Search Results for: council

The Queensland election and solar energy

January 13, 2015 2017-10-25T09:44:19 by 9 Comments
qld map

Will queenslanders vote in a more solar friendly premier?

January traditionally sees Australians go on holidays, enjoy food and drink (and a bit of sport) and generally relax and get away from it all for a few weeks. The last thing on their minds is politics and worse, being dragged to the polling place when they should be having their well-deserved break.

However there’s grumblings up north. This is because one of the most unpopular (and coincidentally anti-solar) state governments has called a snap election to limit expected electoral damage further down the track. We’re talking of the Queensland Newman government who are committing the crime of dragging Queenslanders away from the beach and caravan. [Read more…]

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The role of renewables in the Victorian election

December 1, 2014 2017-10-25T09:45:53 by 8 Comments
vote paper

Were Victorians Sick Of the Liberal’s Anti Renewables Agenda?

Sometimes satire says it best. As one superbly entertaining online news company put it, this week saw the Victorian electorate dump “Whatisname” in favour of “Thatotherguy”. Labor’s Daniel Andrews (“Thatotherguy”) gave the federal Liberals a huge shake when he ousted the Liberal Party’s Denis Napthine, the first time since 1955 that a Victorian government has been ousted in one term. However we at SolarQuotes are digging deeper, asking how much the federal government’s prolonged and rasping attack on renewable energy played its part in the Vic Libs’ stunning loss. [Read more…]

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Is Greg Hunt running scared?

August 25, 2014 2017-10-25T10:00:49 by 7 Comments
whiteboard with angey face

Greg Hunt’s taxpayer funded whiteboard yesterday.

Ever noticed how shrill Environment Minister Greg Hunt is getting these days readers? The man once considered the smiling face of the Abbott’s administration’s policy of dismantling of renewable energy appears to have lost all control in recent weeks.

I refer of course to Gregory’s extraordinary attack on John Grimes, the head of the Australian Solar Council this week on the ABC’s Mornings program in Brisbane. The minister sank the boot into the respected chief executive of the Council saying he should be “ashamed” of hinself and accused him of duplicity. Which sounds quite funny coming from a politician.

So what disturbed the minister so much to resort to this type of debating technique? [Read more…]

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Is Abbott about to axe the Solar Rebate (and push solar prices through the roof) ?

August 18, 2014 2014-12-21T21:36:36 by 84 Comments
tony abbott and renewables

What does Abbott have in store for solar?

Well, I woke up this morning to a beautiful spring day. Only to see an inbox full of emails telling me that, according to the Australian Financial Review, Tony Abbott has already decided to scrap the Renewable Energy Target (RET) no matter what his review panel advises.

Bummer!

Let’s see what the rest of the papers have to say on the matter. Well, the most recent article I can find, published at 9am, is telling me that the government maintains it has absolutely no intention of scrapping the RET.

Hmmmmm. [Read more…]

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Fossil fuel lobby on thin ice in RET argument

July 28, 2014 2017-10-25T10:01:52 by 8 Comments
Thin ice sign and a power station

Ever wondered how to lie with statistics? Ask a fossil fuel lobbyist.

As the renewable energy target review commission prepares to bring down its findings, a battle royale rages over how to interpret the economic modelling. Stacked with climate change deniers and fossil fuel-connected industry types, the review committee has been well and truly nobbled. It’s decision is pretty much sealed. For as Basic Governance 101 tells us: you never appoint a review unless you know the outcome. [Read more…]

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Are those cheap solar panels grey imports?

July 3, 2014 2016-06-18T15:00:41 by 4 Comments
solar panels in a box

If you’ve been offered really cheap solar panels, please check that they are not grey imports.

Recently, a number of people have asked me about parallel or ‘grey’ imports of solar panels.

Parallel imports are defined as products (in our case, solar panels) that are imported unofficially by someone other than the manufacturer or their official Australian distributors.

Interestingly, in this day and age with so much online and internet based trade, the lines on this issue have become a little blurred. Some manufacturers will supply you directly with their product, but the majority do not. Most panel manufacturers have carefully developed formal partnerships in place with Australian companies who distribute their panels and provide technical and warranty support for those panels.

Why is parallel importing a problem? [Read more…]

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How the IPA poisons renewable energy policy in Australia

June 16, 2014 2017-10-25T10:03:20 by 8 Comments
The hardcore right-wing IPA hates renewables.

The hardcore right-wing IPA hates renewables. We love renewables (and beer).

Ever wondered why our government is so quick to destroy clean energy initiatives? Why the great work of agencies such as ARENA is ignored? How the green sector rarely gets a look in when it comes to energy policy? One clue as to the source of this ‘slash-and-burn’ mentality may lie in the influence of a powerful think tank called the Institute of Public Affairs (IPA). This week we’ll peel back the extent of that link and examine the power of the IPA in renewable energy policy. [Read more…]

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What? Oz thrashed by Poms on solar PV installation?

May 13, 2014 2017-10-25T10:04:03 by 14 Comments
union jack

The Poms have come from behind to give us a thrashing.

We Aussies hate to be trumped by another nation in any field of endeavour. Whether on the sporting field, in battle or in the latest scientific innovation, we like to think we always “punch above our weight”.

Imagine our horror then, when we learned of being completely spanked by the land of grey skies and shitty weather in an area we should call our very own:  solar PV installations. [Read more…]

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How to install solar panels on a metal roof – without leaks.

May 2, 2014 2019-03-12T14:29:22 by 20 Comments

This post comes courtesy of Trevor Berrill. Trevor is Principal of  Solaris Sustainable Homes and is a 30 year veteran of  both renewable energy  and energy efficiency. It is a honour to have him contribute to this humble blog. Here Trevor describes how a good solar installer should install solar panels to a metal roof and how bad installers, in a hurry can do the wrong thing and leave you with a leaky roof!

Over to you Trevor.

Holier than thou? How to avoid leaks in the roof! [Read more…]

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Big Clive throws weight behind 20 percent renewable energy target. Or does he?

March 24, 2014 2017-10-25T10:05:36 by 9 Comments
clive palmer

Thumbs up for Solar? Or not?

Well the big solar news this week was provided by a Big Man. Big Clive to be precise. Yes finally the message of sustainability, affordability and keeping the environment for future generations was played out through the mainstream media. More precisely through Big Clive Palmer’s endorsement of his W.A. Senate PUP candidate’s ringing praise for the 20 percent renewable energy target.

Splattered all over the front pages and on our national broadcaster was the man famous for bloody big holes in the ground, Titanics, grandiose press conferences, collecting mining leases and pouring billions into the formation of his very own lobby group…er political party. [Read more…]

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