The Queensland Government has today announced changes to the Solar Bonus Scheme (SBS) for new applications after midnight July 9, 2012.  The Feed-in Tariff FiT) will change from 44c to 8c per kilowatt hour.

Energy and Water Supply Minister Mark McArdle said the Solar Bonus Scheme, which started in 2008, had met its objectives of stimulating the local solar PV industry and helped make solar energy more affordable for many Queenslanders.

Mr McArdle said solar energy uptake in Queensland had grown significantly since the Solar Bonus Scheme started on 1 July 2008.

“Installed solar PV capacity under the Scheme has increased from just 3.2 megawatts in 2008 to more than 461 megawatts today,” he said.
“The number of scheme participants has also increased from 1,200 to more than 180,000 today, meaning Queensland has the largest solar PV capacity in Australia.
“We have also seen rapid growth in the Queensland solar PV industry where strong market demand has seen the cost of solar PV systems more than halve and the number of accredited solar installers rise from 78 in 2008 to approximately 1,100 in 2011.”

People thinking of installing Solar have until July 9 to apply to receive the 44c FiT, if the application is submitted after this date they will only be eligible for the 8c FiT

ARECA believes a “Fair and Reasonable” price for Solar PV is a parity 1:1 retail payment which may require a minor subsidy from the Government, but we believe if the new scheme also includes Net metering with no cash payments to eliminate over sized systems any subsidy required will only be minor.

Changes to the Queensland Solar Bonus Scheme include:

• The scheme will close to new applications effective from midnight on 9 July 2012;
• A replacement feed-in tariff of 8 cents per kilowatt hour will apply from 10 July 2012 and end on 1 July 2014, pending a further review of the scheme;
• Existing Solar Bonus Scheme participants will continue to receive the current 44 cents per kilowatt hour feed-in tariff as long as they continue to meet eligibility criteria; and
• The Queensland Competition Authority will conduct a review and make recommendations by early 2013 on a subsidy free “fair and reasonable” solar feed-in tariff for Queensland.

The Fremantle-based company has secured $31 million in cash through a Government grant and institutional investment for the Perth Wave Energy Project.

Located at Garden Island, the project is the first of its kind in Australia because it uses wave technology to produce up to five megawatts of electricity.

The company expects the first stage of the project, which will have a two megawatt capacity, to be pumping electricity back into the WA grid by the end of next year after signing agreements with Synergy.

Read the Full story in the Perth Now here Support swells for Perth Wave Energy Project

ARECA welcomes the news of the formation of the REC Agents Association.

RAA has been established to represent and self-regulate the activities of REC Agents through membership and a strict code of conduct.

For more information see below RAA Media Release

MEDIA RELEASE

30 APRIL 2012

Formation of REC Agents Association

Australia’s clean energy regulatory framework has been strengthened with the announcement today of the establishment of a new, independent body to represent businesses and individuals (Agents) that create and trade in Renewable Energy Certificates (RECs).

The REC Agents Association (RAA) has been established to represent and self-regulate the activities of businesses creating and trading RECs, the trading system that underpins Australia’s Renewable Energy Target (RET) and facilitates the installation of solar panels and solar hot water systems.

The RAA will work closely with the Australian Government and the new Clean Energy Regulator to monitor and improve compliance by Agents with relevant Acts, and to provide advise to the statutory reviews of the RET.  RAA will work with members of the Federal Parliament and key stakeholders on issues affecting Agents

The RAA will be a strong, public advocate for the RET and other market based schemes.  The RAA will also address some of the misinformation around the cost and effectiveness of these schemes, in particular that the RET is a major driver of rising electricity prices.  In fact, the Australian Energy Market Commission has shown renewable energy schemes are only responsible for 3% of the likely raise in power prices over the next few years.

RAA provides for varying levels of membership, to accommodate large and small Agents.  RAA will be developing and administering a code of conduct, which all members will be required to sign, to ensure Agents act ethically, comply with all relevant laws and act according to agreed industry standards.  These will reinforce confidence in the activities of Agents creating and trading RECs.

The inaugural Board of the RAA includes four of the leading REC Agents in Australia: Ric Brazzale, President (CEO of Green Energy Trading); Fiona O’Hehir, Vice President (Greenbank Environmental); Geoffrey Alexander, Treasurer (COZero) and Stephen Coleman (RET Australia).

The REC Agents Association will not represent householders, but the “registered” Agents to whom RECs have been assigned by the owners of eligible renewable energy systems.  Initially, RAA will focus on the small scale renewable energy market and the creation and trading of small scale technology certificates.  RAA believes that the experience and expertise of the inaugural board will provide strong guidance to its members on both compliance and policy perspectives.

The REC Agents Association is a national not-for-profit association, registered with ASIC, initially funded by membership fees.

More information on RAA can be found at www.recagents.org.au

For further information, please contact RIC Brazzale on 0419 522 659 or Fiona O’Hehir on 03 9845 3007.

Its a sad day when financial costs not environmental costs are the main reason for switching off the power in your home.

With the massive price rises over the last few years to NSW electricity bills, people are now looking for ways to reduce their power usage to try to reduce their bills.

It is a great thing that people are reducing their demand on the electricity network by turning items off at the power point, wearing more clothes instead of turning on the heater or air conditioner, BUT Will this work?

In the short term yes BUT not for long as consumers will be lumped with an average 16.4% rise in the cost of electricity in July.  Power consumption will be down but electricity bills will not.

The electricity providers will keep trying to tell you that its all the Green Schemes that are adding so much cost to your electricity bills and yes they do add a small amount but no where near the cost of updating the poles and wires that need upgrading due to higher demand and lack of maintenance over many years.

Power is never going to get cheaper, it will continue to rise even without any Green Schemes to pay for, so people will continue to try to reduce their reliance on the power coming from the street by either switching off more power to their homes and doing without or by producing power for themselves with either solar, wind or hydro.

The massive reduction in prices for solar panels over the last few years has brought the cost of producing solar power down close to the cost of fossil fuel power and with the continuing price rises in fossil fuel power it will not be long until you can produce your own power cheaper than you can buy it from the electricity companies.

Lets get serious and unshackle ourselves from the polluting fossil fuelled power of the past and take us into the future with Renewables.

ON THURSDAY THE ABC will be airing the documentary - I can change your mind about … climate (26 April, 8:30pm AEST) which tells the story of two diametrically opposed protagonists: A conservative politician, former Senator Nick Minchin, who is well known for his opposition to climate science and also for opposing the notion that second-hand tobacco smoke is detrimental to your health, and a young climate activist, the founder and chair of the Australian Youth Climate Coalition, Anna Rose, who heads a grassroots organization of 57,000 members.

The narrative of this documentary is that Anna seeks to change Nick’s mind about climate change, while Nick is trying to change hers. They travel around the world together, meeting up with supporters of their respective positions, discussing the scientific evidence and challenging each other’s positions.

The documentary will be followed by a Q&A panel, consisting of the two main protagonists (antagonists?) Nick and Rose, and no — not climate scientists, but mining magnate Clive Palmer, and social researcher and writer Rebecca Huntley, and the chief executive of the CSIRO Dr Megan Clark. This ought to make for some lively coverage, given that Clive Palmer has recently alleged that the CIA funded Greenpeace to harm Australian industrial interests.

Minister for Climate Change, Karl Hampton, today announced a $639,000 tender to install solar panels on the north and west facing roofs of the Araluen Arts Centre in the Solar City of Alice Springs, further boosting Alice Springs’ status as a solar city.

“The project will provide one of the most visible uses of solar technology in Alice Springs,” Mr Hampton said.

“The project will work in tandem with the current air conditioning project at the Araluen Arts Centre in regards to the construction timeframes and infrastructure requirements.

“This will significantly lower the energy use within the Araluen Arts Centre, saving approximately $90,000 a year in energy costs, and reducing carbon emissions in Central Australia.

“The project will include an interpretive display with the Arts Centre, allowing visitors to understand the operation of the solar system and its benefits to the facility”.

“Since Alice Springs became a designated solar city In March 2008, thousands of households and residents have taken steps to become more energy efficient.

“This milestone is a clear indication that Alice Springs does lead the way as solar energy champions, and the Araluen Solar project will join other high profile solar city projects including:

-the Alice Springs Airport solar project
-the Uterne solar power station
-the pool heating system at the Aquatic and Leisure Centre
-the photovoltaic system at the Crowne Plaza

“Alice Solar City is overseen by a consortium of local public and private organisations including: Alice Springs Town Council; Northern Territory Government; Power and Water Corporation; Arid Lands Environment Centre; Tangentyere Council; and Northern Territory Chamber of Commerce and Industry.

“The aim of the Alice Solar City project is to empower the community to become energy champions through improved awareness, energy efficiency measures, solar energy technology and smart electricity metering and tariffs.

“Alice Solar City provided funds totalling $30,000, as approved and provided by the Australian Government, to CAT Projects to design the Araluen Arts Centre solar system, in conjunction with the project managers, the Northern Territory Government Department of Construction and Infrastructure.

The Federal Government says a carbon trading network between Europe and Australia could be up and running by the end of this year.

The Parliamentary Secretary for Climate Change, Mark Dreyfus, has just returned from Rome, where he’s had further meetings with EU leaders about the possibility of linking the two carbon trading systems.

He says that would give Australian farmers the opportunity to get the best value for carbon credits they generate under the Carbon Farming Initiative.

“The president of the European Union came to Australia last year for talks with the Prime Minister and our Climate Change Minister, and agreed that we would have officials talking from then on,” he said.

“That’s been happening, and I’d be hoping that we can bring that to some kind of conclusion later this year.”