Trends in Solar Installation for Port Macquarie and other Australian Cities like Albury, Wodonga, and Newcastle
Australia has been one of the top growing markets for solar power in recent years. Small-unit solar installation for Albury, Wodonga, Newcastle, Port Macquarie and other cities throughout the country rose by 80 percent in 2010 and 2011, and the output from Australia’s residential panels rose by 99 percent. Panels are currently installed on 750,000 homes, for a total capacity of 1.7GW. Recent projections provided by the Australian Government Climate Change Authority predict that their Renewable Energy Target of having 20 percent of the country’s power generated by solar panels will be met by 2020.
In addition to the major trend of tremendous growth, there are several smaller sub-trends involved in solar installation for Wodonga and surrounding cities.
Selling Power to the Grid
Germany pioneered the tactic of encouraging solar power installation and development by forcing utilities to buy power generated from privately owned residential solar panels at a set rate or feed-in tariff. This resulted in tremendous growth in the German solar industry, to an extent quite remarkable for a relatively small and not particularly sunny nation. Australia, by contrast, is a large country with plenty of sunshine, but it has not adopted nation-wide feed-in tariffs. This means that there is little incentive for consumers to expand their home solar installations or produce more power than they can use. If such incentives were given, the Australian solar industry would really be set to explode.
Currently, many groups are agitating for the adoption of a gross solar feed-in tariff for Australia, to replace the piecemeal tariffs that have been adopted by each state. For example, currently citizens producing power in cities in NSW like Port Macquarie and Albury can expect to receive anywhere from 7.7 to 12.9 cents/kilowatt hour for their excess power.
Reduced Government Incentives
A somewhat disturbing trend in Australian solar power is the reduction of certain government incentives or rebates related to new solar installations. In November of 2012, officials announced that the multiplier Renewable Energy Credit scheme would be terminated 6 months early, resulting in an increase of between $700 and $800 for your average residential install as of January 1, 2013. Of course, if solar really is the best choice for energy, government rebates aren’t necessary. The market will adjust without interference.
Hot Water Solar Installation for Newcastle
Another trend in Australian solar power is using the sun’s energy for hot water systems as well as electrical systems. Solar hot water systems use a solar collector and an insulated storage tank to heat and store water. Some types of systems use gravity to move water through the collector, where it becomes heated and then naturally rises into the storage tank. Other systems require external power to pump the water through the collector and into the tank. Either way, this system provides an ideal solution to home hot water needs.
As solar continues to grow, more trends are sure to develop, so keep a close eye on this industry to make sure your home solar use is as up to date as possible.