team will also be participating in a ceremony to mark the beginnings of a 100 kilowatt solar farm, currently in the design and approvals stage. Output from the small solar farm will be equivalent to the power produced by about 20 homes, saving 177 tonnes of greenhouse gas emissions a year.

"Everyone involved in Townsville Solar City should be congratulated on their hard work, enthusiasm and ongoing commitment to a cleaner, healthier, low-carbon climate.", said Mr Garrett.
 

News for Monday 28 September, 2009

 

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