SOLAR POWER TARIFF CUTS
Scrimping now means pain later
READERS Scott and Sue White write about the new penny-pinching solar feedin tariff (Letters, November 24). Well it was to be expected, people with solar panels have no formal power or negotiating capacity, and as a result you just get what the government and its power utilities decide. However, given the federal Libs’ choice to move into the political wilderness on the right of Genghis Khan and concede government to Labor at the next election, we are likely to see a $2000 home battery subsidy. This coupled with improving battery technology and falling prices will eventually make domestic battery storage an economic option especially given a low feed-in tariff.
Solar panel prices are still falling so the economics of domestic solar are continually improving. If the present situation continues, most people with solar panels will use a battery to stop exporting power to the grid. Many will eventually be able to leave the grid and be financially better off. There will be less ability to subsidise pensioners and network connection fees will naturally increase for those remaining. So by setting the solar feed-in tariff low there are long-term consequences for our community. premium rates to Victoria and beyond. It is such a no-brainer yet our politicians continue to ignore the obvious benefits to their constituents of lower power bills and the obvious benefits to the economy of selling increased excess power.
Adding insult
ALL I have done at this point is cover the cost of my 10kW system installation.
Do I now outlay for a storage battery (presently a Tesla Powerwall 2 with a 14.3kW capacity)? This is about $14,500 to install and has a warranty offer of only 10 years, with restrictions (70 per cent of its initial capacity to name one). The offer of initially 8.5c per kW to the grid (down from 28c) even with the extra 5c per kW for 12 months is just an insult really.
Aurora, in turn get our surplus kilowatts we send to the grid to sell to you and others for 26c per kW, even charge me the same but offer me 8.5c, the cheek.
At a five-year repayment (for my situation) it is still no real incentive, only to get another five years’ life. They would need to be about $8000. So what I will do for the next 12 months is switch to time-of-use metering. Don’t be surprised if they increase the peak times too down the track to add insult to the cause.
Measly return
HOW much electricity is being fed into the TasNetworks grid? Guy Barnett spruiks about how Tasmania will be “the battery of the nation”, his pet subject being A new way to have your say themercury.com.au readers have a new way to have their say. It’s free to use, just register and have your say. For more details and to register, visit the website. pumped electricity, pumping water uphill to fill storage dams. That will cost a lot of money.
No mention of solar energy being provided by households with solar panels and batteries.
Thousands of Tasmanians went out of their way to assist with electricity for TasNetworks and what do the providers get in return, a measly 8c per unit for their input. It used to be 28c when we first had solar batteries installed, which immediately dropped to 8 cents per unit. That is a 20 cent profit to TasNetworks for doing bugger all. “Nice little earner, there, eh Terry (credit to Minder). TasNetworks then flog it off to users for 28c per unit. Later on some providers will get 13c per unit. What we need is a Queensland provider who will give us 44c for each unit.
Carbon footprint
HAS the carbon footprint of wind and solar energy been factored into the equation? A lot of concrete and steel, coking coal and iron ore, go into constructing wind turbines and presumably aluminium and concrete foundations for solar farms.
To produce say 10MWh of renewable energy, 30MWh of renewable energy capacity has to be installed given its intermittent nature.
The sun shines strongest at midday and wind in the early dawn hours. Both are times of low energy demand so backup gas turbines or batteries are required. Maybe wet batteries or pumped hydro is the answer?
Why did scientists resign?
WHY has the public not been made aware of why the two eminent scientists resigned from the board over seeing the biggest industrial expansion on Hobart’s door step in recent history? Why is the alleged six times the total amount of nitrogen going into our water basin not ringing alarm bells for Tasmanians?
One meter reader for all
YOU have to wonder why it takes one to read our power meter then two to read our water meter. One contractor could do both jobs at half the cost, saving the consumer plenty.
Not over Organ Pipes
IN the Mount Wellington Cableway Company proposal, the span is 120 metres northwest of the Organ Pipes. The posters erected around Hobart place four orange cables over them? Subterranean troglodyte subterfuge!
Sewerage overload
WITH major developments earmarked for Bellerive, ie, the Kangaroo Bay Hotel/Hospitality Training Centre, the 80 units on the boulevard, the Rosny Hill Hotel/ Convention Centre/Pods Complex, not to mention the Gordons Hill Road Retirement Village now under construction, I just wonder how the Rosny sewerage works is going to cope with the extra load. It could be a case of “there she blows”.