Regulations that were paralysing the solar industry in Tasmania will be revised soon.
New regulations requiring building permits on solar power systems over 18 square metres were introduced last year in Tasmania. However, the way the new rules were introduced resulted in the information being slow to filter through to solar installers and confusion reigned.
In August, the Tasmanian Greens called on the Minister for Workplace Standards to review the building codes; saying they would increase the cost of installing solar panels – and ultimately lead to job losses in the industry.
According to The Examiner, Workplace Relations Minister David O’Byrne will soon extend an exemption on systems up to 38 square metres from needing a building permit. This equates to a system of around 5kW.
The solar industry in Tasmania has faced a challenging time over the last year and the future of the state’s solar feed in tariff still isn’t clear.
For applications for new connections, a transitional feed-in tariff rate of 8 cents per KWh will apply until December 2013.
The feed in tariff rate from the beginning of 2014 is yet to be set in stone; but a draft determination from the Tasmanian Economic Regulator (TER) proposes a rate of 8.282 c/kWh for the period from 1 January 2014 to 30 June 2014.
According to solar provider Energy Matters, a 5kW system installed in Tasmania at an 8c level can generate a financial benefit of between $929 and $1,414 annually.
Save Our Solar Tas, a Solar Citizens project, has lodged a submission (PDF) with the Tasmanian Economic Regulator (TER), in response to the draft determination.
Save Our Solar Tas says more than 16,000 Tasmanian households have installed solar power systems; a high percentage of who are pensioners and self-funded retirees aiming to “future-proof” themselves from high and increasing power costs.
