| Solar has power to lower electricity bill |
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| Alternative Energy - Solar Power |
| Wednesday, 24 June 2009 15:13 |
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www.dailyexaminer.com.au 19th June 2009 IF you"re finding it hard keeping up with changes to government rebates for solar energy systems, you"re not the only one. But here"s an easy explanation for you. Firstly, the Federal Government"s recent removal of the Solar for Homes and Communities Plan only affects power generation systems known as solar photovoltaic (PV) systems. Solar hot water incentives remain unchanged, meaning people can pay as little as $60 plus installation (about $1500) for a solar hot water system. The government"s new incentive scheme for solar PV systems is based on solar credits - a program which will not be means tested like the previous rebate scheme, and which will be open to the commercial sector. Basically, in the solar credits program you only pay a%age of the cost of the system and the installer claims the outstanding amount from the government, with that amount dependent on how many RECs the system qualifies for. The government will pay those who install solar PV systems five times the value of the renewable energy certificates (REC) the system qualifies for (up to a 1.5 kW system). So a system that qualifies for 31 RECs will benefit for $6975 worth of credit (based on a $45 REC). The homeowner may still have to outlay up to $7000 for a 1.5kW system, but several other schemes are there to help further. The Home Sustainability Assessment Scheme, which starts on July 1, offers a free "green" inspection for any household in Australia and may allow access to a $10,000 interest-free "green loan" for use on renewable energy solutions and water and energy-efficiency devices. The inspection may also recommend behavioural changes. Northern Rivers Renewable Energy operator Trent Rogers is a certified "green loan" assessor. He said he"d already been inundated by homeowners wanting to find out about the scheme. Mr Rogers, who supplies both solar hot water systems and solar PV systems, said there were many ways people could benefit from a combination of government incentive schemes. He said the NSW Government"s proposed feed-in tariff Scheme would pay solar energy producers 60 cents per kW hour of energy produced. The cost of energy on the current market is about 17 cents per kW hour. In the proposed feed-in tariff system, a house using 20kW hours of power per day but generates 6kW hours from its solar panels would receive a 20 cent credit per day from its electricity provider. "If a household could cut their consumption down to 15kW hours per day, which is very achievable, their financial benefit is even greater," Mr Rogers said. Money saved and earned through a solar PV system could be used to help repay the $10,000 green loan, Mr Rogers said. "But it"s not just about money. A house with a 1.5kW grid connect system will save 78 tonnes of greenhouse gas emissions - 2600 kilograms per year. "Also there is no doubt the price of electricity will rise significantly in the future and people should take action to avoid being caught out." Murray Kirk, from The Solar Shop in South Grafton, said awareness about solar energy was on the rise because of the incentives and general media attention. "The weather in the Clarence Valley is beautiful for solar," Mr Kirk said. Mr Rogers agreed. "This area is perfectly placed to take advantage of the many incentives on offer. We have plenty of sunshine and people are highly aware of sustainability issues." What does it mean?
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A Solar Tower For Rotterdam Green building of the week from Inhabitat is this tower planned for Rotterdam - Monolab’s Soaring Solar Rotterdam Tower.Monolab is aiming to take solar power to extreme heights by designing their sky-high Rotterdam Tower with a skin of photovoltaic panels.... Read more Solar Power | | Friday, 26 June 2009 |
Solar panels for cooling deep-freezers[In partnership with VEI] Interest in the use of renewable energy sources for the local generation of electrical energy is increasing on a worldwide scale. This trend is also noticeable in Flanders. The total electrical energy generated by renewable sources... Read more Solar Power | | Thursday, 25 June 2009 |
Gloom and doom for solar firms AgeFriday 19/6/2009 Page: 6A HOUSEHOLD solar panels credits program will be delayed for at least two months after the Opposition voted to refer the Government"s renewable energy target legislation to a Senate committee. The delay could mean job cuts in... Read more Solar Power | | Wednesday, 24 June 2009 |
Jobs threat for solar firms kept in the dark - Uncertainty hits industry expansion AgeThursday 18/6/2009 Page: 7Solar panel retailers are preparing to cut jobs and halt expansion plans because of uncertainty over the Government"s solar credit program. Retailers contacted yesterday said they would have to collectively review the position of hundreds of staff... Read more Solar Power | | Wednesday, 24 June 2009 |
Solar has power to lower electricity billwww.dailyexaminer.com.au19th June 2009IF you"re finding it hard keeping up with changes to government rebates for solar energy systems, you"re not the only one. But here"s an easy explanation for you. Firstly, the Federal Government"s recent removal of the Solar for... Read more Solar Power | | Wednesday, 24 June 2009 |
Solar Millennium Inks Massive Solar Thermal Deals earth2tech.comJune 17thIf anyone doubts the ability of renewable portfolio standards to spur the adoption of clean energy projects, they should look to California. The state is requiring that electric utilities need to get 20% of their power from solar, wind... Read more Solar Power | | TUSEDAY, 23 June 2009 |
Why California Doesn’t Have a German-Style Solar Feed-In Tariff www.reuters.comJun 18, 2009It"s a question we hear all the time: Why doesn"t California have a German-style feed-in tariff for the solar industry? German utilities pay a high price for any solar electricity fed into the grid, with the cost distributed... Read more Solar Power | | TUSEDAY, 23 June 2009 |
Leading German companies join for north African solar project www.lowcarboneconomy.com17 June 2009Some of Germany"s largest commercial enterprises are joining forces to fund an ambitious scheme to provide Europe with electricity harnessed from solar panels in north Africa. Munich Re, Siemens, Deutsche Bank, RWE and E.ON are among the firms... Read more Solar Power | | TUSEDAY, 23 June 2009 |
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