Will solar power in Australia take its cue from overseas in 2014?

December 16, 2013 2017-10-25T10:09:07 by 2 Comments
us flag on a solar panel

Solar installation growth in the US is picking up. In Australia it is slowing. Is Australia destined to always play catch up with our more powerful friends?

A US-centred news article that made your correspondent sit up and take notice this week in the SQHQ bunker came via the excellent RenewableEnergyWorld. The piece summarised a recent report from by GTM Research and the Solar Energy Industries Association (SEIA) in the US, that reported massive growth in solar energy in the country.

The study found 930 megawatts (MW) of photovoltaics (PV) installed in Q3 2013, which was an increase of 20 percent over Q2 2013 and a huge 35 percent over Q3 2012.

The report discussed the takeup of photovoltaics increasing to an extent that puts the US ahead of Germany in PV rankings for the first time. According to the article, the United States has now assumed world leadership in photovoltaics along with China, Japan and Germany. [Read more…]

Filed Under: Solar Policy

The gutting of the Clean Energy Finance Corporation: is Howard a ray of hope?

December 9, 2013 2017-10-25T10:09:18 by 12 Comments
John Howard and a ray of light

Is John Howard a CEFC fan?

Just when you thought the gathering of the dark clouds of the new government’s blitzkrieg against renewable energy initiatives was complete, a tiny ray of sunshine bursts through the gathering gloom. Or has it? I speak this week of the uncertainty over the dumping of the showcase Clean Energy Finance Corporation (CEFC).

The ray of sunshine, if it is such, comes in the unlikely form of Arthur “Svengali” Sinodinos, who many will remember as being one of the inner cabal that served John “carbon tax” Howard, noted PM and Australia’s worst off spinner.

[Read more…]

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Is renewable energy in Australia a train wreck?

November 18, 2013 2017-10-25T10:09:56 by 9 Comments

solar-train-wreckIts been a grim time for solar fans over the last week or so as the promised cutbacks, slashes and hatchet jobs on all forms of renewable energy Australia unfold before our horrified eyes. It’s been a bit like watching a bad B Grade film; you know the ones that haven’t even got the wit to take the rise out of themselves.

Watching the Godzilla of Abbott government policy smashing its way across our wide brown land can also be described as being akin to watching a slow motion train wreck. (Too much metaphor mixing is barely enough I always say readers!) First it was the promised repeal of the carbon tax with all the accompanying chest thumping and anti-renewable energy grunting and gnashing of teeth from cheer squads in the press and frontbench. Then there was the slashing of funding for the renewable energy agency ARENA in the interest of cost cutting and (dare I say it) promises made to vested interests. At least we can’t say we weren’t warned! [Read more…]

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Misinformation used again to undermine renewable energy target

November 11, 2013 2017-10-25T10:10:10 by 15 Comments
solar lies

The Renewable Energy Target is Under Attack!

About two weeks ago we delivered a broadside against Origin Energy’s and the NSW State government’s apparent war against solar power. As you may recall, SQHQ considers the attempt by traditional energy utilities to influence the 2014 review of the renewable energy target (RET), to be part of a wider campaign against solar power. This driven in most part by misinformation. The latest manifestation is an Australian Energy Market Commission (AEMC) recommendation that solar households be charged more to use energy utilities’ infrastructure.

At the risk of being accused by solar narks of being a bunch of swivel-eyed, cherry-picking, cardigan-wearing, latte-sipping, conspiracy theorists, this latest use of the misinformation appears at the heart of an anti-renewable campaign. As a certain nasty little gentleman from history once said: “If you tell a lie big enough and keep repeating it, people will eventually come to believe it”. [Read more…]

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Why the government’s direct action sideshow is a joke

October 30, 2013 2014-06-26T21:11:05 by 38 Comments
An infographic showing why the government's direct action sideshow is a joke.

“Direct Action” is nothing more than a sideshow. Do you agree?

[Read more…]

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Origin Energy’s propaganda war against renewables

October 27, 2013 2025-12-19T14:04:08 by 11 Comments
origin not love renewables

The sorry state of origin’s stance on renewables…

Australian energy utility Origin Energy is under the SQHQ microscope this week readers. More specifically their claim that the carbon tax and subsidies for green schemes are the chief cause of the rise in the average electricity bill. Your correspondent received his bill from Origin on Thursday. While never a pleasant experience this was made worse by a clear message situated prominently on the lower right side of the document in big red letters.

NSW Govt estimates that the Federal carbon tax and green energy schemes add about $332 a year to a typical 6.5MWh household bill.

Sounds nasty readers but is it true?

[Read more…]

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Bushfires in Australia: who’s going to talk about the elephant in the room?

October 21, 2013 2024-07-03T15:17:42 by 12 Comments
bushfire

Photo Credit: flickr user bertknot

A worrying time for your correspondent this week readers as bushfires, which have claimed well over a hundred properties continue to rage in my region of the Blue Mountains, west of Sydney.

While my town is safe for now, bushfires rage further up the Mountains and down in the Lower Mountains where over the bulk of property loss has occurred. This is not to ignore other bushfires in Australia occurring in other tinder-dry regions where unseasonably hot conditions and lack of decent rain is a major problem.

Now is not the time to pontificate as the emergency situation is still very real according to the Rural Fire Service however when the time comes for sitting down and evaluating the loss, will the subject of a changing climate be included? Controversy rages higher than any bushfire on this subject with many people saying that the jury is still out on the human cause of climate change. This is not to dismiss their point of view. [Read more…]

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Where are the visionary leaders that can make Australia (and the world) 90% renewable?

October 9, 2013 2013-10-09T21:20:08 by 39 Comments
JFK at rice uni

JFK talking about the space effort at Rice University in 1962 Pic: jfklibrary.org

On May 25, 1961, President John F. Kennedy announced the dramatic and ambitious goal of sending an American to the moon and back before the end of the decade. No one had any idea if it was even possible. The technology needed had yet to be invented. Now that’s what I call visionary leadership.

Next month will be the 50th anniversary of JFK’s assassination.  What a stark contrast JFK is to the current crop of pollies in Australia (and most of the world for that matter).

If we are to have any hope of avoiding catastrophic climate change in our children’s lifetimes we desperately need a politician or two with JFK’s vision to take charge. [Read more…]

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Will the Coalition’s $500 Solar Rebate do more harm than good?

September 23, 2013 2017-10-25T10:11:46 by 3 Comments
Greg Hunt's new solar rebate scheme may really stuff up the solar industry...

Greg Hunt’s new solar rebate scheme may really stuff up the solar industry…

Nothing more we like at SQHQ that a good old fashioned brouhaha. After all a bit of air clearing is needed after the uncertainty (and dare I say disappointment) of the way solar policy was gleefully trashed following the election. This of course included the change in government policy on solar rebates, war declared on renewable energy agencies and indeed anything that looked like it could be called progressive energy policy from the previous government. As such our very own Finn Peacock, took the baseball bat to the new solar rebate policy announced by Greg “The Smiling Assassin” Hunt (By the way does anyone else think that Mr Hunt and David Potter from ABC’s “Rake” look worryingly familiar?) [Read more…]

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Any positives for solar power under the new Coalition government?

September 9, 2013 2017-10-25T10:12:07 by 9 Comments
How will solar fare under Abbott and the Coalition?

How will solar fare under Abbott and the Coalition?

Here at SQHQ — as with all of those supporting alternative energy — we’re surveying the damage after the Coalition’s expected yet stunning landslide win on Saturday night. Both the Liberals and Nationals took a slash and burn approach to solar power in Australia and the whole renewable energy sector during the campaign. This approach included policy announcements such as the gutting of ARENA and the end of the Clean Energy Finance Corporation and “Sloppy” Joe and his finance mates have given no inkling of changing their minds on this all important issue. See last week’s article for more details. [Read more…]

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