From the category archives:

Solar and renewables policy

South Australia Solar Feed-in Tariff: Minimum retailer payment comes into effect

February 1, 2012
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A provision for a mandatory ‘retailer payment’ under South Australia Solar Feed-in Tariff scheme has come into effect as of 29 January 2012. The state’s Solar Feed-in Tariff scheme is now composed of two separate parts: A ‘base rate’ of 16c/kWh (for those signed up before 30 September 2011), plus a retailer payment of 7.1c/kWh [...]

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The benefits of solar power to the electricity grid

February 1, 2012
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A future where Australia’s power needs are met by renewable energy sources will demand substantial alterations to the way that electricity is generated and distributed. This point was recently highlighted in an editorial in the Sydney Morning Herald by Matthew Wright, executive director of Melbourne-based thinktank Beyond Zero Emissions, who described how rooftop solar power [...]

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Solar Choice Kununurra, WA Solar Community

January 24, 2012
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Solar Choice is running a Solar Community around Kununurra, in the East Kimberley region of Western Australia. In addition to Kununurra, the community also encompasses Lake Argyle and Wyndham, WA. Residents of the region are encouraged to take advantage of a special bulk discount rate on solar power systems by putting forward the local community’s collective bargaining [...]

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Federal Solar Credits incentive to drop from 1 July 2012

January 20, 2012
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The incentive for the Federal Government’s Solar Credits rebate program is set to drop from 1 July 2012. The impact of the impending reduction will have the biggest impact on those who are planning to install solar PV systems around 1.5kW in capacity. Under the 3x multiplier that is currently in place, those who install their systems before the deadline will [...]

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Inquiry into Victoria’s Feed-in Tariffs

January 17, 2012
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The Victorian government has announced that “in the context of the implementation of a national carbon price“, an inquiry will be carried out with regard to the state’s Feed-in Tariff incentive schemes. The Victorian Competition and Efficiency Commission (VCEC), the state’s consumer watchdog body, will conduct the investigation, and will ultimately make recommendations about “the [...]

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Victoria’s Energy Efficiency Incentive Certificates: VEECs

January 16, 2012
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Thinking about making an investment in a solar power system? While you’re at it, it might make sense to insulate your house and get rid of some of your old energy-guzzling white goods. If you’re a Victoria resident, the government has a scheme to help you mitigate some of the up-front cost of cutting down [...]

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How much do solar PV systems cost in Mackay, Queensland?

December 15, 2011
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Queensland is famous for its sunny weather, and Mackay is no exception, with an average of 5.5 peak sun hours across the year, making it an great location for installing solar power. In addition to the state’s natural blessing of abundant sunshine (or possibly in recognition of this), the Queensland government offers the most generous support [...]

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Solar PV system prices reaching unprecedented lows. Why? And how long will it last?

December 14, 2011
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Solar PV system prices have hit all-time lows in Australia, according to Solar Choice’s team of Solar Energy Brokers. These solar price declines are due to a perfect storm of factors, including the strong Australian dollar, increased competition amongst installers and manufacturers due to withdrawn subsidies, and a flood of cheap solar system components from [...]

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How much do solar PV systems cost in Townsville, Queensland?

December 13, 2011
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Townsville is one of Australia’s Solar Cities and home to a Solar Choice Solar Community. Queensland is famous for its sunny weather, and Townsville is no exception, with an average of 6 peak sun hours across the year, making it an ideal location for installing solar power. In addition to the state’s natural blessing of [...]

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Solar power sees major growth across Australia in 2010-2011

December 13, 2011
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Australia’s installed solar power capacity has grown 35 times what it was in 2008, according to a report (pdf) recently released by the Clean Energy Council of Australia. The report covers the growth of renewable energy generation across Australia (currently standing at 9.64% of all generation) in the 2010-2011 financial year. The approximately 1 million solar [...]

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Australia to see 37% average rise in electricity prices by 2014

December 12, 2011
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The Australian Energy Market Commission (AEMC) has released a comprehensive review of the future of electricity prices across Australia. This report lends substance to speculation about the topic of energy prices the media. Factoring in the Federal government’s recently introduced Carbon Price (set to take effect from April 2012), the average price of retail electricity [...]

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NSW’s Renewable Energy Precincts project

December 9, 2011
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The New South Wales government is undertaking a project to explore avenues to strategically encourage the uptake of sources of renewable energy in order to meet the state’s 2020 deadline of 20% energy sourced from renewables under its Renewable Energy Plan. One such project is its Renewable Energy Precincts project, which has established 6 zones [...]

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The Victorian Transitional and Standard Feed-in Tariffs

December 8, 2011
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Although the Victoria Premium Feed-in Tariff came to a close at the end of September 2011, the state still offers some of the most generous incentives for home solar photovoltaic (PV) power installations in the country: a 25c/kWh rate on a Transitional Solar Feed-in Tariff scheme for systems 5kW or less, and a one-for-one rate [...]

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ACT Large-scale Feed-in Tariff details released

December 1, 2011
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The Australian Capital Territory government released the detailes of its feed-in tariff (FiT) for large-scale and commercial solar power systems. Feed-in Tariff rates will be determined by an innovative reverse-auction process. The program will complement a suite of policy measures designed to transform the Territory’s energy infrastructure and usage future. Blog this! Digg this post [...]

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How much do solar PV systems cost in Brisbane?

November 29, 2011
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Brisbane is the capital of Queensland as well as the state’s most populous city. All of Queensland is famous for its sunny weather, and Brisbane is no exception, with an average of 5.4 peak sun hours throughout the year, making it an ideal location for installing solar power. In addition to the state’s natural blessing [...]

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Increasing electricity disconnection complaints in NSW and Victoria

November 28, 2011
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The number of complaints related to electricity and gas disconnections due to financial hardship has increased significantly in both NSW and Victoria, according to the states’ Ombudsman’s offices. The two states saw the number of ‘actual or imminent’ energy (electricity or gas) disconnection complaints increase 18% and 58% over the 2011 calendar year, respectively.  The [...]

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8-10c/kWh: NSW Solar Bonus Feed-in Tariff amount draft determination

November 24, 2011
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The New South Wales Independent Regulatory and Pricing Tribunal (IPART) has announced its draft determination on a ‘fair and reasonable price’ for grid-connected solar photovoltaic (PV) systems today. The voluntary 8-10c per kilowatt-hour (kWh) rate is significantly less than the mandatory, minimum 1-to-1 solar feed-in tariff rate that the state’s solar industry had been pushing [...]

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Solar Farms in New South Wales

November 23, 2011
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With the cost of solar systems at an all-time low and the price of electricity rising, a growing number of rural NSW residents are looking at large-scale solar power as a way to offset their electricity costs. Solar Choice has assisted thousands of people in New South Wales in finding the solar PV system best [...]

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How much is the new SA feed-in tariff? ESCOSA

November 15, 2011
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South Australia’s independent industry regulatory body–The Essential Services Commission of South Australia, or ESCOSA–has released a draft determination about its recommendations for the electricity retailers’ contribution to the state’s Solar Feed-in Tariff. From 27 January 2012 , the retailers’ contribution will be offered in addition to the 16c per kilowatt-hour (kWh) currently offered to solar [...]

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Carbon Price legislation passes in Australian senate

November 8, 2011
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    In an historic move that is expected to usher in an era of investment in clean technology investment, the Australian senate has passed legislation to put a price on carbon pollution. The carbon tax will enter into effect from July of 2012. Blog this! Digg this post Recommend on Facebook Share on Linkedin [...]

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$4 billion in coal subsidies in NSW?

November 7, 2011
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The Auditor-General of NSW released a report today condemning the previous Labour government’s implementation of the Solar Bonus Feed-in Tariff Scheme, which became political hotpoint last year when it was found that it would go severely over budget. The irony is that the Auditor-General’s report comes on the heels of an article by Climate Spectator [...]

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