Cheap electricity is something Australians have become accustomed to; but is it really cheap? There’s a slew of hidden costs that don’t show up on electricity bills, but in taxation. 

Solar energy and the coal fired power generation industry might seem at opposite ends of the spectrum when it comes to clean power, but the potential of solar power melding in with coal related activities is becoming a real possibility to help lessen the impact that the fossil fuel plants have in generating electricity.

The World Future Council (WFC) is a global advocate for the concerns of future generations. One of the WFC’s current projects is climate and sustainability – how the use of alternative energies such as solar power and wind energy can be supported by the implementation of gross feed in tariffs.

A recent report has highlighted a very interesting and important statistic – the wind power industry now employs more people than coal mining in the USA.

According to a recent report from the Global Wind Energy Council (GWEC) the USA has surpassed Germany and is now the leader in wind power installations. Total global installations last year exceeded 27,000 MW, 36% more than in 2007, mainly due to massive growth in Europe, North America and Asia.

Of the AUD$1.4 trillion economic stimulus package planned for the USA by President Obama and currently being debated in Congress, over AUD$155 Billion is earmarked for renewable energy and energy efficiency initiatives.

A solar powered, grid connected craft that defies the old saying of a boat being just a hole in the water that you continuously pour money into.

For any country, power generation facilities provide a very attractive target for hostile parties or states. Take out a few power plants and you instantly have chaos, severely compromising not only the target, but a massive region beyond. A nation in disarray is a nation that is unable to effectively defend itself. There is a solution for Australia – solar energy.

BREAKING NEWS: Just over an hour ago, the Australian Government released details of its $42 billion Nation Building and Jobs Plan. Among the initiatives was a commitment to raise the solar hot water rebate of $1000 to $1600.

With the likelihood of extreme weather events becoming more frequent and the demand for air-conditioning during such times continually increasing, Australia’s electricity infrastructure faces dire challenges. Dr Mike Dennis from the Australian National University is seeking to address the issue with the development of revolutionary solar powered air conditioning technology