The Sustainable Energy Association of Australia challenges the notion that spending more on renewables is somehow a bad thing.
Responding to media reports that described the situation as a ‘blowout in the Western Australian Government's household solar subsidy scheme’, the Association notes that no analysis has been done on the benefits created by the additional expenditure.
Professor Ray Wills, Chief Executive of the Sustainable Energy Association of Australia (SEA) agrees with Energy Minister Peter Collier when he describes the fact about 76,000 WA homes having solar panels on their roofs as ‘a terrific outcome’.
Prof Wills explains that these solar panels are installed on homes spread across WA, and contrary to the media reports, the majority are taken up by mums and dads with kids and mortgages, who are now using solar power to deliver electricity to their homes direct from their roof tops and to reduce their electricity bill.
He points out that no analysis or study has been conducted to calculate the savings from the solar program that will result in fewer upgrades to poles and wires as well as improved electricity quality and reliability, and avoid the need for investment in new fossil-fuel based generation.
Admitting that there have been problems in the management of the solar feed-in tariff scheme, Prof Wills points out that this is not a problem with solar energy.
Premier Colin Barnett is reported to have said that the solar panel subsidy scheme ‘has cost much more than was originally intended’ and ‘demand was
underestimated’.
According to Prof Wills, the Sustainable Energy Association’s advice provided to the Government prior to the May 2011 Budget to ease back the tariff was not heeded. The SEA also warned the Government that changes to subsidies needed to be strategically rolled back to establish a glide path for market development.
In addition to ignoring the advice of the renewable energy industry on changes to the feed-in tariff, the Federal and State Governments have also been making decisions with inadequate consultation, leading to boom/bust cycles and limiting the industry from growing sustainably.
Prof Wills also regrets exaggerations in media reports about the potential ramifications of the cost of the overrun to households. He says that renewable energy schemes have had little impact on recent electricity price rises in Western Australia, and that the cost overrun for this scheme, if they were passed on, will amount to little more than a few points of 1% on annual household energy bills.
Responding to media reports that described the situation as a ‘blowout in the Western Australian Government's household solar subsidy scheme’, the Association notes that no analysis has been done on the benefits created by the additional expenditure.
Professor Ray Wills, Chief Executive of the Sustainable Energy Association of Australia (SEA) agrees with Energy Minister Peter Collier when he describes the fact about 76,000 WA homes having solar panels on their roofs as ‘a terrific outcome’.
Prof Wills explains that these solar panels are installed on homes spread across WA, and contrary to the media reports, the majority are taken up by mums and dads with kids and mortgages, who are now using solar power to deliver electricity to their homes direct from their roof tops and to reduce their electricity bill.
He points out that no analysis or study has been conducted to calculate the savings from the solar program that will result in fewer upgrades to poles and wires as well as improved electricity quality and reliability, and avoid the need for investment in new fossil-fuel based generation.
Admitting that there have been problems in the management of the solar feed-in tariff scheme, Prof Wills points out that this is not a problem with solar energy.
Premier Colin Barnett is reported to have said that the solar panel subsidy scheme ‘has cost much more than was originally intended’ and ‘demand was
underestimated’.
According to Prof Wills, the Sustainable Energy Association’s advice provided to the Government prior to the May 2011 Budget to ease back the tariff was not heeded. The SEA also warned the Government that changes to subsidies needed to be strategically rolled back to establish a glide path for market development.
In addition to ignoring the advice of the renewable energy industry on changes to the feed-in tariff, the Federal and State Governments have also been making decisions with inadequate consultation, leading to boom/bust cycles and limiting the industry from growing sustainably.
Prof Wills also regrets exaggerations in media reports about the potential ramifications of the cost of the overrun to households. He says that renewable energy schemes have had little impact on recent electricity price rises in Western Australia, and that the cost overrun for this scheme, if they were passed on, will amount to little more than a few points of 1% on annual household energy bills.
23.05.2012
