Self Sufficient Homes

Fixed Price Solar Deal $ 2,650* fully installed

admin — Fri, 03 Feb 2012 23:35:28 +0000

Get a 1.52kw solar system for only $2650* fully installed. First 3 customers get a FREE upgrade to Sharp 220 Watt Panels

Global Investment in Clean Energy Hits Record Levels

admin — Sun, 22 Jan 2012 05:30:28 +0000

David Wroe, Canberra January 14, 2012 – Sydney Morning Herald DESPITE the turbulence in the global economy, the world invested a record $251 billion in clean energy last year, with the US streaking ahead of China in green spending and boosting confidence among climate action advocates. New figures from Bloomberg New Energy Finance showed the US spent $54 billion on clean energy, retaking the No. 1 spot it lost to China in 2009 and defying assumptions that the world's largest economy is flagging on greenhouse gas reductions. Australia also hit a record, spending $4.7 billion on clean energy in 2011, a jump of 11 per cent on the previous year, mostly from increases in rooftop solar. ''Despite financial crisis, and even though carbon pricing schemes haven't developed quite the way they were expected to … investment keeps growing, which reflects the world view of many major economists that clean energy is going to be the major industrial driver of economic growth this century,'' said Kobad Bhavnagri, Bloomberg New Energy Finance's lead clean energy analyst in Australia. He said Australia's investment was on track to rise to $6.8 billion next year and $45 billion by 2020, meeting the target of renewable sources such as solar, wind and geothermal making up 20 per cent of energy supply. The indications of a rise in global investment in clean energy follows the pact by major greenhouse-emitting countries in Durban last month on a road map that would lead to a global climate change deal by 2015. Erwin Jackson, deputy CEO of the Climate Institute, said: ''There are all these myths of the world not acting on climate change. All you have to do is follow the money.'' A spokeswoman for Climate Change Minister Greg Combet said the government's clean energy package was meant to ensure Australia ''does not miss out on the benefits of clean energy investments''. ''US President Barack Obama has committed to a Clean Energy Standard, which will double the share of clean energy sources in the electricity supply mix to 80 per cent by 2035, and individual states across the US are also taking action … US investment in renewable energy grew 33 per cent to $55.9 billion in 2011. This level of investment is likely to grow as California introduces its own emissions trading scheme.'' Coalition climate action spokesman Greg Hunt said Australia would reach its target of 20 per cent renewable energy even without the carbon tax. ''With the carbon tax, we will still only achieve 20 per cent renewable energy by 2020 but, along the way, the ALP will impose over $100 billion of additional taxes on electricity, gas and groceries.'' Read more: http://www.smh.com.au/national/global-investment-in-clean-energy-hits-record-levels-20120113-1pzfk.html#ixzz1kAKyLJsP

Solar Hot Water Rebates Ending Soon

admin — Tue, 17 Jan 2012 03:01:11 +0000

Secure your slice of Government rebates before they are gone!

$1000 Federal solar Hot water rebate and $900* worth of STC's = $1900 of Federal assistance. Replace your old power hungry electric hot water system with a brand new state of the art Solar Edwards Hot Water System Today....

Bonus $300 energy saving kit with all orders placed in January & February 2012.

That's $150 worth of LED lighting, Wireless Power Usage Meter worth $100 & a power saver remote control worth $50

National Feed-in-Tariff on the way?

admin — Thu, 15 Dec 2011 10:14:31 +0000

Draft energy White Paper targets domestic feed-in tariffs

The Federal Government will pressure state and territory governments to moderate schemes and payments for roof-top solar panel generated electricity so strongly embraced by many seniors. The Productivity Commission previously found that costs associated with the administration of feed-in tariffs unfairly penalised electricity consumers who could not afford solar panels. The high cost associated with the panels far exceeded the cost of other carbon dioxide abatement methods. The costs of delivering feed-in tariffs and other jurisdictional schemes is 6 per cent. With regard to feed-in tariffs, the White Paper said : The introduction of a range of policies – such as the bipartisan expanded Renewable Energy Target, state-based feed-in tariffs and white certificate or similar energy efficiency schemes – are impacting Australia’s energy markets and (by design) affecting decisions about investment in new generation capacity. Australian Government will work to accelerate clean energy outcomes by working with other jurisdictions to identify opportunities to harmonise micro-generation feed-in tariffs, so that they do not impose an unjustifiable burden on electricity consumers, either through cross-subsidy mechanisms or their impact on the Small-scale Renewable Energy Scheme The Australian Government believes that the design fundamentals of the national electricity and gas markets are sound and that these markets have delivered well against their stated objectives. That said, there have been a range of significant developments since the last market review (by the Energy Reform Implementation Group in 2007) that are introducing fresh challenges and opportunities for market operation. These include additional clean energy interventions in the form of the expanded Renewable Energy Target, carbon pricing and feed-in tariffs These developments are at various stages – some are well advanced and some have yet to mature. Yet they are all changing the dynamics in electricity and gas markets. A range of state and territory based feed-in-tariff schemes support deployment of small-scale solar photovoltaic and certain small-scale distributed generation. Recent analyses by the Productivity Commission and the New South Wales Independent Pricing and Regulatory Tribunal have noted that these schemes represent very high cost abatement relative to the carbon pricing mechanism and are introducing additional and inefficient costs for electricity consumers. The Australian Government will work with state and territory governments to ensure that such measures are consistent with the agreed Council of Australian Governments principles for complementarity of climate change mitigation measures and do not impose an unjustifiable burden on consumers either through cross-subsidy mechanisms or their impact on the Small-scale Renewable Energy Scheme. Uncertainty in other components of the policy framework can also affect investment decisions in clean energy generation, including existing arrangements such as the Renewable Energy Target and funding programs. Unexpected policy changes undermine investor confidence by creating uncertainty about the economics of projects. It is important that the design and application of policies and measures consider their economic or social sustainability. For example, some measures such as feed-in tariffs (which place open-ended and increasing cross-subsidies on a range of consumers who do not receive the material benefit of the subsidy) are less likely to prove durable than other more efficient and equitable approaches. Posted online by www.senior.com.au on the 13th December 2011 The Australian today produced an article on the subject titled Crackdown over roof-top solar scheme blowouts.

Massive Uptake in Solar Power in NSW

admin — Tue, 13 Dec 2011 07:46:31 +0000

Sydney Morning Herald

Ben Cubby, David Wroe

December 6, 2011 MORE than a million Australians now live in houses powered by solar panels and the nation is on track to generate one-fifth of its energy from renewable sources by 2020, a report released overnight at the United Nations climate change talks in South Africa shows. The Climate Change Minister, Greg Combet, announced work had begun on linking Australia's emissions trading scheme, which starts in July with a fixed carbon price, with similar schemes in Europe and New Zealand. Australia needs to link its carbon scheme to international markets to stop the price of carbon permits soaring. Mr Combet said allowing heavy-polluting companies in Australia to buy and sell carbon permits abroad was the best way to keep permit prices down because competition would promote the cheapest way to cut emissions. Mr Combet announced Australian officials would work with European and New Zealand counterparts ''to promote deep, liquid and integrated carbon markets''. One effect of Australia's carbon price is to make renewable energy cheaper when compared with fossil fuels and the annual Clean Energy Australia report showed strong growth in the past year. About 9.6 per cent of Australia's energy was produced from renewable sources in the 12 months until September, up from 8.7 per cent the year before. Hydroelectricity made up the biggest proportion of renewable energy mix but wind and solar power were growing quickly. Driven by state feed-in tariffs, rooftop solar panel installation grew exponentially, with just over 500,000 households and an estimated 1.2 million people now meeting at least part of their daily energy needs from the sun. The number of panels has grown 35 times over since 2008, the Clean Energy Council's report shows, based on data from the electricity grid broken down into the different postcodes, though the breakneck growth is expected to slow as tariffs are reduced. ''There will be a slowdown in the short term but the medium and long-term outlook is for very strong growth for household solar systems,'' the director of the Clean Energy Council, Kane Thornton, said. Solar power has already reached ''grid parity'' - where a household pays the same price per kilowatt of energy for either solar or coal-fired energy - in some parts of NSW and Queensland. Full grid parity across most of Australia is expected to be a year or two away. In Durban, Mr Combet was set to meet overnight with New Zealand's Minister for International Climate Change Negotiations, Tim Groser, as well his US and Japanese counterparts. The European Union's emissions trading scheme, covers about 40 per cent of the 27-member bloc's greenhouse gas emissions. The European Commissioner for Climate Action, Connie Hedegaard said: ''We look forward to working with Australia on international action to develop carbon markets.'' The opposition spokesman on climate change, Greg Hunt, said the plan to link with overseas carbon trading schemes had ''been re-announced in various ways at various times''. Read more: http://www.smh.com.au/environment/energy-smart/solar-panel-users-climb-through-roof-20111205-1ofjx.html#ixzz1gP10ddjd

$2500 FIXED PRICE – SOLAR OFFER

admin — Sun, 11 Dec 2011 22:30:50 +0000

Call 66522718 and we will be happy to run through the promotion with you

Solar BRIGHT natural skylights

admin — Tue, 06 Dec 2011 02:13:12 +0000

Have you got a dark area that needs you to switch a light on in the middle of the day?

Considered Natural Lighting?

Its now more affordable than ever before.

250mm SOLAR-BRIGHT (DL) day-lighting system - just $572.00 with FREE installation
350mm SOLAR-BRIGHT (DL) day-lighting system - just $825.00 with FREE installation

All DL systems come with a MASSIVE 15 years warranty !

Solar Attic Ventilation – February Special

admin — Tue, 06 Dec 2011 01:55:52 +0000

Solar Powered Attic Fan February Special

10 Watt Model for $ 850.00

USA investigates dumping of Chinese made Solar Modules in America

admin — Sun, 04 Dec 2011 21:54:41 +0000

The U.S. International Trade Commission voted Friday to investigate a complaint by seven U.S. solar companies that Chinese competitors are selling solar products on global markets at unfairly low prices. The vote does not impose any penalties but says there is reason to believe that Chinese imports harm or threaten to harm the U.S. solar panel industry.

China's Ministry of Commerce said in a statement late Saturday that the decision was made without sufficient evidence showing the U.S. industry had been harmed and did not take into account Chinese companies' arguments or opposition from U.S. industries and other affected groups. "China is deeply concerned about the decision, which does not tally with facts and highlights theUnited States' strong tendency for trade protectionism," it said on its website. The statement said China hopes the U.S. will objectively analyze why some U.S. solar panel companies lack competitiveness. "The United States should avoid abusing trade remedies which will affect bilateral trade and mutually beneficial cooperation between China and U.S. enterprises in the new energy sector," it said. The companies that filed the October complaint said massive subsidies by the Chinese government enable Chinese producers to drive out U.S. competition, and asked for tough trade penalties on Chinese solar imports. The case has caused a split in the solar industry, with some U.S. companies saying imports of Chinese solar panels have lowered prices, helping consumers and promoting rapid growth of the industry. Solar and other renewable energy technology has emerged as an irritant in U.S.-Chinese trade. The two governments have pledged to cooperate in development but accuse each other of violating free-trade pledges by subsidizing their own manufacturers

Carbon tax passes Senate

admin — Tue, 08 Nov 2011 22:49:30 +0000

Prime Minister Julia Gillard has hailed the passage of the controversial clean energy bills through their final vote in the Senate as “a win for Australia’s children”. The legislation passed the Senate 36-32 and will become law from July 1 next year.

At that time polluting industries will pay $23 per tonne of carbon emissions and households will be compensated for extra costs through tax cuts and increased benefits. ”It’s a win for those who would seek their fortunes and make their way by having jobs in our clean energy sector,” Ms Gillard said at a press conference. ”Today we have made history. After all those years of debate and division, our nation has got the job done.” Deputy Prime Minister Wayne Swan heaped praise on Ms Gillard, saying the reason the legislation passed is because “the PM is as tough as nails”. ”Putting in place long-term reform, tough reform in this country is always hard. And this has been hard, a really tough debate,” Mr Swan said.

“This has been a victory for the optimists and a defeat for the naysayers.”

Earlier, directly following the vote, there was glee from the Government and Greens and dismay by the Opposition who were first out of the Senate doors to voice their protests. Nationals Senator Ron Boswell called independent MP Tony Windsor’s support for the bill as “the greatest sell-out since Judas Iscariot took 30 pieces of silver”. Country Liberal Party Senator Nigel Scullion said democracy had “faltered”. They were followed closely by the Greens, when leader Bob Brown prefaced his remarks “from the grim to the grinning”.

Senator Brown says today is “a green letter day” that will “echo down through the ages”.

“The great debate on this legislation is over,” he said, vowing the legislation will never be rescinded despite threats by Opposition Leader Tony Abbott to do so. ”People 50 years, or 500 years, from now will thank us for doing this. ”This is a vote for Australian householders, economic planners and ecologically sound business, as well as the Great Barrier Reef, Ningaloo, the Murray-Darling Basin and 700,000 property owners on our coastal margins.” Environmental crusader former US vice-president Al Gore said on his website “the voice of the people of Australia has rung out loud and clear”. He praised the efforts of Ms Gillard in shepherding the legislation through, saying “as the world’s leading coal exporter, there’s no doubt that opposition to this legislation was fierce”.

Mr Abbott, who is overseas and missed the historic vote, said Ms Gillard had no mandate to impose the carbon price and the Australian people had been betrayed. ”Today Julia Gillard and the Labor Party have confirmed in law their betrayal of the Australian people,” Mr Abbott said in a statement. Three million households will be worse off under the tax, he said. ”The longer this tax is in place, the worse the consequences for the economy, jobs and families,” he said. ”It will drive up the cost of living, threaten jobs and do nothing for the environment.” Mr Abbott repeated his promise to scrap the policy. ”At the next election I will seek a mandate from the Australian people to repeal this tax.”

But the suggestion was ridiculed by Ms Gillard, who said statements such as Mr Abbott’s “signature in blood” to repeal the legislation was just “huffing and puffing”. ”All of that is just to disguise the fact they’ve got their fingers firmly crossed behind their backs. They’ve got no intention of repealing this,” Ms Gillard said. ”Every living Liberal leader, including the current Leader of the Opposition, is on the record as supporting a price on carbon.” And Mr Swan said Mr Abbott had gone overseas “with his tail between his legs after all of the tough-guy talk”. ”What a spineless retreat,” Mr Swan said.

Independent MP Rob Oakeshott, whose support was vital to the bill in the Lower House, said the time had come for politicians to get out of the way and let “the market do its job”. ”There is a lot of investment money waiting to come into the domestic market alongside what is already happening in international carbon trading,” Mr Oakeshott said in a statement. ”I am excited by the enthusiasm of many people in business who are ready to hit the go button.” Mr Gore said the world “has turned a pivotal corner in the collective effort to solve the climate crisis”.