Federal government warned to steer clear of state solar schemes
19 September 2008
Australia’s leading sustainable living organisation, the Alternative Technology Association, welcomes the proposal for a national solar feed-in tariff for domestic solar, but has warned the federal government not to be swayed by the states.
Speaking at the Renewable Energy Amendment Bill inquiry the ATA said a nationally consistent, gross feed-in tariff will give homeowners the certainty they need to invest in solar power.
“The ACT has provided a model for a successful gross feed-in tariff, and it is essential that the federal government isn’t swayed by the ‘poor cousin’ net feed-in tariffs in South Australia and Queensland,” said Brad Shone, the ATA’s Energy Policy Manager.
The Renewable Energy Amendment Bill inquiry is looking into a national, gross-metered feed-in tariff for domestic solar, which will pay owners of rooftop solar panels for all the energy their systems feed into the electricity grid.
Mr Shone says the Victorian proposed feed-in tariff could see households having to downsize their systems to take part in the scheme.
“People with systems larger than 2kW would have to remove an entire bank of panels, worth several thousand dollars, to be eligible for the Victorian payment.”
“The net-metered feed-in tariff schemes in some states discriminate against households that use energy during the day, such as stay-at-home parents and retirees. These households won’t produce excess energy, and so won’t benefit from the feed-in tariff,” says Mr Shone.
Mr Shone says the ATA is looking forward to the introduction of the Rudd government’s promised uniform feed-in tariff, which will be discussed at next month’s COAG meeting.
The ATA argues that gross feed-in tariffs — already in place in over 45 countries, states or provinces worldwide — are key to Australia’s ability to continue to reduce its carbon emissions in the future.
“Increasing the uptake of alternative energy sources, such as rooftop solar, is essential to ensuring that the necessary structural adjustment can be made to the economy, in order to make the transition to a low carbon economy,” says Mr Shone.
Both major parties in Western Australia have just committed to bringing in the world standard gross-metered feed-in tariff.
Media enquiries:
Bojun Chiswell – ATA Media Manager on (03) 9631 5409 or bojun@ata.org.au
