The wind and solar energy boom is already outperforming the NEG

A very interesting article from the Financial Review about the renewalbe energy boom and how it impacts the government's plan to merge energy security with a RET.

Wind and solar boom makes Malcolm Turnbull's NEG a dead letter

The blistering pace of wind and solar energy investment is outflanking the Turnbull government's target for carbon emissions cuts under its National Energy Guarantee, ramping up pressure for deeper cuts, a new report says.

Green Energy Markets says the capacity of wind and solar energy projects under construction, contracted or expected or due to be contracted under state and corporate auctions already exceeds the amount expected to be built under the National Energy Guarantee (NEG) with the government's current emissions reduction target.

Projects already under way, contracted or under tender will add 9691 megawatts of new capacity to the National Electricity Market by the early 2020s, the energy consultancy's Renewable Energy Index for March 2018 shows.

This is more than the 9271MW that the Energy Security Board's economic modeller Frontier Economics forecasts will be built under the NEG by 2030.
 

Victorian energy minister Lily d'Ambrosio – pictured on one of Melbourne's soon to be solar-powered trams – says Victoria won't approve a NEG that compromises her state's renewable energy goals. AAP

This means that unless the government's target – a 26 per cent emissions reduction target from electricity by 2030 – is lifted sharply, the NEG will add no meaningful new capacity to investment in new wind and solar energy, Green Energy Markets' director Tristan Edis said.

'Vastly more ambitious'

Mr Edis said the upshot was that "we can achieve vastly more ambitious emission reduction targets with minimal difficulty and cost".

This adds to pressure on the government from federal and state Labor and industry to embrace a deeper emissions cuts target as energy minister Josh Frydenberg prepares to meet his state and territory counterparts on Friday to ask the Energy Security Board (ESB) to press on with the detailed design of the NEG.

SOURCE & FULL ARTICLE: http://www.afr.com/news/wind-and-solar-boom-makes-turnbulls-neg-a-dead-letter-20180417-h0yv41#ixzz5CzyQ5i6a
 

Household solar could power all of Sydney

There is enough capacity in solar power systems on Australia's homes and businesses to provide electricity for 1.8 million homes.

Australian households and businesses are now generating enough electricity from solar panels on their roofs they could power every home in Sydney.

There are almost 2.8 million small-scale solar systems in Australia with a collective capacity of 6000 megawatts - an amount the Clean Energy Regulator calls a remarkable milestone.

And it's set to continue.

"More households, schools, community groups and businesses are looking to install solar panel systems," executive general manager Mark Williamson said on Thursday.

"More than one in five Australian households now have solar panels installed on their roof, and that's the highest rate per capita in the world."

As well, there's a trend of people installing larger systems as prices drop and families can more easily afford a bigger set of panels.

The regulator's figures come as the Climate Council releases its report card on renewable energy across the country.

It finds South Australia, Tasmania and the ACT are leading the "renewables race" in terms of the penetration and targets set for renewable energy.

The council predicts NSW and Queensland will soon see a significant increase in the amount of renewable energy with the most new wind and solar plants being built in those states.

It also notes that states are heeding messages about the importance of storage backup for renewable energy.

SOURCE AND ORIGINAL ARTICLE: http://www.sbs.com.au/news/article/2017/08/31/household-solar-could-power-all-sydney

Renters are being left out of Solar Benefits - ABC

Millions can't reduce power bills through solar panels due to rise in rentals and apartment living

Australia might lead the world for household solar energy use, but millions of people are being locked out of the benefits due to a rise in apartment living and declines in home ownership.

About 1.67 million households in Australia have solar photovoltaic (PV) panels installed.

In New South Wales, more than 350,000 households have solar PV systems.

But according to the 2016 census, more than 2.6 million people in the state can't access solar energy to help offset electricity bills because they are renting properties or living in an apartment block.

"It comes down to they don't own a roof to put solar on," said Mike Roberts, a solar analyst with the Australian Photovoltaic Institute and researcher at the University of NSW.

"The tenant won't pay for the solar because it's not their house and they don't want to invest in capital that's not theirs.

"So it's about how we incentivise landlords and how renters and landlords can both benefit."

Top rental suburbs

Mr Roberts analysed census data and calculated the top 15 local government areas (LGA) in NSW with residents potentially locked out of solar.

North Sydney was at the top with 74 per cent of residents living in rental properties or in an apartment.

Sydney was second with 68 per cent, followed by Waverley, Strathfield, Botany Bay, Woollahra and Randwick.

FULL ARTICLE & SOURCE: http://www.abc.net.au/news/2017-08-17/millions-of-residents-locked-out-of-solar-benefit-to-power-bills/8813664

Tesla's solar-powered house comes to life.

A great review of Elon's new solar roof tiles by By Mike Brown at www.inverse.com

"Elon Musk’s house runs on solar. The Tesla CEO made the announcement during Wednesday’s second quarter 2017 earnings call, where he revealed that both himself and Jeffrey B. Straubel, the company’s chief technology officer, have installed solar roof tiles on their houses.

“We have installed and working the Solar Roof tiles,” Musk told investors during the conference call.

Tesla started taking pre-orders for the textured black and smooth grey tile styles back in May, with U.S. orders expected to start shipping this year. Unfortunately, those who didn’t order immediately have a long wait on their hands: the tiles sold out until next year in just 16 days. The company is expected to start taking orders for the remaining Tuscan and slate styles in November, with deliveries starting next year. International orders are expected to start shipping next year.

The solar roof is offered at a competitive price point. Tesla has priced it at an average of $21.85 per square foot, bringing it down to below the cost of a normal roof.

Musk is one of the first to have the tiles up and running. When he first announced the tiles in October, he laid out a vision of a future house with a Tesla Model 3 in the garage, a Powerpack lithium-ion battery on the wall, and a roof made of solar tiles. The tiles would provide energy to the Powerpack, which would provide a steady stream of power to the car and house at all times of the day. With the Powerpack already available and Model 3 shipments starting last month, the tile was the last missing piece of his vision."

SOURCE AND FULL ARTICLE: https://www.inverse.com/article/35022-elon-musk-tesla-solar-roof-photos-amazing

The most awesome vision of the sun ever

Hypnotic Solar Explosions 4K

To the naked eye, our sun is an unremarkable ball of heat and light. Under the eye of the Solar Dynamics Observatory, the sun is a seething maelstrom of magnetic phenomena, coronal mass coronal mass ejections, sunspots, and solar flares. Let the immense power of the sun immerse and mesmerize you in stunning Ultra High Definition.

SOURCE: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lpzCSZ7Eerc

Support Solar Citizens

Solar Citizens are a great organisation who advocate for and support the expansion of affordable solar energy in Australia. They are highly pro-active and skilled at what they do. If you'd like to know the status of the solar energy sector in Australia, www.solarcitizens.org.au is a great place to start.

“Australia is one of the sunniest continents on earth, so producing power from the sun just makes sense.

1.6 million rooftop power stations are now lighting up homes around the country. And many more households are looking to solar as a way to manage their energy bills, creating cleaner energy along the way.

The solar rooftop revolution is happening at an astounding pace - the price of solar is plummeting, making solar more affordable than ever, and rates of uptake continue to rise rapidly.

But despite the many reasons to go solar, there are obstacles in our way. Some big energy companies don’t want to see Australians take back control of their own energy needs. They want to make connecting to solar harder, not easier. ”

— http://www.solarcitizens.org.au/about

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