Changes in the Solar Industry through P-FIT cuts

At the end of this month The Victorian Government will introduce a scheme whereby solar incentives will be slashed. This reduction will be in the form of cuts to the ‘p-fit’ which stands for premium feed in tariff. The feed in tariff refers to the dollar amount given back to people with solar systems that produce excess energy than consumed. Up until the end of this month there was much greater incentive to have a solar system because energy produced but not used by the system would give the homeowner 60c per kilowatt hours back. With the cuts to the p-fit, this return rate will only be around 25c per kilowatt hours depending on the energy retailer.  

What does this mean for the future of the solar industry, and even more broadly the future of the renewable/sustainable energy sector?

The Victorian Government argue that the rate reduction from 60 cents to 25 cents is due to the decreased cost of solar panels, leading to a reduced need for incentives. Even under the new p-fit scheme, solar customers will still have a pay-back period of less than ten years.

I argue that the need for incentives is increased not reduced. Only households from high income brackets can afford to have solar installations and almost none of the industry or commercial sector have a sustainable energy source due to the huge expense involved. At a time when sustainable energy solutions need to be made the most economically viable and available opportunities we see our Government counter-acting what our Society is working towards.  

By: DERMOT REITER

Social Challenges to Opportunities

Social challenges throughout the world could be seen as opportunities.
Sustainable energy could create economic opportunities and change lives.
Sustainable energy is the future. Using the natural environment in the most effective way, and least damaging way possible to mother earth.
Humans moving forward with nature. Tapping into potential and understanding the earth's natural environment.

By: MARX CHUA

Viable Sustainable Energy Solutions

                          The debate about global warming and reducing Australia’s carbon emissions may have cooled off for the moment. However as the media take the focus off of the problem whether it be unintentional or not, the problem still exists. We now have the technological capacity to make many sustainable energy solutions viable. It is time for everyone and more importantly big business to look into more sustainable energy solutions to their incredible power consumption.  

Some viable options are readily available; some will be more accessible in the years to come. It is obvious not all these solutions are suitable for every business, but it is important to start looking at the options rather than ignoring the problem.  

-        -  Solar: As the most commercially viable in all locations, solar energy is a solution that is readily available but lacks backing due to perceived large start-up costs. The reality now is that solar energy is becoming increasingly cheaper every day and even without a rebate a system now will be cheaper than a system utilising government rebates was a few years ago.

- Wind:  Another very viable response to a sustainable energy solution, but has large barriers to entry for many businesses due to cost and location restrictions.  Many farms are utilising wind power with great success.

- Wave Power:  Utilising the force of the waves at sea, wave power in the near future will possibly play a large part in providing a sustainable energy solution to many businesses.  Many organisations are in the process of developing wave power stations and the viability of these stations is increasing fast. The first large scale experimental wave power site was opened in Portugal in 2008 and has shown good results. 

By DANIEL CONN

Renewable not just for the Home

                 According to the Australian Bureau of Statistics the use of renewable energy sources has risen to over 5% of total energy consumption. Although the use of renewable energy has been rising within Australia so has the amount of energy that Australians has been consuming. The ABS also states that Australia makes up 1.5% of the global greenhouse gas output but is one of the largest when it comes to output per capita. This is why the government rebates, that is about to finish, have been a very good initiative for use within the Australian home. These government rebates have not addressed that fact that 68.4% of Australia’s greenhouse gases come from the energy production and consumption sector and the largest end users of energy within Australia is the manufacturing industry (ABS).  That is why there is something more that needs to be done about making it easier and more economically viable for manufactures and businesses to uses renewable energy. The introduction of the carbon tax has also tried to reduce the omissions from businesses and manufactures but may end up just costing consumers more at the checkout. This is why a practicable solution is to provide away in which manufactures and business can reduce the amount of energy they are consuming without having to pass the cost onto customers. 

By SCOTT OAKLEY