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Monday 31 October 2011

Ho Chi Minh City: The First Contest Of Vehicles Running On Solar Energy

   A competition of vehicles running on solar energy began October 24 in the high-tech zone in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam for the first time. This event is    a joint initiative of the Municipal Department of Science and TechnologyTelevision in Ho Chi Minh City and the Energy Conservation Centre (ECC) in Ho          Chi Minh City.
Funded by the Danish Embassy in Vietnam, this competition brings together 42 teams from universities and companies in five provinces and cities of Khanh    Hoa (Centre), Ho Chi Minh City, Dong NaiBinh Duong and Vinh Long (South).
These 42 teams were divided into nine groups and the competition will be concluded on the 1st of December.
According to Huynh Kim Tuocdirector of the ECC in Ho Chi Minh City, the competition aims to attract public interest on the application of solar energy and strengthening its research. It is also an opportunity for individuals and organizations to apply their knowledge in the use of solar energy.
The winning team will attend the world finals held in Australia in 2012.
 
   Meticulous Preparations
Before the race started officially on October 24, the teams participating in the workshops took their time to refine their technological jewels.
According to Pham Xuan Hien, a teacher of the Faculty of Physics and Electronics, University of Natural Sciences in Ho Chi Minh City and head of the              Solar Car Team, “this competition can stimulate the creativity of students. They have the opportunity to design and implement solutions to optimize the              accumulation of solar energy. ”
The University of Transport and Communications has sent two teams, Green and Solar Car Vehicle. According to Cong Danhteacher of Mechanics of the school, each team has its own creativity. He and another teacher were involved in the design; the remaining ten members are the students responsible for manufacturing.
Apart from nine candidates from universities across the country, Solar Car Racing also has 23 companies specializing in solar power. Hoang CuongChief Executive Officer of An Lac and senior member of the team ”joint venture An Lac – xanh Nang Luong“, said that after being informed about this competition, almost all engineers and workers of companies specializing in mechanics and repair cars were very happy to subscribe to satisfy their creativity and contribute to the fight against air pollution. ”We have cooperated with the company Nang Luong xanh to participate in this contest. If the weather is optimal, our vehicle can travel at 40 km/h,” he informed.
Nguyen Viet Nam is a member of the television team from Ho Chi Minh City (HTV). He and his colleagues decided to participate “to find the joy of creativity during the school years.” They made a vehicle that complies with the rules of the ECC in Ho Chi Minh City, which can reach 20 km/h. winning or losing is not important to him. What he means is that the results of this competition are to help make other solar-powered equipment, such as the building where he works.
According to Dr. Le Hoai Quochead of the Management Committee of the high-tech zone in Ho Chi Minh City, technologies and inventions have always been interesting to young people. And in this century that will see the exhaustion of fossil fuels and large climate disturbances, solar energy is a key concern.
If you’re a fan of solar energy vehicles races and want to know more about it, you can go check our blog post about The World Solar Challenge Which took place in Australia!

Basma – Green Energy International Correspondent – 31/10/11

Friday 28 October 2011

Biomass Is The Most Significant Source Of Renewable Thermal Energy In Germany


Germany’s position as a biomass energy resources user has been reinforced at the “Heat Production From Biomass” conference held on October 19, 2011 by the Federal Ministry of Food, Agriculture and Consumer Protection (BMELV) of Germany. On this occasion, 180 industry professionals in energy and science and policy experts were able to learn about the current situation of ​​the thermal energy scene in Germany and discuss the need to act soon in view of the Renewable Thermal Energy (EEWärmeG) new law expected in 2012. 

Indeed, in order to achieve the federal government energy objectives, the share of thermal energy produced from biomass should be significantly increased. "The heat generated from biomass is already responsible for about 9% of the total heat supply in Germany," said Peter Bleser, Parliamentary State Secretary of the Federal Minister of Agriculture. 

92% of the renewable heat in Germany comes from the raw biomass and wood especially. This type of energy is the only efficient substitute available for fossil fuels and it can save annually about 36 million tons of greenhouse gas emissions. Biomass can also be considered as the most climate-friendly energy source. It is also regarded as the most versatile renewable energy source because it can be stored in solid, liquid or gas states and thus be available throughout the year. 

The positive effects of the biomass use for energy purposes should also be enrolled in the next EEWärmeG law. Modern boilers and heating systems in homes using biomass fuel are not pretty effective only but also environment respecting in isolated residential areas. "This is an exemplary energy at hand. The heating produced from biomass cannot be discriminated against in terms of renewable thermal energy law (EEWärmeG) compared to other renewable energy technologies", says M. Bleser

This is the main reason why the BMELV, as part of its strategy of sustainability funds, is going to release 50 million euros a year for research, development and commercialization of renewable raw materials. They’ve also set up a German Research Center On Biomass (DBFZ) in Leipzig. Action plans for energy consumption and sustainable raw material such as biofuels CO2 balance improvement have been developed too.



Basma - Green Energy International Correspondent - 28/10/11

Wednesday 26 October 2011

The E-4 Ziegelhaus Solar House


(House Concept)

Sustainable construction projects are not lacking in Austria. And today we’re going to direct the spotlight on one of them and that is the "E-4 Ziegelhaus 2020" solar house ("Ziegel" means "tile"), which promises an energy balance and a positive CO2 balance.

Collaboration between Wienerberger and TIAs
This is a concept of a two-story house with an optimized energy consumption, this house is being built in the small town of Zwettl in Lower Austria, which is known for being one of the coldest areas in Austria - the temperatures frequently go down below twenty degrees Celsius in winter. Thus, manufacturers can determine if the concept is effective even in such an environment. At a cost of the normal prices in the area (i.e. around 1700 euros per square meter), this house does indeed consume only little energy - and this energy does come largely from the house itself: the solar thermal energy is used for hot water and heating (in this case supplemented by a boiler) and photovoltaic cells.

The field implementation does not allow optimal solar exposure. This is why the building's architecture is adapted: the roof is rotated relatively to the body of the building while the solar collectors are installed on a slope at 60°. This arrangement allows us to reflect most of the solar radiations in summer, to capture as much power as possible in winter when the sun is low in the sky and drag the snow itself so that it obstructs no floor space. And at the heart of the house, lies a storage tank of 9600 liters, where water can be heated to a maximum of 38° C. Great!

According to calculations made by the Austrian Institute Of Technology (AIT, the largest research organization outside the university in the country), this house needs 39 kWh per square meter per year for heating. The total energy consumption (including electricity) is estimated at 71 kWh per square meter per year - while it should produce 73kWh at least. At the same time, the carbon must be slightly positive during the use of this accommodation. The comparison with the results of the calculations will be done in three years: the owners will move in the summer of 2012 and will have to measure the two years energy parameters and compare them to the simulations.

This project, led by Wienerberger (Austrian company employing approximately 12,000 people, including world leader in the manufacture of bricks), has more than a dozen partners and supporters.

Basma - Green Energy International Correspondent - 26/10/11


Monday 24 October 2011

The World Solar Challenge, Go!

The start of the 2011 World Solar Challenge, the World Championship Of Solar Car, was given on Sunday, October 16. Participants had to cross Australia from the north to the south, which was more than3000 km from Darwin to Adelaide. Among the participants was a Belgian car: the Umica and a Taiwanese car: Appollo VI that stood out.

The Taiwanese Participation

It was a team from a university supported by Taiwan's AU Optronics company that could mold solar cells into a solar car, named Apollo VI!
The way this car works is truly fantastic as the solar energy is captured by the performing monocrystalline cells (23%) "Back contact”, which covers an area of ​​6 square meters. 
The ultimately flat craft carries a single passenger (the driver) at a speed of 80 km/h with a possible peak of 120 km/h! For 130 pounds, the car has a length of 4.70 meters and a width of 1.80 meters and a height of 1.10 meters.
The aim of the team of 20 students from the National Kaohsiung University of Applied Sciences is to visit Australia to participate in the louse WSC famous race, the World Solar Challenge, with about forty other competitors! Great challenge in perspective...

The Belguim Participation

Organized for the first time in 1987, the World Solar Challenge was a biennial competition through which young engineers envisioned the future of mobility. Vice-world champion in 2007 but forced to retire in 2009 after a collision, the Umicore Solar Team returns in 2011 with big ambitions. Competition was fierce; including students from Stanford, but the Belgian team could count on the participation of Vanina Ickx.
For professional drivers, the World Solar Challenge was truly a challenge with solar vehicles behaving so strangely different (no accelerator pedal, etc.). Three other drivers made it to the team: Jeroen Moens (designer of the suspension and brakes), Boudewijn Sarens (designer of solar panels and electronics) and Claes Brecht (who formerly dealt Umicore Marketing).

In 2009, the winners had fallen at an average speed of 100 km/h, against 90 km/h in 2007 and this year, due to an unpredictable weather announced during the first part of the course, cars speed tended toward the average speed of 2007. 
That said, The Umicar Imagine car was capable of giving a peak speed of 120 km/h.

How It went

Thirty-seven teams from twenty different countries have developed vehicles that will cross the finish line using only the sun's energy. This technology has evolved since 1987 which was the date when the first World Solar Challenge race took place. As along with improving the efficiency of photovoltaic cells (most silicon-based this year) and batteries, the average speed of the winner has risen up from 67 to 95 km/h over this year.

During the first stage, only 25 teams managed to cross the checkpoints in time. After twenty-nine hours and forty-five minutes was the team from the University of Tokai, Japan, who won for the second year in a row. Equipped with silicon solar cells with a yield of 22%, the three-wheeled carbon shelled vehicle had traveled the route at an average speed of about 100 km/h.



Basma - Green Energy International Correspondent - 24/10/11

Friday 21 October 2011

After The Revolution: Tunisia Creates a green industry to generate Green Jobs


It is important to remember that there are important reasons to promote renewable energy; it contributes to energy security and has a beneficial impact on the environment. 


On the other hand, some of these reasons are purely economic:
• Industrial competitiveness.
• Development of a strong green industry for the local market and exportation.
• Regional Economic Development.
• Job creation.

Employment positions created are spread over a range of sectors, which are mainly private entities:
• the development and manufacturing.
• The construction and installation.
• The operation and maintenance.
• The strategy of export of goods and services worldwide.

In the case of Europe, job creation falls in the range of 1.66 million. The estimations say that 2.463 million jobs are going to be created by the year 2020.

In the case of Tunisia, the annual increase in the energy needs is within the range of 7%, which is the equivalent of 200 megawatts per year. This increment requires a heavy investment from the state which can be amounted to hundreds of millions dinars. 

While trying to discuss this issue, some people have proposed the following:

To develop a green industry that can generate thousands of job positions and reduce the Tunisian government commitments, 50 of the 200 megawatts of annual growth have to be generated from private Tunisian companies to encourage them to produce green and renewable energy only in areas that are identified by the State. 

The 50 megawatts will take the form of small plants of a few megawatts each, dedicated to industrial zones (these zones don’t exist yet, but they are coming soon HOPEFULLY). In these regions, the State will encourage the installation of engineering offices, installers and maintenance services for these plants.

STEG (Tunisian Society of Electricity and Gas) will handle the distribution of this energy and give a well-studied “Feed In Tariff”-“FIT” that will allow private businesses to recover their investment and profit over the next medium term. Currently, the STEG is reluctant to apply a FIT beneficial for private investors in Tunisia which is the main reason why the renewable energy industry could not take off. According to their analysis, the STEG is being reasonable when thinking about the costs of KW and the state compensation when it fails in the long run. 

In this case, the state will pay more by:

a) The blocked funds invested by the State in areas of conventional energy, which could be invested in other sectors.
b) The positions of potential jobs are to be lost due to the non-development of the green industry with its integrated components of consultants, installers, labor, etc...
c) With the price of a barrel that can reach $ 200 one day, the bill the state will pay will be greater than the premium subsidy FIT it gives to a private company to develop a green industry.

On the other hand, this approach has enabled the success of this industry in Germany (with 300 000 positions and jobs created), especially in the disadvantaged regions of the former GDR. The green energy industry employs mainly graduates with immediate solutions to youth employability and future opportunities for economic and technological influence of Tunisia on the international stage.

So what do you think? Will the political and social Tunisian revolution expand to cover the renewable energy? And if it does, will it be a success? Stay tuned!

Basma - Green Energy International Correspondent - 21/10/11

Tuesday 18 October 2011

The Largest Solar Power Plant In The World Powered By 636 000 Modules By Canadian Solar

The Canadian Solar Inc. (NASDAQ: CSIQ), a leading global player in the photovoltaic solar energy production, has provided 636,000 solar modules for the largest photovoltaic complex in the world, located in southern Brandenburg, GermanyCanadian Solar and its two partners, Saferay and GP JOULE, provided 148 MW of the 166 accounts that this park possesses. The base power of the 78 MW system was guaranteed by Saferay. The park is expected to produce enough green energy to meet the energy needs of nearly 50,000 homes. It was inaugurated by Matthias Platzeck, Minister President of Brandenburg, on September 24. The ceremony took place at the site of the photovoltaic Senftenberg.

During his speech, Mr. Platzeck presented his thanks to corporate partners of the project, stating that "large-scale photovoltaic power plants, such as Senftenberg and Schipkau play a major role in energy supply in Germany and help accelerate the energy shift desired. Brandenburg is at the forefront of renewable energy in Germany, giving it their full support and promoting it, which allowed it to be recognized as the best land (federal state) for renewable energy." The photovoltaic plant is a further evidence of the relevance of Germany for projects of this size, an opinion shared by Andreas Fredrich, Mayor of Senftenberg, stated that "thanks to the large number of former mining sites and existing power grids, our region is the ideal place to host large photovoltaic systems."

Dr. Shawn Qu, Chairman and CEO of Canadian Solar, said, meanwhile, another major asset for many communities, "cities and communities do not only get an environmental benefit but they can also benefit from the income from the taxation of solar parks, or incentive rates when operating them themselves. In addition, projects such as this have a positive impact on the local economy since most construction contracts and operations are carried out by local businesses. We are delighted to have contributed to the economic development of Brandenburg. "

The central Senftenberg II / III plant was built in three months on 200 hectares of former mining site Meuro. This site, owned by Agrargenossenschaft Großräschen eG coop., Can accommodate up to 330,000 crystalline photovoltaic modules. "The project Senftenberg, can demonstrate that the development and construction of large Photovoltaic systems are faster than for any other type of plant. Thus, even in a country like Germany, which has a lower sunshine duration, we are able to produce energy cheaper than offshore wind farms ", says Dr. Marko Schulz, CEO of saferay GmbH.  The project funding, required a budget of nearly 150 million EUR which was provided by three German banks. Saferay holds two thirds of the investments and operations.

The effort to develop this solar park has drawn Unlimited Energy GmbH, a developer of projects in Berlin. In addition to working on the legal framework of the project, Unlimited Energy GmbH has also focused on the issue of environmental protection during the studies of plant design. Torsten Kasch, CEO of Energy Unlimited GmbH, explains that "we have defined an area of ​​24 hectares only for larch, outside the PV Park. In addition, the rows of PV modules are protected by splendid windbreak belts and green belts that can become a habitat for birds and other wildlife. Similarly, we have attached particular importance to the protection of plants and animals in our thinking about the concepts of site maintenance. "

About Safery GmbH
Saferay GmbH builds and finances power plants and operates essentially to clean and actively contribute to the development of future energy concepts of the world's largest markets. The company has installed a capacity exceeding 350 MW.

About Unlimited Energy Gmbh
Unlimited Energy GmbH is a promoter of renewable energy projects, particularly in the photovoltaic and wind power. The company, whose headquarters in Berlin, specializes in assembling solutions that meet the special requirements of large scale projects and already has to its credit the development of solar and wind farms of several hundred megawatts since its inception. Besides Germany, which is its main market, Unlimited Energy Gmbh is also present in Bulgaria in the development of renewable energy sector.

About Canadian Solar
Canadian Solar Inc. (NASDAQ: CSIQ) is one of the largest companies specializing in solar power worldwide. This manufacturer produces high quality of ingots, wafers, cells and solar modules, solar systems and customs which are used worldwide. Throughout the world, Canadian Solar provides its customers with products for solar installations connected to the network and stand-alone systems. With subsidiaries in North America, Europe, Australia and Asia, Canadian Solar is characterized by exceptional quality and cost effective solar solutions all by staying environment friendly and promoting sustainable development worldwide. You can find more information about this company at www.gewa.com.au




Basma - Green Energy International Correspondent - 18/10/11

Monday 17 October 2011

Green Energy WA Strategic Partners In The News


Another company using flashy wind turbine technology to lure potential customers was SI Clean Energy, the Coffs Harbour-based outfit that was recently awarded the job of designing, supplying, installing and maintaining one the 136.5kW rooftop solar system for Coffs HarbourCity Council. (It also supplied and commissioned the solar inverters for the commercial solar farm in Alice Springs.) Despite its main business being designing, installing and maintaining clean power systems, dominating SI Clean Energy's display was a massive prototype for the unique-looking Honeywell Wind Turbine, which it will be distributing in Australia for the massive Fortune 100 US technology development company, Honeywell.
Made by WindTronics, it is a gearless wind turbine that features a Blade Tip Power System (BTPS) that the company describes as "breakthrough technology," allowing the turbine to start producing energy at wind speeds of 2mph (3.2km/h) and to remain operational until 38 mph (62km/h). How it works is that the gearless system eliminates mechanical resistance and drag, while the BTPS, which is based on a system of magnets and stators, captures energy at the tips of the blades, where the speed is the greatest. The turbine's increased operational span means the turbines can be used by companies, industries and communities in areas where the wind resource is less than ideal.
SI Clean Energy sales rep Haydn Fletcher told CS the mining industry was a prime target for the technology, as it is designed for use at the point of energy consumption, and has few moving parts to reduce maintenance requirements. The 6 ft (diameter), 109kg (they're made of polycarbonate, aluminum and steel) turbines can be mounted on a rooftop, a ballast, or a pole, and the power can be connected directly to the building, to the grid, or to batteries. Each turbine can produce up to 1500kWh per year depending on height and location – that's up to 15-20 per cent of the average household’s annual electricity needs, according to the US DOE. It is also quieter than most turbines, producing less than 35 decibels at 10 feet with "negligible vibrations."

Saturday 15 October 2011

St. Charles, France, A Worldwide Heavyweight Solar Energy Pole


That's it, it’s done! The idea which was conceived back in 2007 has now become a reality that radiates its 97,000 photovoltaic tiles placed on the roofs of the Society of St. Charles, France. At first, it was just a crazy daring bet buoyed by the boom in the solar energy scene and the local track. This idea has been made possible after a huge investment of around 55 million euros, negotiated and approved during a financial crisis by 72 owners. Not bad, huh?.

That was a master stroke that has definitively Perpignan put on the world map of solar energy.  This plant, the first of its size ever built in the world, now produces the equivalent of 10% of the electricity consumption of the city of Perpignan. No less! Visitors from around the world come to witness this technological green peak. Now besides the Eiffel Tower, France has this!

There are many manufacturers of solar energy around the globe that insist on visiting the site, as indicated by George Jordan, CEO of Saint-Charles International. "The Japanese, Germans, the Swiss have already contacted. This week we welcome American and Algerian delegations to present the solar platform," he enthuses. For beyond technical innovation, this major project does also shine and brighten the image of the first European platform for distribution of fruits and vegetables. 

This was definitely an achievement to be proud of. André Joffre, President of the competitiveness cluster Derbi (Development Of Renewable Energy In Buildings And Industry), partner of St. Charles in the creation of the plant. "This project is awesome in every sense of the word. It features a total size of 7 hectares, nine megawatts of power and the fact that these are local businesses that participated, what is remarkable is that St. Charles anticipated the European regulation of positive energy buildings, set in 2020," notes André Joffre, President of Derbi. 

This is a great project that has to be, MUST be remembered. And we don’t have to forget that a Swiss industrialist who had discovered the surface of buildings while consulting Google Earth was the one who immediately decided to start this plant. Legend or reality? We can simply note that he propelled Perpignan at the top of solar energy.

Basma - Green Energy International Correspondent - 15/10/11

Produce Hydrogen Using Solar Energy


The most abundant renewable energy source is undoubtedly solar energy. The sun sends to earth a power of 90,000 terawatt (TW) compared to 14 TW consumed by the world's population, and will continue to do so for several billion years. However, because of its intermittent nature and low density, it is essential to be able to store and concentrate the solar energy as fuel.
 
One of the most attractive possibilities of doing this is to turn it into hydrogen, a clean fuel (its combustion produces water only) with a high energy density (2.7 times more than oil), although its gaseous state at an ambient temperature and pressure makes its storage and transport difficult. This hydrogen is then used to power fuel cells to generate electricity. There are several ways to obtain hydrogen from the sun. The first is to perform the water electrolysis from the electrical energy supplied by photovoltaic panels. But another method, inspired by biological processes, could change it in a more or less near future, our energy supply.

The conversion of solar energy into fuel is indeed beautifully performed by the living world, including plants, through photosynthesis. Green plants use the sun continuously to convert water and carbon dioxide (CO2) into high-energy molecules such as sugars or fats. Well, they are not the only ones. Some microorganisms such as unicellular algae or cyanobacteria have the ability to make a simple water photolysis.

Clearly, they use solar energy to "break" the water molecule into oxygen and hydrogen. The water does not absorb photons (or "grain" of light) from the Sun, this veritable “force tour" is by means a molecular systems that’s incredibly sophisticated and effective to collect and convert solar photons into energy efficient Chemical photosystem. The produced energy can be used for the oxidation of water into oxygen and hydrogenises for the reduction of water into hydrogen. 

What is remarkable here is that these two enzyme systems are used as catalysts abundant metals such as manganese, nickel or iron, while the electrolysers and fuel cells today rely on noble metals such as platinum, which is very expensive and scarce in the earth's crust. We often forget to say that there is no future for a hydrogen economy if it does not solve the problems of catalysts.

With more knowledge about these natural and spectacular developments of chemistry, many "bio-inspired" chemists believe that artificial photosynthesis say that the implementation of the direct conversion of solar energy into fuel systems, synthetic unnatural, is within reach and should be developed. This particular fact was evidenced by some major research programs in the United States, involving the Department of Energy (DoE) or prestigious universities (CalTech, MIT), Europe (projectSolarH2) and in many European countries(EPFL, Switzerland).

Basma - Green Energy International Correspondent - 15th Oct 11

Thursday 13 October 2011

4 Solar Loans Guarantees By Obama in US

Solar energy is regaining more importance and recognition over the days and recently, governments have begun taking huge leaps in this domain by encouraging and pushing solar energy companies forward. And today, on the 30th of September 2011, Obama's administration has released 4 solar energy loans of a 5 billion dollars value within a loan program.

1 of the loans went to a project recently sold by a well-recognised solar energy manufacturer called "First Solar Inc." which is based in Arizona. This manufacturer has been originally seeking 3 loans in order to fund 3 solar energy projects in California.

If we go back a little in time, we can find out that a loan of 528 million dollars has been credited to a bankrupt solar panel maker called Solyndra Inc. by Obama's administration within the same program these 4 loans were released. Their approval on this loan has caused major problems and critics despite their good initiation to boost the green energy program advancement.

The good thing is that these billion dollars valued loans are going to hopefully push the American solar energy scene to compete against China and other countries that have already made large hops in this domain. These efforts will also help decrease the solar energy's costs on the long term and help America take over the renewable energy leadership like it did in several other domains.

Maybe you want to have a better idea about the 4 different loans issued and to which manufacturer they went, here take a glance:

- A 1.4 billion dollar went to the favour of Prologis Inc. (based in san Francisco) to help them complete their project consisting of installing 750 solar rooftops in 28 different American states.
A 1.2 billion dollars went to SunPower Corp. (based in San Jose) to complete their project of performing a 250 Megawatt plant in California.
- A total of 646 million dollars benefited Exelon Corp. (based in Illinois) and is going to help them perform a solar energy plant in Los Angeles of 230 megawatt.
- 1.5 billion dollar went to the favour of a group of investors that acquired a ready solar farm of 550 megawatt located in southern California which originally belonged to First Solar Inc.

These were the different 4 loans! It's really great to watch the worldwide solar energy scene grow in front of our eyes thanks to these projects. I hope that one day we can achieve a global and total solar energy usage to help the next generations live in clean healthy environment.

Story Basma J. 1st Oct 2011
Green Energy WA

We Think It’s Time To Take Solar Energy Seriously In Australia

Along its solar energy development journey, Australia has known unlimited hurdles and hold backs due the government’s policies. We can’t deny that the government is trying hard to push the Australian solar energy scene forward, but it still seems not enough and that it really needs to be worked on further. Due to this delay and grief made by the government, SEA, the Sustainable Energy Association Of Australia, has stepped ahead trying to make it right by suggesting a competitive market in which Australian people are encouraged to go green.

On the 7th of October 2011, an industry survey has taken place concerning Western Australia’s solar scene; it has declared that the Australian residential solar industry had taken huge leaps forward and had been growing at an encouraging pace but is now severely threatened due to the ever-changing government subsidies.

The survey hasn’t stopped at stating such general facts but it has also mentioned some numbers: 73% of people surveyed stated that the feed-in tariff reduction has caused the sales to fall downhill. It’s obvious that this reduction has caused employees a hard time as well as some companies are going to have to set free about 49% of their workers which is not good news of course; imagining an 3000 workers factory, we can assume that the results are going to be catastrophic upon the “disposal” of 1500 innocent and financially crushed workers. Many businesses are closing their doors altogether, the industry has already witnessed some major players falling by the way. Is that Government support of a necessary industry?

And in order to push the solar energy usage further in Western Australia, Ray Wills (SEA Chief), is encouraging households to install solar energy panels on their rooftops and start using the green free electricity instead of the polluted one, which offers ever increasing prices.  The bungling of the incentive tariff scheme has made this very difficult now. It is time for the self-proclaimed environment guardians to step up to the plate and show the desire to protect our planet as its general population has done!

Clean Energy Week

Australia's peak body for renewable energy has welcomed Opposition Leader Tony Abbott's renewed commitment yesterday to the national 20 per cent Renewable Energy Target (RET).

Clean Energy Council Chief Executive Matthew Warren said the Howard Government introduced the original Mandatory Renewable Energy Target in 2001.

"The Coalition has been a key supporter of both the expanded Renewable Energy Target in 2009 and the changes to the scheme last year. All sides of politics are committed to delivering 20 per cent of Australia's electricity from renewable energy by 2020, a policy that will unlock more than $20 billion of private investment," said Mr Warren.

"Australia has some of the world's best clean energy resources, including sunshine, wind, waves, geothermal hot rocks, biomass and more. It's in the public interest to harness them better. The RET is a critical policy that will help us develop our natural clean energy advantages and reduce approximately 380 million tonnes of greenhouse gases by 2020."

Mr Warren said that although the Australia was still in the early years of the Renewable Energy Target, there had already been some encouraging signs.

"South Australia's greenhouse emissions have dropped by 18 per cent over the last five years, mostly due to the increased use of wind power," he said.

"Solar power systems and solar hot water systems have helped hundreds of thousands of Australians to save on their power bills. In the process, these investments by householders have also helped to reduce electricity demand and delay major investment in new electricity generating assets in several states for years. This ultimately represents a saving for all energy users.

"Thousands of new jobs have been created across the country, in diverse sectors like manufacturing of towers for wind farms in Victoria, research and development of solar power in NSW and construction of biomass power plants in Queensland. This industry has grown despite the global financial crisis.

"The Coalition has repeatedly expressed its support for the RET, and this bipartisanship is absolutely crucial for creating the confidence investors need to make billion dollar investments," Mr Warren said.

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In Summary...



In deciding your system requirements, be that for solar hot water or solar energy panels you need choice. Green Energy will give you options based on price, based on performance, based on warranty, its all your choice.

We are a family WA based business with years of experience in the industry. We don't install the system and disappear. We have support lines and contact emails, you will have mobile numbers, so if it goes wrong, we're there for you.

Solar Schools Program



PLEASE NOTE: This round of the National Solar Schools Program (NSSP) closed on the 30 September 2011. To make sure you are ready as the next round is introduced, talk to our NSSP Specialists today!

Interested in Federal Government grants of up to $50,000 under the National Solar School Program for your school? Register your interest in the solar schools incentives now and we'll show you the difference you can make!