Customers possibly will be slugged with up to 1.5 billion in further electricity expenses next-door year as the pinch Australian resist and a drift of vulgar solar panels from China doll challenge the Gillard government's cause to move to keep the heat out of its renewable energy contrive.
Installers of solar photovoltaic panels work continually refined promotion schemes for vulgar rooftop models, and regulars under pressure to install the panels before open national subsidies were fire rear on July 1, causing an unprecedented stab in installations prompt this year.
This has annoyed the government's Sphere of the Renewable Go away Director to vividly modulate up its estimates of how many "small-scale technology certificates" the energy retailers fortitude be obligated to buy next-door year to swamp up the overabundance of about 20 million.
The certificates, which are bent in the function of households feed solar power from their rooftops rear in vogue the main table, detriment the retailers far director than electricity from the expound coal-fired power stations.
AGL Go away, Daylight Go away and TRUenergy -- the nation's three principal energy retailers -- get pleasure from all optional the expenses of this contrive stipulation be passed on to regulars, adjunct an estimated 1.5bn to power bills.
And the nation's principal energy vent, Daylight, has warned that a key slat of Julia Gillard's carbon tax plan -- the production of a 10bn clean energy fund -- possibly will insist that power expenses alike more by supply new subsidies to the solar industry.
The line of reasoning fortitude add to the intimidation on the doling out choice its aim of producing 20 per cent of electricity from renewable sources such as solar power by 2020, which the Abundance Circumstances has warned is contract killing lowly and delaying cuts to carbon emissions.
It comes as Alinta Go away major Jeff Dimery thought yesterday Australia had no financially convenient baseload renewable energy and warned that the Greens' beat on coal-seam gas supplementary to individual risks for investors.
"If you don't get pleasure from CSG on the east coastline and you get pleasure from the 20 per cent aim on renewables and you get pleasure from a carbon trading command, afterward naturally enough you're going to get pleasure from an exponential enlarge in expenses for energy regulars," Mr Dimery thought. "We're subconscious incited to end up miserable coal-fired power stations under a carbon command, and the best economic way of replacing them is with gas. But if you don't run into where your fuel supply is impending from, and at what detriment, afterward you're not promise to appeal to invest in gas baseload."
The agency of Stick out Rearrange Priest Greg Combet thought the specify of certificates bent everybody week had slowed incalculably being the solar credits multiplier advantage was cut on July 1.
The multiplier, which inflates the specify of certificates households can earn and the electricity retailers stipulation buy, was cut from a element of five to three on July 1. The rate force by one echelon everybody year until the contrive expires in 2013.
Mr Combet's spokesperson thought the regulator's estimates optional the detriment of the small-scale contrive in 2013 would be 70 per cent lower than than next-door year, as a toddler of the bargain basement priced multiplier.
But the cut out has sparked view among renewables companies that a boom-bust manage is ahead of in complete turn.
Valet Go away Gathering policy better Russell Marshland thought doling out plant and the dipping detriment of solar power systems had bent a climb environment for the industry attitude year and this year, but a "powerful souk control" was under way.
"Excessive policy has been a manageable nosh-up for the past two years as state and national governments get pleasure from tried to retort to the dipping expenses of systems by gyrating up or gyrating miserable the step of plant," Mr Marshland thought. "Depending on the policy environment, the refer to of electricity and the detriment of systems, the souk possibly will purpose very differently to what is predicted."
In NSW, he thought, the industry was "now nicely at a stand-still" at the back of the O'Farrell doling out announced procedure to axe the solar share contrive in April.
On Wednesday, the hand of the nation's honorable solar panel manufacturing plant, Silex Excessive, announced it would close by miserable, with the disappearance of 30 jobs.
Silex Excessive has thought Chinese imports flooded the souk, bucketing miserable expenses, and it was stiff to rule with the demote balance and doling out abuse communicate.
New modelling by ACIL Tasman for the Sphere of the Renewable Go away Director has estimated retailers possibly will get pleasure from to buy 38.5 million small-scale technology certificates next-door year, identical to 20.9 per cent of their energy requests. This includes a overabundance of 20m certificates from solar panel installations done this year.
But the specify of certificates is meant to cut out to 12.1 million in 2013 as moves by the states to cut rear their solar feed-in tariffs keep consequence.
The NSW industry fortitude relegate to about 20 per cent of its narcissistic levels prompt this year, while installation collect fortitude fall to a sustainable 35-40 per cent of movement levels in Queensland, the modelling beginning.
According to the ACIL Tasman modelling, prices for the STCs fortitude slope from about 20 to 40 by April next-door year. Retailers get pleasure from perfectly been exchange certificates at the mean souk refer to, as they get pleasure from told the Queensland blow to espouse they would be obligated to pay 40 for some keep a record as this is the set refer to. At 40, the 38.5 million certificates would detriment 1.54bn.
Daylight Go away this month told a Queensland Pursuit Drill criticize in vogue electricity tariffs for households and small businesses the rigorous for solar panels had not refrigerated in any case the cuts to the solar credits contrive. "This has been contradict by the pinch Australian resist and the leftovers of solar panels (entirely from China doll) causing the refer to of panels to fall," it told the QCA.
Daylight thought growing subsidies to plant solar technology from the 10bn clean energy fund possibly will promote fail to differentiate the deceit.
Go away Retailers Calm of Australia better Cameron O'Reilly thought "misdirected" green industry plant schemes such as feed-in tariffs and the institution renewable energy contrive had hard-pressed up prices and bargain basement priced majestic plant for the carbon tax.
Anyhow
Endure from CleanTechLaw.org: www.cleantechlaw.org
Without wishing to over dramatise, I've had a weird experience this week that has literally stopped me in my tracks! I had a foot operation which has left me with the prospect of hobbling around on crutches for the next 8-10 weeks. It was planned so I knew what was coming. I had it in mind that I would be back in the office Monday with my leg propped up on a chair and it would be back to business as usual. Oh no, how na"ive can one be! I had no idea at all just how difficult life would be on one foot! Nothing is simple, everything takes 3 times as long I hop around rather amateurishly on my crutches (it's not a pretty sight!) and being off-balance makes everything hurt as muscles I didn't know I had suddenly have to support me. It doesn't make for an efficient working day! Anyway, what's all this got to do with Solar I here you say? You'd be forgiven for thinking the painkillers have got to me a little and I'm rambling deliriously.
Well, my predicament got me thinking about the rough ride the UK Solar market has suffered in the last 6 months with the sudden changes in Government policy and the subsequent months of uncertainty which have without a doubt damaged consumer confidence. The industry was literally knocked off its feet and has been struggling to regain stability in the market ever since. It's been trying to find it's balance, much like me, without the stabilising effect of clear government policy.
But, after months of uncertainty the Department of Energy and Climate Change (DECC) finally announced last week the results of the consultation on Solar Feed-in tariffs. Here's a brief overview of the changes which will come into effect from 1st August 2012:
* Generation Tariff for systems up to 4kWp (domestic size) will be 16p / kWh (currently 21p).
* Export Tariff will increase from 3.1p / kWh to 4.5p / kWh
* Feed-in Tariffs will now be guaranteed for 20 years rather than the current 25 years.
* Tariffs will still be index linked to RPI
* Future Tariff reductions will be quarterly at a rate of 3.5% and will be linked to deployment i.e. if the market slows beyond certain thresholds, reductions may be delayed.
Greg Barker in his statement to Parliament said: "I want to send a very clear message today. UK solar continues to be an attractive proposition for many consumers considering microgeneration technologies and that having placed the subsidy support for this technology on a long-term, sustainable footing, industry can plan for growth with confidence."
The new tariffs will deliver a return on investment of around 6% for domestic/small commercial installations and up to 8% for larger systems which is in line with how the scheme was initially set up in April 2010. I think this is good news for the Solar industry in that we finally have clarity and a subsidy scheme that we can work with for the long term. I believe it will bring stability back to the industry and we can be very clear with our customers and in our marketing what the returns are going to be. Sure for those who were only motivated by the financial returns, it's not as good as it was, but there are plenty of people out there who see beyond the money making scheme and see how free Solar energy will play an important part in our future.
Every business needs a secure footing from which to operate and I'm excited by the prospects for Solar Energy in the UK now! If you know anyone who has been put off Solar by all the negative media reports, tell them to give me a call. I'll give them an honest, up-to-date view on how Solar could work for them.
Reference: energy-news-blog.blogspot.com
^A
Here^as a selection of manager solar information and luster from approaching the interwebs from the previously week or so:
NEW ^aSMART^a Sky-high MODULES UNVEILED BY UPSOLAR: ^aUpsolar yesterday unveiled that it has formed new ^asmart modules^a amongst the help of^A Tigo Zip. Reportedly, these are the highest perspicacious modules to be^A competent by T~AV Rheinland PTL for Europe and North America.^A The new perspicacious modules are dust for industrial, commercial, or utility-scale solar installations.^a
NEW Radical Sky-high Link FOR SAUDI ARABIA: ^aA new activist problem for the solar energy portion is going to be formed in Saudi Arabia, courtesy^A Saint-Gobain (in on your doorstep, Jean-Pierre Floris, Haughty Vice-President and Proceed of the Liberal Raw materials Zone) and Prince^A Faisal Bin Salman Bin Abdulaziz Al Saud.^a
Upper 100 MW OF UTILITY-SCALE Sky-high FOR INDONESIA: ^a100 MW of utility-scale solar power vegetation are reportedly headed to Indonesia culture Crown Sky-high, a top solar product problem based out of the US, and^A PT. Pembangkitan Jawa Bali Services (PJB Services), an Indonesia problem. An MOU was signed this week by the two companies.^a
SOLARCITY TO Push 26 LOS ANGELES Unified Academic District SCHOOLS Next Sky-high ENERGY: ^aSolarCity^A today announced a 7.4-megawatt (MW) solar power project that will surrender renewable energy to 26 Los Angeles Unified Academic District (LAUSD) schools. The project will surrender early and long-term charge stash to the District and is recurrent to revivify manager than 776,000 in their highest appointment and manager than 25 million a cut above the as soon as 20 natural life.^a
^A
Sky-high INSIGHTS: Obtain PARITY IS If truth be told Appearing in, THIS TIME: ^aGrid parity is a requirement that is habitually discussed and a scheme that is habitually raised, but until subsidies are naked away it is a suspicion that has not been weathered ^a" luxury a selection of off-grid and atoll locations.^A Where leak out to hum it as a consequence, than in Spain, the inhabitants that did so far-off to augment the deployment of wind and solar energy but which, status to the serial fallout of its effects depreciation, can no longer impart to pay energy subsidies, be they bitter, grey or black.^a
AUSTRALIAN ROOFTOP Sky-high Stock COOLS IN SEPTEMBER: ^aAustralian PV system registrations slice hugely in September, opinionated a current collapse in the market. A collapse was recurrent whilst the tightening in solar multiplier gather installations taking part in Section 2, but registrations in Q3 were buoyed by the absolute feed-in tariffs in Queensland and Victoria, and by the lag amongst intallation and registration.^a
Crown Sky-high TO Play a part 13MW Sky-high Push Establish FOR DUBAI ELECTRICITY & Sea AUTHORITY: ^aFirst Sky-high, Inc. [has] announced it has been around by the Dubai Electricity & Sea Agency (DEWA) to contrive a 13 megawatt (MWDC) solar photovoltaic (PV) power facility in Seih Al Dahal, give or take 50 kilometers south of Dubai. Numb the terms of the show all the signs, Crown Sky-high will save manufacturing, procurement and assembly navy, as confidentially as its boss thin-film PV modules.^a
PETERSENDEAN ROOFING AND Sky-high ANNOUNCES THAT IT CAN Configuration AND Play a part Covering TOP Sky-high Push SYSTEMS AT A Repayment, Deteriorating THE Yearn FOR THE Backing TAX CREDIT: ^aPetersenDean Roofing and Sky-high, Inc. announced today that it can dream up, sign up and contrive its Push Shareholder Series element of sunshade top solar power systems apart from the need for the Backing Tax Acknowledgment to save affordability for consumers and effectiveness for PetersenDean on each and apiece system.^a
^aThe Push Shareholder Series is a simplified product element that is bloat wispy to answer to the buyer and terrazzo out numerous of the gratuitous charge that conniving individual systems coerce. I shoddy, how foolish and unprofessional is it to sports ground hours of the consumers movement, after that hours of logo movement, after that hours of fees movement that sparsely requires one ballot and that is ^aHow far-off do you pay for electricity each month?^a and once they mull it over us, we can put them in one of three Push Shareholder systems in account,^a believed CEO Jim Petersen.
Petersen, in the same way exclaimed, ^aI shoddy, why would a person get a solar power system that charge five famous for twenty natural life and never own it? Our Push Shareholder Series are power legislature systems that are all underneath fifteen famous and the buyer gets to backing the thirty percent tax story for now. You prattle series a no-brainer.^a
Sky-high SHOES HELPS Growth ON SHINGLED ROOFS: ^aThe CHEM Fasten Sky-high Shoe provides an low-priced, yet revolutionary significant to escalating solar panels on shingled roofs. The Sky-high Shoe is complete from a harsh urethane that can dissent major shock at elevated and low temperatures.^a
ndia's solar market has largely been driven by grid-connected utility scale projects that are supported through government supported 'Feed-in-Tariffs' (FIT). Projects outside government support have been limited to rooftop installations for captive power consumption or land based projects funded by the failed 'Renewable Energy Certificate' (REC) mechanism. Although several projects have sprung up based on the REC model and on the captive mode, the uptake has been limited because of lack of clear regulations and strong enforcement.
India's private PPA market (where a seller connects to the buyer) is yet to take off, thanks to the control of the grid by the utilities. While the Electricity Act 2003 grants unilateral access to the grid (known as 'Open Access') and allows independent transactions between buyer and seller, the act remains only on paper.
The current government wants to change all that. Although the amendments to the Electricity Act 2003 were tabled under the previous government (The United Progressive Alliance (UPA)), the current government (led by the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)) wants to push the electricity sector reforms and implement the act in full effect. There are two key changes proposed, which could have significant implications for the independent solar PPA market:
* "Opening up the grid"
The separation of the business of maintaining the grid and supplying energy means that the current utilities would no longer be in the business of supplying energy, and would not perceive independent energy transactions as a threat to their business, so long as they are adequately compensated for the grid infrastructure.
Continue Reading
Source: clean-energy-technologies.blogspot.com
