Clean Energy Australia Report 2010
The Clean Energy Council of Australia has released it’s report for 2010, an industry overview.
Australian Renewable Energy Snapshot
Percentage of electricity generation from renewables
The Australian electricity industry generated 251 terawatt hours of electricity in the past year to October. Renewable energy accounted for 8.67 per cent of electricity generated. This is a significant rise from previous years and was mostly due to the increased generation from hydro. Increased rainfall in key hydro catchments across the country provided a significant boost in hydro electricity. The increased capacity of wind power across the country also helped to boost generation. Although solar power still makes a relatively small contribution to the energy mix in Australia, the uptake of the technology has grown rapidly in 2010.
Clean Energy Australia 2010 5
Figure 1. Estimated annual electricity generation
Source: Clean Energy Council Renewable Energy Database, ABARE 2010, REC Registry, AEMO, IMO
Photovoltaic Solar Panels
There were over 187,000 solar photovoltaic (PV) systems installed at the beginning of October 2010, around 170,000 of which were installed during the last two years. The number of accredited solar installers and designers has almost tripled in 18 months to 2726.
Solar has become extremely popular with homeowners, who see it as an opportunity to take action on climate
change and protect themselves from rising electricity costs. A range of state and federal government incentives
has helped to make solar power more affordable for the average householder and the price of systems has fallen
by about half in the last three years. These costs are expected to continue to come down, with the full installation
price for solar power expected to decrease by up to 60 per cent by 2020.
Australia and the United States announced a research agreement in 2010 to try and make the cost of solar
competitive with fossil fuels within five years.
The state by state snapshots are inetersting.
Victoria
Installed capacity: 1417 MW
Percentage of nationwide renewable installed capacity: 12%
Number of projects: 73
Technologies: Solar PV, Bioenergy, Wind, Hydro
Feed-in tariff: Premium FiT for solar PV — 60 cents kWh (Net), F&R Tariff (Net) — at least 1:1 (FiT/Net)
Policy support for clean energy:*
• Victorian Climate Change White Paper
– Increase Victoria’s electricity supply from large-scale solar to 5% by 2020
– Introduce large-scale feed-in tariff
– Green Door – ‘one stop shop’ for energy projects
• $72 million Energy Technology Innovation Strategy to support the development of large-scale, precommercial
demonstrations of sustainable energy technologies
• Energy Saver Incentive – energy efficiency target scheme
* Victoria’s change in government may result in changes to the policies above
Western Australia
Installed capacity: 307 MW
Percentage of nationwide renewable installed capacity: 3%
Number of projects: 32
Technologies: Bioenergy, Wind, Hydro
Feed-in tariff: FiT: 40 cents kWh
Renewable Energy Buyback Scheme: 7 cents kWh (Synergy) – 18.94 cents kWh (Horizon)Queensland
Installed capacity: 1184 MW
Percentage of nationwide renewable installed capacity: 10%
Number of projects: 58
Technologies: Geothermal, Bioenergy, Wind, Hydro
Feed-in tariff: 44 cents kWh (Net)
Policy support for clean energy:
• State Government’s Renewable Energy Plan to increase deployment of renewable
energy initiatives and accelerate growth of this sector established in 2009
• $50 million Renewable Energy Fund
• $15 million Queensland Geothermal Energy Centre of Excellence to drive
geothermal research and technology
• $50 million Smart Energy Savings Fund
South Australia
Installed capacity: 966 MW
Percentage of nationwide renewable installed capacity: 9%
Number of projects: 35
Technologies: Bioenergy, Wind, Hydro
Feed-in tariff: 44 cents kWh (Net)Australian Capital Territory
Installed capacity: 10 MW
Percentage of nationwide renewable installed capacity: 0.09%
Number of projects: 5
Technologies: Bioenergy, Hydro, Solar PV
Feed-in tariff: 45.7 cents kWh (Gross)
Policy support for clean energy:
• Target of zero net greenhouse gas emissions by 2060
Developing Sustainable Energy Policy 2010–2020 to deliver this
• Home Energy Audit Program
• Expanded feed-in tariff scheme for household, medium and large-scale solar
• NSW Greenhouse Gas Reduction Scheme (GGAS) began operating on 1 January 2003
New South Wales
Installed capacity: 4,992 MW
Percentage of nationwide renewable installed capacity: 44%
Number of projects: 86
Technologies: Wave, Solar Thermal, Solar PV, Bioenergy, Wind, Hydro
Feed-in tariff: 20 cents kWh (Gross)
Policy support for clean energy:
• NSW Wind Renewable Energy Precincts
• State Government’s $700 million Climate Change Fund,
established in July 2007. Funds allocated in the following areas:
– $170 million Home Saver Rebates Program
– $30 million NSW Green Business Program
– $30 million Public Facilities program
– $40 million Renewable Energy Development Fund
– $20 million School Energy Efficiency Program
– $20 million Rainwater Tanks in Schools Program
– $150 million program under the Energy Efficiency Strategy
• Energy Savings Scheme – energy efficiency target schemeNorthern Territory
Installed capacity: 4 MW
Percentage of nationwide renewable installed capacity: 0.04%
Number of projects: 6
Technologies: Solar PV, Bioenergy
Feed-in tariff: N/A
Policy support for clean energy: Energy Smart Rebate Program
We’ll be giving this a good read!
Read the full report here.
The Clean Energy Council Response to the Government’s Flood Plan
The flood levy plan from the Government includes cuts to tge current Solar Flagship scheme.
Spending cuts
The Government will make $2.8 billion in spending cuts, with the funding to go towards the recovery and reconstruction effort, including:
- Not proceeding with the Cleaner Car Rebate Scheme
- Abolishing the Green Car Innovation Fund
- Reducing and deferring spending on the Carbon Capture and Storage Flagships and Solar Flagships programs and the Global Carbon Capture and Storage Institute
- Abolishing the Capital Development Pool from 1 January 2012
- Discontinuing funding for the Australian Learning and Teaching Council
- Reducing the National Rent Affordability Scheme dwelling target
- Redirecting funds from the Priority Regional Infrastructure Program and Building Better Regional Cities Program
- Capping annual claims under the Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG) Vehicle Scheme
- Capping funding for the Renewable Energy Bonus Scheme – Solar Hot Water Rebate
- Not proceeding with Round 2 of the Green Start Program
- Capping funding for the Solar Homes and Communities Plan
The clean energy council’s response to the flood levy plan from the Government.
Government’s flood plan a renewable energy wash-out
It makes no sense to fund the clean-up of the worst floods in Australia’s history by cutting investment in climate change solutions, according to the Clean Energy Council, the peak industry body for renewable energy and energy efficiency.
Clean Energy Council Chief Executive Matthew Warren said the Gillard Government was in danger of losing its way on delivering an effective climate change strategy for Australia by assuming a carbon price, currently under negotiation, will be the “silver bullet” to address the problem.
“The reality is that climatic events like the recent floods are likely to become more severe and frequent with the impacts of climate change,” Mr Warren said.
“Cutting funding for clean energy projects that will ultimately mitigate this impact is as bizarre as it is counterproductive.”
The cuts announced by Prime Minister Julia Gillard at the National Press Club yesterday included reductions in funding to renewable energy initiatives such as the Solar Flagships Program, the Renewable Energy Bonus Scheme which supports solar hot water systems, and the Solar Homes and Communities Plan.
“Solar hot water systems are among the most efficient and effective ways for Australian households to reduce their power bills. Rebuilding in flood affected areas is a perfect opportunity to use more clean energy like this to reduce greenhouse emissions.
“Australia has the potential to be a world leader in developing affordable large scale solar energy. We need more investment in its development, not less. Yet Labor’s own Solar Flagships program to accelerate development of this technology has already been trimmed – twice – before the program has even started.”
Mr Warren said a comprehensive response to climate change requires a price on carbon, support for energy efficiency and investment into clean energy generation to deliver affordable clean energy at scale as quickly as possible.
“The Government has a choice – it can either build a cleaner economy, or it can continue to add carbon risk and investment uncertainty.”
Full Article: http://bit.ly/fdNlsE