From the category archives:

Government solar incentives

Save Solar Power: National Industry Summit to be held in Sydney

June 14, 2011
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The NSW solar power industry welcomed last week’s news that Premier Barry O’Farrell will not pursue legislation to retroactively cut the state’s 60c feed-in tariff under the now defunct NSW Solar Bonus Scheme. Despite this good news, there is still concern about the industry’s future, with several key solar incentive mechanisms being reduced: the federal REC (STC) multiplier [...]

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Some good news: Government drops retroactive solar NSW Solar Bonus Scheme reduction plans!

June 7, 2011
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Are you a New South Wales resident interested in going solar to offset your electricity bills? Solar Choice offers free, impartial advice and Solar Quote Comparisons: Our goal is to help you find the system that best suits your needs.  Want to know more about Solar Power in New South Wales first? The following articles might be of [...]

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ACT feed-in tariff hits 15MW cap, scheme closed

June 1, 2011
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The ACT government has announced that the micro-generator ACT feed-in tariff (45.7c/kWh) scheme has reached or exceeded its 15MW cap and is closed to new applications as of midnight 31 May 2011. This development does not come as a surprise; the FiT scheme has been in effect since March 2009. According to a media release from Minister for [...]

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Victoria Feed-in Tariff: Things to know

May 31, 2011
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Update 8 Dec 2011: The Victoria Premium Feed-in Tariff has been replaced with a Transitional Feed-in Tariff Scheme. Update on Victoria Solar Feed-in Tariff, 1 September 2011: Deadline to have systems installed for the 60c/kWh rate is 30 September 2011. Update on Victoria Premium Solar Feed-in Tariff, 10 August 2011: The scheme is close to capacity. [...]

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More Solar Power Industry response to proposed NSW Solar Bonus Scheme changes

May 25, 2011
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In a different perspective on the NSW Solar Bonus Scheme debacle, Clean Energy Council Chief Executive officer Matthew Warren showed some sympathy for the O’Farrell Government’s unenviable position of having inherited a ˜diabolical’ policy problem with no quick fixes. Customers receiving the 60c/kWh feed-in tariff on the old agreement stand to have their rates cut to [...]

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NSW 60c FiT recipients: a portal to vent your discontent

May 23, 2011
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Many Solar Choice customers who installed a solar energy installation in NSW on the 60c tariff are likely to be concerned by the NSW Govt’s attempt to retrospectively slash the feed-in rate from 60c per kWh to 40c. With 110,000 NSW households having invested in good faith under the scheme, this move gives new meaning [...]

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Solar power and renewables vs coal: Government subsidisation

May 16, 2011
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With the recent furore over the NSW government’s decision to retroactively reduce the 60c/kWh solar power feed-in tariff, the issue of government subsidisation of energy resources has been brought to the fore. The Liberal government asserts that the Solar Bonus scheme in its current form threatens to cost $1.9B if continued in its current form. [...]

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Responses to NSW Solar Bonus Scheme Reduction

May 15, 2011
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NSW and Australia’s solar power industry reacted with disappointment to Friday’s announcement from the NSW government that the previous NSW Solar Bonus Scheme60c/kWh Feed-in Tariff would be revoked and replaced with a 40c/kWh tariff as part of the government’s efforts to get the ‘blowout’ incentive scheme under control. The sensibility and the legality of the [...]

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SOLAR SHOCK: Government announces retrospective NSW Solar Bonus Scheme Cuts

May 13, 2011

The NSW government has announced a drastic decision that, in addition to closing the NSW Solar Bonus Scheme feed-in tariff, would retrospectively reduce the NSW feed-in tariff for those already contractually signed up for the previous scheme’s 60c/kWh gross tariff rate to a 40c/kWh gross rate, effective 1 July 2011. Those whose applications were submitted [...]

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Solar power in the federal budget: outcomes and changes

May 11, 2011
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The budget for the Australian federal government for the next financial year was released this week. This article covers the changes to funding for solar power projects and policies across the nation. Some of the most notable changes: the national Solar Schools program will close on 30 June 2013, and the Solar Flagships budget will [...]

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Queensland solar power feed-in tariff: eligibility changes

May 10, 2011
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Update 14 Oct 2011: Are you a Queensland resident interested in taking advantage of Queensland’s generous 44c/kWh Solar Bonus Feed-in Tariff scheme? Solar Choice offers free, impartial advice and Solar Quote Comparisons: Our goal is to help you find the system that best suits your needs.  Want to know more about Solar Power in Queensland first? The following [...]

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Update: Solar Credits Renewable Energy Certificate (REC) Multiplier to fall to 3x from 5x

May 5, 2011
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The Federal government has announced that the Renewable Energy Certificate (REC) Solar Credit multiplier for solar photovoltaic (PV) systems is to be reduced from 5x to 3x on 1 July 2011. The REC multiplier had previously been expected to be reduced to 4x, but citing the overall vitality and strong growth of the solar power [...]

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Performance-based RECs

May 1, 2011
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The photovoltaics industry in Australia has recently been subject to two notably destabilising policy issues: on the federal level, falling REC prices, and on the NSW state level, the axing of the Solar Bonus Feed-in Tariff scheme. On the whole, the Australian solar power industry is booming like it never has before, thanks in big [...]

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Solar power in USA: the current state of play

April 28, 2011
Solar power installations in the US

People often wonder why the United States, the largest economy in the world and a nation world-renowned as a technology and research powerhouse, is not the global front-runner in the race to install renewable energy sources. Solar Choice is keeping a close eye on developments in the North American solar industry, and once we have [...]

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RECs, STCs: The need for price stability (SMH)

April 25, 2011
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The solar power industry is looking to the Federal government to provide some assurance over the price of Renewable Energy Certificates (RECs), known as Small-scale Technology Certificates (STCs) for smaller, residential systems under the Enhanced Renewable Energy Target (eRET) Scheme, according to an article in the Sydney Morning Herald. This article is a brief overview [...]

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How to install a solar panel mounting system on your roof

April 12, 2011
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For most people who decide to mount solar panels on their roof, a mounting system is necessary. This short entry explains the basics of what needs to be taken into consideration when putting a solar array on your roof. -Read about Solar Panel Tilt and Orientation in Australia- (Get a free comparison of solar quotes of the [...]

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What is grid parity and what does it mean for solar power?

April 11, 2011
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Grid parity is often described as the holy grail for solar photovoltaics (solar PV or solar power) and other forms of renewable power generation. What is it, exactly? Grid parity is when the per-watt price of electricity produced by a renewable energy source becomes equal to the price of electricity produced with conventional sources that [...]

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Solar-powered carports

April 7, 2011
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The number of small, simple ways to put solar power to use in daily life seems virtually endless, and opportunities present themselves at every corner. Solar carports are one innovative way to turn an ordinarily passive, mundane, everyday item into an electricity generation system that works for you. It’s the sort of thing that, when [...]

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ACT Solar Feed-in Tariff to remain unchanged at $0.457/kWh

April 5, 2011
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ACT residents who install solar power systems for the 2011-2012 financial year can expect the same generous feed-in tariff rate for systems classified as ‘small’ (read: residential) that was offered the previous year: $0.457/kWh. Blog this! Digg this post Recommend on Facebook Share on Linkedin Share with Stumblers Tweet about it Print for later Tell [...]

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BIPV: Building-integrated Photovoltaics, the future of PV

April 1, 2011
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Building-integrated photovoltaics (BIPV) is exactly what the name indicates: solar power generation modules that are integrated directly into a building in the place of ordinary building materials. BIPV differs in a number of ways from the PV arrays that most of us are familiar with: the roof-mounted or rack-mounted PV arrays that are retrofitted onto [...]

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Ever-improving PV technology dilemma: Should I wait to buy my solar array?

March 5, 2011
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You are thinking about getting a solar PV system for your home, and in your research have come to understand what the major considerations are: your electricity demand and how to save energy, what types of panels are on the market, where to put your array so that it doesn’t suffer from the effects of [...]

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