DOCSLIB.ORG

How Much Rooftop Solar Can Be Installed in Australia? Prepared For

Total Page：16

File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb

Download full-text PDF Read full-text
How Much Rooftop Solar Can Be Installed in Australia? Prepared For HOW MUCH ROOFTOP SOLAR CAN BE INSTALLED IN AUSTRALIA? PREPARED FOR: Clean Energy Finance Corporation and Property Council of Australia About the authors The Institute for Sustainable Futures (ISF) is an interdisciplinary research and consulting organisation at the University of Technology Sydney. ISF has been setting global benchmarks since 1997 in helping governments, organisations, businesses and communities achieve change towards sustainable futures. We utilise a unique combination of skills and perspectives to offer long term sustainable solutions that protect and enhance the environment, human wellbeing and social equity. For further information visit: www.isf.uts.edu.au The School of Photovoltaic and Renewable Energy Engineering (SPREE) at the University of New South Wales (UNSW) has an international reputation for solar energy research. The SunSPoT Solar Potential Tool, which is the technical basis for the solar potential estimates in this report and a series of Solar Potential assessments published by the Australian PV Institute (APVI) for major Australian Cities, was developed and validated at SPREE for APVI to help inform and facilitate ongoing investment in solar photovoltaic (PV) systems in Australia. This work is part of a broader renewable energy systems research program at SPREE, including renewable energy resource assessment, performance analysis, modelling and mapping, renewable and distributed energy integration, and building energy modelling. The Australian Photovoltaic Institute (APVI) is a membership organisation that exists to support the increased development and use of PV via research, analysis and information. We focus on data analysis, independent and balanced information, and collaborative research, both nationally and internationally, providing analysis to industry, regulators and government on a range of technical and policy related issues. We prepare Australia’s Annual PV in Australia Report and represent Australia on the IEA’s Photovoltaic Power Systems and Solar Heating and Cooling research programmes. A detailed summary of APVI projects can be sourced at our website www.apvi.org.au, as well as a range of resources including our solar mapping tool, SunSPoT. Our work is intended to be of use not only to our members but also to the broader community. Institute for Sustainable Futures University of Technology Sydney PO Box 123 Broadway, NSW, 2007 www.isf.edu.au Disclaimer The authors have used all due care and skill to ensure the material is accurate as at the date of this report, however, UTS and the authors do not accept any responsibility for any losses that may arise by anyone relying upon its contents. In particular, tariff rates and regimes may vary significantly from those used in this work and have a significant effect on the results. © UTS May 2019 © UTS 2019 1 Research team Citation Mike Roberts Please cite as: Roberts, M., Nagrath, K. Research Associate Briggs, C., Copper, J., Bruce, A., and University of New South Wales Mckibben, J (2019) How much Rooftop Solar can be Installed in Australia? Report for the Kriti Nagrath Clean Energy Finance Corporation and the Senior Research Consultant Property Council of Australia. Sydney. Institute for Sustainable Futures Chris Briggs Acknowledgements Research Principal Institute for Sustainable Futures Jessie Copper The authors thank the Clean Energy Finance Corporation and the Property Council of Research Associate Australia who commissioned the research University of New South Wales project for advancing thought leadership in the sector. We would also like to thank OMNILINK Anna Bruce for supplying the spatial data for the analysis. Senior Lecturer University of New South Wales John Mckibben Advisor Institute for Sustainable Futures © UTS 2019 2 Glossary Abbreviation Term ABS Australian Bureau of Statistics ACT Australian Capital Territory AEMO Australian Energy Market Operator AER Australian Energy Regulator APVI Australian Photovoltaic Institute AREMI Australian Renewable Mapping Initiative CBD Central Business District CER Clean Energy Regulator CSV Comma-separated values file (a delimited text file type) GW Gigawatt (equivalent to 1000 megawatts) GWh Gigawatt-hour ISF Institute for Sustainable Futures LGA Local Government Area LiDAR data Light Detection and Ranging (remote sensing data) MW Megawatt (equivalent to 1000 kilowatts) NEM National Electricity Market NREL National Renewable Energy Laboratory NSW New South Wales NT Northern Territory POA Postal Areas PSMA Public Sector Mapping Agencies PV Photovoltaic QLD Queensland SA South Australia SAM System Advisor Model SF Shading Factor SPT APVI Solar Potential Tool SWIS South-West Inter-Connected System TAS Tasmania TW Terawatt (equivalent to 1000 gigawatts) TWh Terawatt-hours UA Useable Area UNSW University of New South Wales UTS University of Technology Sydney VIC Victoria W Watt WA Western Australia © UTS 2019 3 Contents Executive Summary 5 1 Introduction 6 2 The growth of rooftop solar in Australia 7 2.1 The States 7 2.2 The Top Solar Local Government Areas 8 2.3 Residential & Commercial Buildings 8 3 Research Approach 9 3.1 Methodology 9 4 The potential for rooftop solar in Australia 13 4.1 Planning Zones 14 4.2 The States 15 4.3 Local Government Areas 15 4.4 States & their Capital Cities 16 5 References 31 6 Annex 32 6.1 Data sources 32 6.2 Methodology Assumptions 33 6.3 Top Ten LGAs, by State 35 © UTS 2019 4 Executive Summary Over 2 million solar systems have been While most would think of dense installed around Australia, mostly on urban centres in capital cities for the roofs of homes. Australia has rooftop solar, the second largest become a world-leader in solar power. potential (34 GW) is in primary / However, rooftop solar is only just rural production zones. starting to take off on industrial and Commercial and industrial zones commercial sites. How much rooftop together have the potential for solar could be installed in Australia? 26 GW of rooftop solar. Using two path-breaking datasets, this In interpreting these results, it is study provides the first estimate for important to understand that planning Australia: zones do not correspond neatly with building types. There are commercial a top-down estimate of available buildings inside residential, mixed, roof space generated by OMNILINK industrial and primary production using the PSMA Geoscape zones. Consequently, some of the database – a government-owned capacity inside primary and rural initiative which has mapped all the production zones is likely to be buildings in Australia for the first commercial and industrial buildings. time; and As a first study, there will be further a bottom-up estimate of solar data that will refine this estimate in time potential which includes a range of – and beyond refinements of the APVI constraints on the available rooftop methods for factors such as shading space for solar (e.g. shading, there will be rooftops that are not orientation) using the data from actually suitable for solar (e.g. due to detailed studies in inner-city areas structural integrity issues). undertaken by UNSW for the APVI across five capital cities. Our study does not suggest Australia could or should source all its power The estimated total potential for rooftop from rooftop solar. But noting these solar is 179 gigawatts with an annual caveats, our study does indicate that energy output of 245 terawatt-hours. even with the strong recent growth, What do these figures mean? Australia has only just scratched the The potential annual output from surface of the potential. There are still rooftop solar is greater than current many barriers to rooftop solar which if consumption in the national electricity they were to be addressed by market (just under 200 TWh per year). governments, investors and communities could unlock a large Australia is currently using less than volume of clean energy. 5 per cent of the potential capacity for rooftop solar. Maps of the rooftop solar potential for each Local Government Area are Where is the greatest potential for available on the Australian Renewable rooftop solar? Mapping Initiative (AREMI) and APVI Around half of the unused potential Map website. for rooftop solar is in residential zones. © UTS 2019 5 1 Introduction Australia is a world-leader in solar PV, The growth of solar power is already driven primarily by household rooftop reshaping the energy landscape in installations. There are over 2 million Australia – but just how much solar small scale installations around the power could be installed? What is the country with an installed capacity of 8 potential for solar power in Australia? GW (CER, 2018). In total, including For the first time, this report brings large-scale solar power, Australia has together two data-sets and installed over 10.1 GW of solar PV, methodologies to estimate the potential capable of delivering 14.6 TWh and for rooftop solar power in Australia. meeting more than 5.5 per cent of Australia’s energy demand (APVI, a top-down estimate of available 2018a). roof space generated by OMNILINK using the PSMA Geoscape 2018 was a record-setting year for solar database which has mapped over power in Australia. In September 2018, 96 per cent of Australian buildings; a new record for large scale solar (667 and MW) was registered (APVI, 2018a). Rooftop solar on residential and a bottom-up estimate of solar commercial buildings is also growing potential using the data from with 200,000 new installations in 2018 detailed studies in inner-city areas (CER, 2018). undertaken by UNSW for the APVI across five capital cities. However, there is still a huge untapped potential for rooftop solar power in In addition to the total potential for Australia. APVI estimates only one-fifth rooftop solar power across Australia, of all residential buildings have installed estimates are generated for different a PV system. zones (e.g. residential, commercial), states and Local Government Areas. © UTS 2019 6 2 The growth of rooftop solar in Australia The growth of rooftop solar has been Figure 2 Solar PV, by State (MW) extraordinary.
Load more

Recommended publications
  • Australian Rooftop Solar Subsidy 2019 Outlook
    Australian Rooftop Solar Subsidy 2019 Outlook 18 February 2019 © Demand Manager Pty Ltd PO Box Q1251 QVB Post Office NSW 1230 AFSL 474395 www.demandmanager.com.au The material in this report is provided for general information and educative purposes only. The content does not investment advice or recommendations and should not be relied upon as such. Appropriate professional advice should be obtained for any investment decisions. While every care has been taken in the preparation of this material, Demand Manager cannot accept responsibility for any errors, including those caused by negligence, in the material. Demand Manager makes no statements, representations or warranties about the accuracy or completeness of the information and you should not rely on it. You are advised to make your own independent inquiries regarding the accuracy of any information provided in this report. Executive Summary The SRES is one half of the Australian Government’s Renewable Energy Target and offers upfront rebates to consumers installing small-scale solar power systems. This cost is borne by all electricity consumers as a levy charged per kWh of consumption. Solar power installations continue to accelerate, driven by: o Cheaper component costs; o Increasing adoption in the commercial sector; o Policy drivers in Victoria and South Australia and soon NSW In early 2018, Demand Manager forecast the cost of the SRES in 2018 to total $1.3 billion. Actual cost of the SRES in 2018 was in the order of $1.2 billion1. In our LOW case scenario, Demand Manager forecasts the economy-wide cost of the SRES to increase 30% in 2019 to $1.56 billion.
    [Show full text]
  • Analysis of a Hybrid Renewable Energy System Including a CST Plant Utilising a Supercritical CO2 Power Cycle for Off-Grid Power Generation
    THE UNIVERSITY OF QUEENSLAND Bachelor of Engineering and Master of Engineering (BE/ME) Thesis Analysis of a hybrid renewable energy system including a CST plant utilising a supercritical CO2 power cycle for off-grid power generation Student Name: Vishak BALAJI Course Code: ENGG7290 Supervisor: Professor Hal GURGENCI Submission Date: 28 June 2018 A thesis submitted in partial fulfilment of the requirements of the Bachelor of Engineering and Master of Engineering (BE/ME) degree in Mechanical and Materials Engineering Faculty of Engineering, Architecture and Information Technology Executive Summary The electrification of remote locations that lack grid-connectivity is a global challenge. In Australia, off-grid electricity accounts for 6% of total generation. At present these needs are met through the use of fossil fuels, resulting in a high electricity cost, and environmental consequences. With the present drive towards reducing greenhouse gas emissions and increasing the use of renewable energies, there is an opportunity to transition from the use of fossil fuels in remote locations to the use of renewables. In this regard, the hybridisation of renewable technologies with diesel generators has been shown to improve reliability and increase penetration. This project aims to explore the use of a hybrid renewable energy system consisting of solar photovoltaic (PV) with battery storage, concentrating solar thermal (CST) with thermal storage and diesel generators for off-grid power generation. The analysis considers two major consumer groups, viz. mining sites and communities, at three locations – Newman, Port Augusta and Halls Creek. In particular, the solar thermal system explored utilises a supercritical carbon dioxide power cycle, due to the suitability of this technology at scales appropriate for off-grid use.
    [Show full text]
  • LCOE Analysis of Tower Concentrating Solar Power Plants Using Different Molten-Salts for Thermal Energy Storage in China
    energies Article LCOE Analysis of Tower Concentrating Solar Power Plants Using Different Molten-Salts for Thermal Energy Storage in China Xiaoru Zhuang, Xinhai Xu * , Wenrui Liu and Wenfu Xu School of Mechanical Engineering and Automation, Harbin Institute of Technology, Shenzhen 518055, China; [email protected] (X.Z.); [email protected] (W.L.); [email protected] (W.X.) * Correspondence: [email protected] Received: 11 March 2019; Accepted: 8 April 2019; Published: 11 April 2019 Abstract: In recent years, the Chinese government has vigorously promoted the development of concentrating solar power (CSP) technology. For the commercialization of CSP technology, economically competitive costs of electricity generation is one of the major obstacles. However, studies of electricity generation cost analysis for CSP systems in China, particularly for the tower systems, are quite limited. This paper conducts an economic analysis by applying a levelized cost of electricity (LCOE) model for 100 MW tower CSP plants in five locations in China with four different molten-salts for thermal energy storage (TES). The results show that it is inappropriate to build a tower CSP plant nearby Shenzhen and Shanghai. The solar salt (NaNO3-KNO3, 60-40 wt.%) has lower LCOE than the other three new molten-salts. In order to calculate the time when the grid parity would be reached, four scenarios for CSP development roadmap proposed by International Energy Agency (IEA) were considered in this study. It was found that the LCOE of tower CSP would reach the grid parity in the years of 2038–2041 in the case of no future penalties for the CO2 emissions.
    [Show full text]
  • FRV Announces Moree Solar Farm Opening and Confirms Long-Term Future for Solar in Australia
    FRV announces Moree Solar Farm opening and confirms long-term future for solar in Australia Spain; March 3, 2017 Global utility-scale solar developer, Fotowatio Renewable Ventures (FRV) officially inaugurated the Moree Solar Farm in Australia, and reaffirmed its commitment to helping develop the solar energy market in the country. The Moree Solar Farm commenced construction operations in February 2015 and 12 months later it started supplying electricity to the grid. Since then, the Moree Solar Farm has already delivered over 134 GWh of energy to the grid, enough to supply around 22,000 Australian households, and played an important role during the recent heat wave on 10th February 2017, operating at close to 100 percent capacity at the same time New South Wales (NSW) came close to hitting record electricity demand. Moree Solar Farm is the first large-scale solar project in Australia to use a single-axis tracking system, with PV modules that follow the sun's path from east to west to maximize the energy generated during the day and lengthen the period in which that energy is generated. Moree Solar Farm received US$ 77.9 million in funding support from the Australian Renewable Energy Agency (ARENA) and a debt finance commitment of US$ 35.2 million from the Clean Energy Finance Corporation (CEFC). Chief Executive Officer of Fotowatio Renewable Ventures (FRV), Rafael Benjumea noted “The project would not have been possible at the time without the support of ARENA and the CEFC”. In March 2016, FRV signed a 15-year power purchase agreement with Origin Energy Limited (Origin) which covers 100 percent of the output and all Renewable Energy Certificates generated by the solar farm.
    [Show full text]
  • Potential Map for the Installation of Concentrated Solar Power Towers in Chile
    energies Article Potential Map for the Installation of Concentrated Solar Power Towers in Chile Catalina Hernández 1,2, Rodrigo Barraza 1,*, Alejandro Saez 1, Mercedes Ibarra 2 and Danilo Estay 1 1 Department of Mechanical Engineering, Universidad Técnica Federico Santa María, Av. Vicuña Mackenna 3939, Santiago 8320000, Chile; [email protected] (C.H.); [email protected] (A.S.); [email protected] (D.E.) 2 Fraunhofer Chile Research Foundation, General del Canto 421, of. 402, Providencia Santiago 7500588, Chile; [email protected] * Correspondence: [email protected]; Tel.: +56-22-303-7251 Received: 18 March 2020; Accepted: 23 April 2020; Published: 28 April 2020 Abstract: This study aims to build a potential map for the installation of a central receiver concentrated solar power plant in Chile under the terms of the average net present cost of electricity generation during its lifetime. This is also called the levelized cost of electricity, which is a function of electricity production, capital costs, operational costs and financial parameters. The electricity production, capital and operational costs were defined as a function of the location through the Chilean territory. Solar resources and atmospheric conditions for each site were determined. A 130 MWe concentrated solar power plant was modeled to estimate annual electricity production for each site. The capital and operational costs were identified as a function of location. The electricity supplied by the power plant was tested, quantifying the potential of the solar resources, as well as technical and economic variables. The results reveal areas with great potential for the development of large-scale central receiver concentrated solar power plants, therefore accomplishing a low levelized cost of energy.
    [Show full text]
  • Report: in the Spotlight Australian Solar Energy R&D Outcomes And
    Prepared for the Australian Renewable Energy Agency In the spotlight: Australian solar energy R&D outcomes and achievements in a global context A review of ARENA’s portfolio of solar research and development July 2018 About this report The research was commissioned by the Australian Renewable Energy Agency, (ARENA). This document presents the findings of reviews carried out by ITP Renewables in 2016 and 2018 of ARENA’s portfolio of solar research, development and pilot-scale demonstration projects, as well as associated PhD and Post-Doc Fellowship programs. Cover images From left to right: Solar Hybrid Fuels, CSIRO CloudCAM PV Generation Forecasting, Fulcrum 3D Forecasting Distributed Solar Energy, ANU About ITP Renewables The IT Power Group, formed in 1981, is a specialist renewable energy, energy efficiency and carbon markets consulting company. The Group has offices and projects throughout the world. ITP Renewables was established in 2003 and has undertaken a wide range of projects, including providing advice for government policy, feasibility studies for large renewable energy power systems, designing renewable energy power systems, developing micro-finance models for community-owned power systems in developing countries and modelling large-scale power systems for industrial use. The staff at ITP have backgrounds in research, renewable energy and energy efficiency, development and implementation, managing and reviewing government programs, high level policy analysis and research, including carbon markets, engineering design and project management. Report Control Record Document prepared by: ITP Renewables Ph: +61 2 6257 3511 PO Box 6127 Fx : +61 2 6257 3611 O’Connor ACT 2602 [email protected] Australia www.itpau.com.au Document Control Report Title In the spotlight: Australian solar energy R&D outcomes and achievements in a global context Client Contract No.
    [Show full text]
  • Solar Photovoltaic Architecture and Agronomic Management in Agrivoltaic System: a Review
    sustainability Review Solar Photovoltaic Architecture and Agronomic Management in Agrivoltaic System: A Review Mohd Ashraf Zainol Abidin 1,2 , Muhammad Nasiruddin Mahyuddin 2,* and Muhammad Ammirrul Atiqi Mohd Zainuri 3 1 Faculty of Plantation and Agrotechnology, Universiti Teknologi MARA, Perlis Branch, Arau Campus, Arau 02600, Perlis, Malaysia; [email protected] 2 School of Electrical and Electronic Engineering, Engineering Campus, Universiti Sains Malaysia, Nibong Tebal 14300, Pulau Pinang, Malaysia 3 Department of Electrical, Electronic and Systems Engineering, Faculty of Engineering and Built Environment, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia, Bangi 43600 UKM, Selanor, Malaysia; [email protected] * Correspondence: [email protected] Abstract: Agrivoltaic systems (AVS) offer a symbiotic strategy for co-location sustainable renewable energy and agricultural production. This is particularly important in densely populated developing and developed countries, where renewable energy development is becoming more important; how- ever, profitable farmland must be preserved. As emphasized in the Food-Energy-Water (FEW) nexus, AVS advancements should not only focus on energy management, but also agronomic management (crop and water management). Thus, we critically review the important factors that influence the decision of energy management (solar PV architecture) and agronomic management in AV systems. The outcomes show that solar PV architecture and agronomic management advancements are reliant on (1) solar radiation qualities in term of light intensity and photosynthetically activate radiation (PAR), (2) AVS categories such as energy-centric, agricultural-centric, and agricultural-energy-centric, Citation: Zainol Abidin, M.A.; Mahyuddin, M.N.; Mohd Zainuri, and (3) shareholder perspective (especially farmers). Next, several adjustments for crop selection and M.A.A. Solar Photovoltaic management are needed due to light limitation, microclimate condition beneath the solar structure, Architecture and Agronomic and solar structure constraints.
    [Show full text]
  • REALISING the POTENTIAL of CONCENTRATING SOLAR POWER in AUSTRALIA Summary for Stakeholders
    REALISING THE POTENTIAL OF CONCENTRATING SOLAR POWER IN AUSTRALIA Summary for Stakeholders PREPARED BY IT POWER (AUSTRALIA) PTY LTD FOR THE AUSTRALIAN SOLAR INSTITUTE MAY 2012 AUSTRALIAN SOLAR INSTITUTE Realising the Potential of Concentrating Solar Power in Australia – Summary for Stakeholders Realising the Potential of Concentrating Solar Power in Australia – Summary for Stakeholders is available as a separate document but also forms part of the full detailed report: Realising the Potential of Concentrating Solar Power in Australia. The Australian Solar Institute (ASI) has commissioned this study to facilitate discussion on the potential for Concentrating Solar Power (CSP) in Australia. Study undertaken and report prepared by IT Power (Australia) Pty Ltd, part of the IT Power group, a specialist engineering consultancy focussing on renewable energy, energy efficiency and climate change. IT Power has offices in Australia, China, India, Kenya,, Morocco, Portugal, UK and USA. Authors: Keith Lovegrove, Muriel Watt, Robert Passey, Graeme Pollock, Joseph Wyder, Josh Dowse. The views expressed in this report are views held by IT Power, formed on the basis of the conclusions reached in the course of its analysis. The report does not seek to present the views of ASI, or any employee or Director of ASI, nor that of the Australian Government. For further information contact IT Power (Australia) Pty Ltd phone: 61-2 6257 3511 email: [email protected] web: www.itpau.com.au © Australian Solar Institute May 2012 www.australiansolarinstitute.com.au ISBN: 978-0-9873356-1-6 (paperback) 978-0-9873356-2-3 (online) Cover photography: CSIRO Solar Thermal Research Hub, CSIRO Energy Centre, Newcastle, NSW, Australia.
    [Show full text]
  • Beauty of Agrivoltaic System Regarding Double Utilization of Same Piece of Land for Generation of Electricity & Food Production Dhyey D
    International Journal of Scientific & Engineering Research Volume 10, Issue 6, June-2019 118 ISSN 2229-5518 Beauty of Agrivoltaic System regarding double utilization of same piece of land for Generation of Electricity & Food Production Dhyey D. Mavani, P M Chauhan, Viral Joshi Abstract— In order to meet global energy demands with clean renewable energy such as with solar photovoltaic (PV) systems, large surface areas are needed because of the relatively diffuse nature of solar energy. Much of this demand can be matched with aggressive building integrated PV and rooftop PV, but the remainder can be met with land-based PV farms. Using large tracts of land for solar farms will increase competition for land resources as food production demand and energy demand are both growing and vie for the limited land resources. Land competition is exacerbated by the increasing population. These coupled land challenges can be ameliorated using the concept of agrivoltaics or co-developing the same area of land for both solar PV power as well as for conventional agriculture.A coupled simulation model is developed for PV production (PVSyst) and agricultural production (Simulateur mulTIdisciplinaire les Cultures Standard (STICS) crop model), to gauge the technical potential of scaling agrivoltaic systems. The results showed that the value of solar generated electricity coupled to shade-tolerant crop production created an over 30% increase in economic value from farms deploying agrivoltaic systems instead of conventional agriculture.Crop yield losses to be minimized and thus maintain crop price stability. In addition, this dual use of agricultural land can have a significant effect on national PV production.
    [Show full text]
  • BP in Australia Sustainability Report 2009–10
    BP in Australia Sustainability Report 2009-2010 BP in Australia Sustainability Report 2009-2010 What’s inside? About this report 01 Message from the President of BP The BP in Australia Sustainability Report 2009-10 covers the Australia 12 month period from 1 July 2009 to 30 June 2010 unless 03 BP Australia in 2009-2010 otherwise stated. Further information on BP group’s sustainability performance is available online, in PDF format, and in review form 04 BP Australia in figures at www.bp.com/sustainability. 06 How BP in Australia operates • Our operations For more information • Business strategy www.bp.com.au/envandsociety • Corporate governance Access insights into our sustainability performance in Australia. • Risk management www.bp.com/sustainability BP group sustainability performance. 10 Diverse and affordable energy • Meeting the energy challenge • Sustaining production and supply • Investing for the future • Petrol pricing 16 Low-carbon energy • Our position on climate change • Cleaner fuels • Cleaner power 20 Safe and responsible energy • Operating management system • Health and safety • Product safety • Environment 28 People energy • BP Australia’s people plan • Attracting and retaining talented people • Creating an engaging and inclusive environment • Learning and development • Supporting our staff 34 Local energy • Our approach to development and community • Supporting education and community needs • Building business skills 39 Independent assurance statement 40 Our approach to sustainability reporting 41 Further Information Cautionary statement The BP in Australia Sustainability Report 2009-10 contains certain forward-looking statements. By their nature, forward-looking statements involve risks and uncertainties because they relate to events and depend on circumstances that will or may occur in the future.
    [Show full text]
  • Sundown, Sunrise How Australia Can Finally Get Solar Power Right
    May 2015 Sundown, sunrise How Australia can finally get solar power right Tony Wood and David Blowers Sundown, sunrise Grattan Institute Support Grattan Institute Report No. 2015-2, May 2015 This report was written by Tony Wood, Grattan Institute Energy Program Director, Founding Members Program Support and David Blowers, Grattan Institute Energy Fellow. Cameron Chisholm, James Higher Education Program Button and Jessica Stone provided extensive research assistance and made substantial contributions to the report. We would like to thank the members of Grattan Institute’s Energy Reference Group for their helpful comments, as well as numerous industry participants and officials for their input. The opinions in this report are those of the authors and do not necessarily Affiliate Partners represent the views of Grattan Institute’s founding members, affiliates, individual Google board members reference group members or reviewers. Any remaining errors or Origin Foundation omissions are the responsibility of the authors. Senior Affiliates Grattan Institute is an independent think-tank focused on Australian public policy. EY Our work is independent, practical and rigorous. We aim to improve policy PwC outcomes by engaging with both decision-makers and the community. The Scanlon Foundation Wesfarmers For further information on the Institute’s programs, or to join our mailing list, please go to: http://www.grattan.edu.au/ Affiliates Ashurst This report may be cited as: Wood, T., Blowers, D., and Chisholm, C., 2015, Sundown, sunrise: how Australia can finally get Corrs solar power right, Grattan Institute Deloitte ISBN: 978-1-925015-67-6 Jacobs Mercy Health All material published or otherwise created by Grattan Institute is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 3.0 Unported License Urbis Westpac Grattan Institute 2015 Sundown, sunrise Overview About 1.4 million Australian homes have installed solar panels on As home batteries becomes widely available, consumers will be their roofs since 2001.
    [Show full text]
  • SOLAR PV MYTHS and FACTS Household Solar Power in Australia
    SOLAR PV MYTHS AND FACTS Household solar power in Australia Many myths exist about solar power to do with what it costs, what it can do and whether governments should support households and businesses in going solar. This fact sheet helps set the record straight. THE COSTS OF SOLAR TO CONSUMERS Solar panels are very expensive. MYTH: FACT: Solar panels are an increasingly affordable option that will save households money in the long run. 1 The cost of producing and installing solar power systems has fallen1950s dramaticallyand costs are over still coming recent years, and continues to fall. The solar panels installed on rooftops today are more than 500 times cheaper to produce than the first solar cells of the mid- down fast. Four years ago a solar system could cost as much as a small car; now it costs about the same as a big TV. But how does solar compare to traditional energy, such as coal and gas? If you count the cost of setting up a fossil-fuelled power source by including the return on investment, operation costs, fuel and maintenance over its entire life, solar is close to the cost of fossil fuel-based energy and will be the cheaper option within a few years. Solar is an insurance policy against the rising costs of fossil fuels like coal and gas. Solar panels are already affordable and cost-competitive The costs of solar panels has been falling by about 45 per cent per year, and in some countries is already competitive with diesel-generated power 1.
    [Show full text]