Energy Matters’ CEO Jeremy Rich will be speaking at the Australian Solar Energy Society Solar Seminar in Melbourne tomorrow (Friday, April 8); addressing issues and myths surrounding solar power vs. coal fired electricity generation.
In 2010, 330MW of solar panels were installed in Australia, a tenfold increase on the amount installed in 2008. As the solar power revolution gains momentum, it’s important for industry players to stay abreast of where the market is now and where it will likely be in the future – to recognise not only the opportunities that exist, but also the challenges in rapidly moving Australia away from fossil fuels and toward a clean energy future.
The one day solar market intelligence brief, being held at Westin Hotel, is designed to give participants an informative snapshot of solar energy in Australia, highlighting emerging trends and opportunities.
Mr. Rich is among the speakers at the event and will be covering a topic entitled, “Cheaper Than Coal?”. Energy Matters has been active in exposing the inequity that exists in relation to fossil fuel subsidies compared to support that renewable energy receives. The situation hides the true price of coal – financially, environmentally and in regard to human health – to the detriment of fully accelerating solar power uptake.
Mr. Rich believes the industry must stand united to dispel myths about solar power; with view to not only educating the media and increasing government support, but also to further increase awareness of the benefits of renewable energy in the community.
A common myth the industry continually battles is that solar power is the major culprit in electricity price rises. However, 68 per cent of the electricity price rises in Australia are due to network spend, with only 14 per cent due to increasing retail margins and just 19 per cent due to new generation and climate change programs. Renewable energy’s minimal impact has also been recently confirmed by the Australian Government’s climate change advisor, Professor Ross Garnaut in his latest update.
Mr. Rich will point out that while Australia has some of the best solar resources on Earth, the nation currently ranks 12th in clean energy investment – a situation that must change. He will present examples of how solar power is already cheaper than coal under certain scenarios and what needs to be done to ensure that it becomes cheaper across the board within the next few years.
The event is being presented by the Australian Solar Energy Society (AuSES), a non-profit organisation dedicated to promoting research, development and adoption of solar energy and other complementary low emissions technologies.
