CarbonetiX

Plummeting Solar PV Prices: A Sustainability Game Changer

Solar photovoltaic prices have plummeted in recent years and this trend is likely to continue. What are the implications of solar becoming truly affordable without subsidies? With our involvement in the National Solar in Schools Program (NSSP) over the last three years I’ve observed a near trebling of the size of the solar systems that schools can install with the $50,000 grant. Where unsubsidised solar once had a 60 plus year payback, its now down to less than 20 years at residential tariffs, … read more

The Victorian Government has announced a reduction in the payments to all solar owners who feed surplus energy back into the grids. As of January 2012, a transitional rate of 25 cents will be given for each kilowatt. This reduction of 35 cents (more than 50%) will reduce the benefits households with solar panels currently receive. The move has been a long time coming as the Victorian incentive structures surrounding solar panels moves to a more financially sustainable level. The Minister … read more

Latest Spec Solar LED Street Light

Tony Brittain of Solar Lights Pty Ltd has recently installed a number of solar powered street lights for use in remote areas with no mains power. A number were recently installed along a local government walking trail, as shown in the photo. … read more

Solar Thermal Energy – The Neglected Renewable Energy in Australia

Contrary to what the terminology suggests ‘solar thermal energy’ is not a recent development and it is certainly not something that has just been invented as another answer to reduce greenhouse emissions. According to the Renewable Institute for Sustainable Research, the first solar powered engines were constructed back in the 1860s by a couple of French mathematicians. During the past 30 years a number of solar thermal plants have been built and operated around the world to produce guilt-free … read more

What will make zero net energy office buildings affordable by 2020?

A zero net energy office building is one which consumes no net energy. Its an office that uses very little energy, then has some form of renewable energy to generate all the power it requires. With current off the shelf solar technology, presuming little or no shading, its possible to get around 100 kWh of energy per year per square meter of solar panels at latitudes of around 40 degrees, more in sunny locations at lesser lattitude. For a single storey building, with a roof covered with solar … read more

What surface area is required to solar power the whole world?

View “Todd’s Postereous Blog” to see a map of the world showing for each continent the area that needs to be covered with solar panels in order to meet all the world’s power needs. You might be surprised!

How plummeting PV prices will greatly change the electricity distribution network

I attended a workshop today in Melbourne run by iGrid, a consortium of universities and the CSIRO preparing a model of the intelligent energy grid of the future. Its been identified that peak demand, which is rising faster than electricity consumption, is one of the most critical issues that a distributed generation network can address. Dr. Muriel Watt, Chair of the Australian Photovoltaic Association and Project Manager with IT Power gave a presentation about the future pricing of PV, with similar … read more

Which Solar Hot Water Heating System?

One of the most energy intensive (and therefore costly) processes in any house is the heating of water. Heating water accounts to about 37% – 40% of the annual energy consumption in an average Australian household and about 20% of its greenhouse emissions. Therefore it is important to consider all the alternatives, such as using the heat of the sun in solar hot water systems.

Get a solar system for FREE – but only in the next couple of weeks – and don’t think its going to save the planet!

The federal government's $8,000 rebate to householders installing a PV system runs out on 30 June. Time is running out if you want to take advantage of the rebate, which you are eligible for you if you own a home and your household income is less than $100,000 a year. If you do an internet search or scan the papers you can find at least two companies offering a 1kW grid connect solar system for free, excluding the metering. You have to assign the installer the RECS (Renewable Energy Certificates) … read more

Category Archives: Solar