Community solar lights up the Blue Mountains

August 20, 2013 2017-10-25T10:12:45 by 2 Comments
The beautiful blue mountains. Photo flickr/10uta02

The beautiful blue mountains. Photo flickr/10uta02

Shameless plug to start this week’s column readers. August has seen community solar take off in a big way in my region of the Blue Mountains, west of Sydney. This may be due to a combination of the upcoming election and a very strong grassroots realisation of the need for solar energy at a community level.

This remote SQHQ regional outpost has been a flurry of community solar activity as more residents become aware of the need to mitigate high electricity prices, as well as help preserve the beautiful Blue Mountains environment. [Read more…]

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Solar power users left fuming at betrayal in the West

August 12, 2013 2017-10-25T10:12:53 by 9 Comments
WA premier ripping up contract

This numpty thinks he can rip up 75,000 commercial contracts!

It was a grim atmosphere here at the SQHQ bunker earlier this week as Finn popped his head around the corner to deliver the news of the solar power betrayal in the West.

He was talking of course of Premier Colin “The Backstabber” Barnett and his chair sniffing mate “Two-up” Troy Buswell to slash the feed-in tariff in Western Australia from 40c to 20c in the next year. The decision, which (call me cynical) coincides with attempts to bend over backwards for the state’s fossil fuel giants, will affect 75,000 WA households that installed solar from mid 2010 to 2011 on the promise of the 40c level. The cuts renege on a 10-year agreement to maintain solar feed-in tariffs in WA. [Read more…]

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Solar policy being forced by people power?

July 31, 2013 2017-10-25T10:13:16 by 8 Comments
people cheering for solar

I’ll tell you what we want, what we really, really want. Solar!

As solar policy gets pushed around from pillar to post in Canberra and the state capitals, it’s good to know the real decision makers — the Australian people — support the concept in a big way.

This week saw the release of a CSIRO study — funded by the Australian Solar Institute for the Australian Photovoltaic Association — which indicated huge support from Aussies for domestic solar electricity despite almost nationwide cuts to feed-in tariff incentives for rooftop solar. [Read more…]

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What does the Rudd return mean for solar power?

July 1, 2013 2017-10-25T10:14:08 by Leave a Comment

The big news in Australian politics during the week was of course the return of the Queensland kid, aka The Ruddster, The Nerdy One etc. The Machiavellian machinations of the Australian Labor Party which allowed the regurgitation of Kevin Rudd has done wonders to kick start a moribund election campaign, but what effect will this have on the party’s solar power policy?

At the time of writing Heavy Kevvy had just announced his new front bench. [Read more…]

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Is community solar a way forward for the Australian solar industry?

June 17, 2013 2024-07-03T11:18:12 by 2 Comments
community owned solar system

Why not pitch in and buy a community solar system with your mates?

While our recent articles on big Aussie banks and respected mining services companies picking up the solar baton have been a huge encouragement for solar fans, news has been not as good lately in what passes for government (and alternative government) policy. Should we therefore be thinking of the burgeoning grass roots community solar movement as another way forward to the Promised Land of a renewable energy Australia?

[Read more…]

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Solar and the dreaded budget (Part 2)

May 19, 2013 2017-10-25T10:15:30 by 1 Comment
House_of_Reps_Doorway.Credit. SimonEast

Will solar suffer in the Battle for Bums on Seats?

All solar fans’ eyes were turned to the budget this week as Treasurer Wayne “The Knife” Swan brought down his sixth budget (gee doesn’t time fly Swanny?). So how did solar energy (and renewables in general) fare in the Budget? Did we do OK ? Or was it a case of solar energy being once again the target as cuts are made? [Read more…]

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The dreaded Budget: How to avoid solar energy cuts

May 13, 2013 2017-10-25T10:15:42 by 2 Comments
320px-Daggers_Dong_Son_Culture

Treasurer Swan’s alleged tools of trade.

As the Federal Budget approaches, renewable energy supporters — including solar power fans — tend to get a bit twitchy. You know the deal folks, Julia “The Ranga Boss Lady” Gillard tells Wayne “The Knife” Swan that we’re not getting enough revenue from the carbon tax and to go find some more.

The Knife then goes through the options: Tax polluters more? Pop round Gina “The Big G” place with the hat asking for more shekels Oliver Twist-style? Try another, fairer, mining tax? [Read more…]

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Think tank: Solar is Australia’s energy future

May 6, 2013 2017-10-25T10:15:55 by Leave a Comment

The future.Yet another report released this week backing solar energy as the future for Australian energy needs.

The Centre for Policy Development (CPD) released a landmark study (yes how many times have you heard reports described as “landmark”?) which, on the surface, appears to state the bleedin’ obvious points — at least to SolarQuotes readers anyway — about the energy future of Australia.

[Read more…]

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Retro solar tax: it couldn’t happen here…could it?

April 22, 2013 2017-10-25T10:16:18 by 2 Comments

 

a tax sign and 2 solar panels

Belgians living in Flanders are now taxed for owning solar power!

Know how you wake up in a cold sweat after a particularly bad nightmare readers? And I mean really bad dream (no not the one about NSW premier big, bad Barry “Bumper” O’Farrell and the three feed-in tariffs — that’s another story). Sitting bolt upright as your eyes slam awake you look around and calm yourself by saying “Thank [insert deity], it was all a dream”. Well your correspondent had the same visceral reaction when a particularly piece of nasty news reached his inbox this week.

Though, regrettably, the “it was only a dream” part may be questionable. [Read more…]

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From ‘Frack Off’ to ‘Hello Sun’?

April 16, 2013 2017-10-25T10:16:29 by Leave a Comment
anti fracking protestors

They are probably not demonstrating against AGLs solar business!

photo credit: flickr – kateausburn

Unless you’ve been living a hermit’s existence with no access to news outlets, the Internet or NSW premier Barry “Bumper” O’Farrell’s rants you’ll have heard the constant chorus “Frack Off!” being directed at the (not-so-green) gas industry led by AGL. The choice insult refers of course to the gas industry’s latest controversial method of extracting gas by fracturing deeply buried rock using a pressurised fluid. [Read more…]

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