solar progress issue 1 2013
DESCRIPTION
The Official Journal of the Australian Solar CouncilTRANSCRIPT
03/13 issue 1
ISSN: 0729-6436
Access to sunlight Not always that simple
Storage options A look at what is around
Solar 2013 Conference & Expo Speakers and events
Energy Rating Systems Are we achieving the objectives?
The OffIcIal JOurNal Of The AustrAliAn solAr CounCil
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SolarProgress | 1
Contents
306
33 36
edITOr
dr Bill Parker
Phone: 0403 583 676
cONTrIBuTOrS: Steve Blume, Mark Byrne,
Greg combet, Peter fries, craig froome,
Paul Meredith, Nigel Morris, Peter Pentland,
Priyadarsini rajagopalan, rob Selbie, Jenny
Sharwood and Wayne Smith.
cONTrIBuTING edITOr
Nicola card
NaTIONal SaleS MaNaGer
Brian rault Phone: 03 8534 5014
deSIGN & PrOducTION
annette epifanidis
cOMMSTraT MelBOurNe
level 8, 574 St Kilda rd Melbourne 3004
Phone: 03 8534 5000
auSTralIaN SOlar cOuNcIl
ceO John Grimes
PO Box 148, frenchs forest NSW 1640
www.solar.org.au
aBN 32 006 824 148
commStrat aBN 31 008 434 802
www.commstrat.com.au
Solar Progress was first published in 1980. The
magazine aims to provide readers with an
in–depth review of technologies, policies and
progress towards a society which sources
energy from the sun rather than fossil fuels.
except where specifically stated, the
opinions and material published in this
magazine are not necessarily those of the
publisher or auSeS ltd Trading as australian
Solar council. While every effort is made
to check the authenticity and accuracy of
articles, neither aSc nor the editors are
responsible for any inaccuracy.
Solar Progress is published quarterly.www.solar.org.au
SOLAR PROGRESS is published by CommStrat for the Australian Solar Council (ASC).
Solar Progress subscriptions: contact Anna Washington Executive Assistant, ASC [email protected] or call 0409 802 707
Solar CouncilReview of solar landscape by ASC CEO and Solar Progress Editor 2
Solar 2013 Conference & Expo 20
The Golden Jubilee Conference 26
Hall of Fame recognises solar power pioneers 28
State Branch activity 46
Corporate members 48
Solar advancesCraig Froome on storage 8
Solomon Islands’ solar program 47
Special featuresSolar access versus shade, by Mark Byrne 12
A closer look at Energy Rating systems 14
Steve Blume on solar funding channels 22
Solar One pioneer Peter Fries 30
The vision of one UNSW student 33
STELR in schools 36
Industry developmentsWayne Smith takes a look at The RET Review 18
Minister Greg Combet and clean energy 24
News and viewsLocal and global solar developments 4
Nigel Morris compares solar to Icarus 32
Following the Sun book review 35
Fossil Fools, says Peter Fries 38
Products and servicesAussieWide Solar, GSES, Regen Power, SMA, Solar Clips and SolPac 42
Front cover: This source of energy will run out – eventually. In about one billion years, water on Earth will not exist as the Sun will have heated up such that terrestrial life will have gone. Time enough to deploy all the solar technologies we have to hand.Image courtesy NASA
2 | ISSUE 1 • 2013
Bill Parker Editor
John Grimes Chief Executive, Australian Solar Council
We live in extraordinary times. The Bureau of Meteorology has released
data for January from weather stations around the country: (http://www.
bom.gov.au/climate/current/special-statements.shtml) with a number of
reports and many superlatives across the pages.
The report showing high temperatures is extraordinary, with locations
where very high temperatures are normal but many where they are not,
and some daytime maximums approaching 50°C . (As I write this in
suburban Perth, my max/min thermometer is showing 45°C in the shade.)
The extraordinary rainfall data is contained in another BOM report.
It is not appropriate to relate one weather event (or a month’s
pattern) to climate change, but summing the extreme events by their
difference from the norm in any one year by extreme, it is valid to test for
correlations between that summing and climate change.
NASA is more direct: “NASA scientists say 2012 was the ninth warmest
of any year since 1880, continuing a long-term trend of rising global
temperatures. With the exception of 1998, the nine warmest years in the
132-year record have occurred since 2000, with 2010 and 2005 ranking
as the hottest years on record.”
Is the science of climate change now a lesser issue than bureaucratic
and governmental complacency or worse, the clever marginalisation
of science? We can do fracking but wind turbines cause actual disease
symptoms?
If you were at Swinburne University early last December you would
have concluded that solar science is alive and well. Here were the
investigators relating their work to the Solar 2012 attendees. All of it in
one way or another contributing to global warming mitigation, whether
at the laboratory bench or in the business world. We now look forward to
Solar 2013 in May.
Politics will play a front and centre role during the next seven
months, and crucial to the solar industry, its R&D support, and the
basic research that goes on, is recognition of the importance and
viability of solar technologies.
As 2013 rolls on the high temperatures of January will be forgotten,
as might global warming (which might even be bumped off the
election agenda).
However, nothing will diminish, or stop the role solar energy plays in
moving towards a society that consumes less fossil fuelled energy.
Bill Parker
The year 2013 is set to be critical for solar in Australia. Coming off another
big year for domestic solar – just on 1GW of solar PV was installed in
Australia in 2012 – there are some big challenges and opportunities ahead.
Here is just one of them:
Solar PV’S Policy Blind SPotThere is a gaping policy blind spot when it comes to commercial and
industrial scale solar PV in Australia.
Unique in the world, Australia’s policy makers have targeted domestic
solar but have ignored the benefits of powering our businesses and factories
with solar PV.
It is a fundamental mistake, and needs to be fixed.
Unlike domestic customers whose peak electricity usage is in the early
evening (during the setting of the sun), commercial uses demand power
exactly when the sun is up – during the working day.
When it comes to delaying or eliminating the need for expensive grid
infrastructure upgrades, and taking load off the grid during the day,
distributed commercial and industrial solar PV is the real ‘low hanging fruit’.
At a time when our leaders are scratching around for ways to cut power
bills, this one policy area can make serious inroads into cutting the $120+
billion electricity infrastructure investment now underway.
The rest of the world targets this sector for good reason, and we should
too. At the moment the policy argument at the federal level is focused on
cutting imagined future costs by reducing federal government support for
installations over 10kW (down from the current 100kW).
The focus is all on the cost side, instead of quantifying the potential
savings, and where the business case stacks supporting businesses to
invest in their own on-site power generation and booking a saving for all
power users.
We need to become more sophisticated when it comes to solar policy, and
we need to get our political leaders engaged in the substantive issues, and
away for the mindset that solar PV subsidies are a basic way to curry favour
with the electorate by ‘feeding the chooks’, and nothing more.
John Grimes Printed using fSc® mixed source certified fibre by Printgraphics Pty ltd under ISO 14001 environmental certification.
4 | ISSUE 1 • 2013
News and views
Sunny outlook More than $14
million has been
pledged to a suite
of solar projects
for the CSIRO-led
US-Australia solar
energy collaboration,
the most significant of
which is the creation of a $7.6 million solar
forecasting system.
(Read all about this progressive step in the
next issue of Solar Progress.)
Next generation solar cell technology Still on big picture
developments,
an historic $35
million Australia–US
partnership presents
new opportunities
for boosting solar
cell performance
and cost reduction,
and aims to foster
rapid development
of PV technology. To be known as the US-
Australia Institute for Advanced Photovoltaics
– USAIAP – this is one of the largest solar
research investments in Australia’s history and
will be led by UNSW.
The new Institute combines the expertise of
several US Research Centres and universities,
Australian universities, the CSIRO, three state
governments, Suntech Australia, BT Imaging,
Trina Solar Energy and BlueScope Steel.
UNSW Scientia Professor Martin Green said
“The Institute will establish Australia as the
photovoltaic research and educational hub
of the Asia-Pacific region. It combines our
expertise with America’s world-class facilities
and creates a tangible pipeline to ‘over the
horizon’ photovoltaic technology.
“The Institute will also be fundamental
to the training of the next generation of
photovoltaic research scientists and engineers.”
Solar thermal to powEr ahEadCreating solar technology that supplies supply
cheap, zero emission, secure energy for Australia
and the world ... that is the mission of CSIRO and
six Australian universities who are joining forces
with US based NREL, Sandia National Laboratories
and Arizona State University.
To be known as the Australian Solar Thermal
Research Initiative, the $87 million, eight year
collaboration which is being led by CSIRO was
made possible with ASI and ARENA’s $35 million
contribution, and cements Australia’s leading role
in global solar research.
ASTRI outcomes could well transform the
energy industry in Australia by slashing the cost of
solar thermal power in producing electricity, heat
and fuels.
Guiding the research will be Dr Manuel Blanco
who recently joined CSIRO as Director of ASTRI.
The world-renowned solar scientist boasts
almost three decades of academic, research and
development managerial experience and helped
pave the way for Spain’s first commercial solar
thermal system.
In an upbeat statement Blanco said “We will
reduce the cost of
solar thermal to just
12 cents a kilowatt
hour by 2020 and
provide zero-emission
energy to people
when they need it.
It’s a technological
leap but we will do
it. We are working
with the best in the
world.”
Big ticket research collaborationsuNSW takes charge UNSW is involved in five other significant solar
research projects and will take the lead in two: a
$5.3 million initiative to develop Tools for design
and scale-up of solar thermochemical reactors;
and a $6.7 million project to produce low cost,
high efficiency copper-zinc-tin-sulphide (CZTS)
on silicon multi-junction solar cells.
High level aspirations and top level brain
power – a potent mix. Future issues of Solar
Progress will focus on solar achievements that
pave the way for a clean, green future.
PV streets ahead …Can you picture yourself driving on roads
constructed from glass, PV and re-cycled landfill
and compost? Such is the brainchild of Solar
Roadways entrepreneurs Scott and June Brusaw,
whose “intelligent” asphalt free roads, pavements
and driveways are designed to generate power.
Scott Brusaw makes use of many technologies
to develop glass that “is tough as steel”, does
not shatter, is fire proof, anti-glare and provides
traction. By his estimates one kilometre of his
solar roadway would generate enough power
for about 265 homes and significantly reduce
greenhouse gases.
His prototype 12 x 12 foot panels include
three white and three yellow LEDs which send
signals to microprocessors to generate ‘text’
traffic warnings for road users, eliminating the
need for traditional road signs. LEDs could also
be used to ‘paint’ road lines from beneath and
light up roads during night time, and with the
addition of a heating element would have the
capacity to melt snow and ice.
The multi-faceted Solar Roadways model also
factors in recharging of all-electric vehicles to
help sever dependency on oil.
As Brusaw states “We cannot keep
building petroleum based asphalt roads, it’s
antiquated.”
Belectric’s solar downunder The Australian subsidiary of German-based
Belectric has been granted approval for its first
solar plant in Australia, a 5MW solar power
plant in Mildura, Victoria.
Belectric said this was "The first step
toward implementing further solar projects in
Australia” and that the company has already
signed an agreement with Clean Technology
Partners for subsequent projects.
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6 | ISSUE 1 • 2013
News and views
Fall in love with Solar – says Greg evans of Perfect Match Valentine’s Day saw a public show of solar
affection by former Perfect Match host and
marriage celebrant Greg Evans, who performed
a novel commitment ceremony by marrying
“cheated on” electricity users to an Energy
Matters solar panel.
The media stunt was staged to highlight the
massive price hikes to energy bills over the past
five years.
“It’s time to save money, use our abundant
Australian sunshine and find a sustainable energy
solution without being held to ransom … I’m a
bit of an expert when it comes to relationships
and I think we’re being had,” said the man who
is the latest celebrity to catch the solar love bug.
Westpac’s $8 billion, five-year Sustainability StrategyIn a move designed to address “society’s most
pressing issues”, Westpac is targeting three areas
for lendings: Demographic and cultural change;
Identifying new avenues of wealth creation, and
Economic solutions for environmental challenges
The bank is pledging $2 billion to lending
for social and affordable housing and $6
billion in lending to the clean technology and
environmental services sector. Saying that the
environment and the economy are
“often seen at odds”, Westpac’s focus will
be on providing innovative solutions
to enable customers to “manage environmental
outcomes” and presenting specific support for the
CleanTech and environmental services sector.
Bunbury correctionIn our last issue (10/12) it was incorrectly stated that Bunbury Sports Facility’s evacuated tubes absorb both solar energy and UV; however the only energy that can be used is in the short wave IR between 0.5 and 5.5 microns. The evacuated tubes were also said to be up to 80% more efficient whereas they are up to 95% efficient compared to flat plate collectors, with a 70% maximum efficiency most commonly achieved.
Overdeveloped, overshadowed As the trend to develop high-rise, high-density
living around urban transport hubs continues, so
does the battle for space and sunlight.
In Victoria, where more homes are being
blocked in by multi-storey developments, new
laws could be developed to protect homes fitted
with solar panels from being overshadowed; a
move that would reduce ad-hoc decisions by the
Victorian Civil and Administrative Tribunal.
“There [needs] to be consistent and clear
guidance on a statewide basis to create greater
certainty about what might be regarded as
acceptable impacts," said a VCAT member.
"This would be of great benefit to affected
landowners, proponents of new developments
and decision-makers."
Victorian Planning Provisions state that new
buildings should be positioned and designed
to ensure energy efficiency of existing dwellings
on adjoining lots is not unreasonably reduced,
but in one unhappy case taken to VCAT the loss
of solar power was estimated at between 50 to
70% which was decreed “unreasonable”.
The Clean Energy Council hailed the tribunal
decision “significant” and said it was imperative
for developers to consider shadowing in projects.
europe soars ahead in solar Italy has leapfrogged Germany to become the
most solar-powered industrialised nation in
the world, supplying 5.6% of the country’s
electricity demand in 2012.
Italian solar power, which is almost entirely
PV, produced a total of 18.3 TWh of energy last
year, up a massive 72% on 2011 output and
pushing solar capacity in Italy to 17GW from
around 470,000 rooftop PV systems. The 2012
figures give rise to optimistic forecasts of 7%
solar production during 2013.
Meanwhile Spain’s share of solar rose to 4%, a
quarter of which stemmed from its large-scale solar
thermal power stations supplying power 24/7.
Housing one third of the world's solar panels,
Germany clocks up a 4.8% share of solar in the
electricity supply.
Data reveals countries outside Europe added
more than 13 GW of solar capacity last year,
compared with less than 8 GW in 2011, the
strong suits being China, the US and Japan.
For its not insignificant part, Australia added
about 1 GW of solar PV last year, lifting the
country's capacity about 70% to 2.4 GW.
Demand this year is anticipated between 840
MW to 1 GW.
embark on a plan In three years’ time the top of Sydney Convention
Centre will undergo a transformation with the
installation of a 400 kW rooftop community
solar farm.
Due for completion in 2016, the Sydney
Community Solar collaboration between Embark
and Lend Lease will enable local residents to invest
in the solar project, and is described as “a highly
visible example of medium scale solar PV”.
Embark is a NFP organisation that helps
communities create and participate in renewable
energy projects, emphasising they can benefit from
new clean energy without relying on subsidies.
Australia’s number one panelTrina Solar is proud to be the number one choice of solar panel in the Australian market*. Industry-leading products such as our “Honey” cells deliver higher efficiencies and excellent value for money. Combined with our standard 10-year workmanship and 25-year linear power output warranties, Trina Solar is an investment that delivers great returns and offers complete peace of mind.
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*SOURCE: Australian PV – Technology and Brands Report 2013 by Solar Business Services.
8 | ISSUE 1 • 2013
storage optionsfor grid connected PV
Solar Advances
The energy storage industry within Australia is still fairly immature
with only a small number of distributors and even a smaller number
of manufacturers and R&D effort. Many of the larger international
companies have shown little interest due to the current size of the market
within Australia.
Numerous countries are establishing ambitious renewable energy
portfolio targets similar to Australia’s Renewable Energy Target (RET),
requiring a portfolio target of 20% by 2020. With the most viable
renewable technologies being intermittent in nature, reaching a target
in excess of 15% may not be possible without storage. Given the relative
lack of relevant storage activity in Australia, this may be a particular
problem for us.
The distribution network providers, seeing and understanding the
grid issues with intermittent (and particularly distributed) generation are
now showing substantial interest in storage. This, coupled with both
the Renewable Energy Target and state based feed-in tariffs for PV, is
increasing deployment. The questions now arising are centred around
how to best use the energy generated with the time of generation not
necessarily matching network demand.
Significant penetration of solar and other renewable energy sources
into the national grid will highlight a number of operational concerns
over maintaining system power balance. With the proliferation of large
scale solar penetration into the grid, electricity networks will become
two-way power flow systems. Sudden changes in weather conditions
can cause big power fluctuations within several seconds. Because the
conventional generation has to be uncommitted to allow usage of solar
and other energy sources, the sudden power deficit may not be easy to
compensate quickly. This is predicted to result in power system instability
and poor power quality problems having an impact on operating reserve,
imbalance in energy, and voltage and frequency regulation of the grid.
Therefore, these technical issues need to be addressed within the existing
distribution network systems.
Available Electrical Storage TechnologiesIt is possible for energy storage to be used to improve system
responsiveness, reliability and flexibility or for load levelling and peak
shaving. It is these issues which are of greatest interest to the distribution
companies. Whilst there are various storage options, those technologies
that can be best utilised by solar energy rather than renewable energy
systems as a whole are of greatest current interest because of the rapid
growth of PV penetration.
The obvious need for storage in applications such as PV is not the only
motivation for its widespread deployment. Many other consumption and
peak-related issues would almost certainly also benefit from having a
local reactive storage resource. For example, recent research indicates that
there is a 40% probability of a summer peak load reduction if commercial
customers would be able to deploy appropriate storage. Also highlighted
in this research were alternative uses of stored energy including: i) local
load management; ii) utility load management and; iii) emergency critical
load management.
Ultimately, the choice of storage technology will be guided by:
1. Energy efficiency
2. Environmental impact
3. Location dependence
4. Lifetime
5. Economics, and
6. Space and weight requirements
Looking initially at battery storage options, both lead-acid and nickel-
cadmium batteries are made from toxic substances, so if considering
from a life-cycle viewpoint, these would cause some degree of concern
with disposal and recycling. Sodium and lithium-based batteries are
suitable for large-scale projects, but it is critical to consider the ability
of the technology to “scale-up” based on the demand needs of where
It is often said that storage is the limiting factor in the wider deployment of photovoltaics and other forms of intermittent generation. Given this intermittency, and the prominent role of solar and wind supply in the future renewables roadmap, will Australia’s 20% Renewable Energy Target be achieved by 2020? What are our options? In this article, Craig Froome and Paul Meredith review storage for grid connected PV.
SolarProgress | 9
the storage is being deployed. The economics and lifetime of competing
technologies has been highlighted as an area for future research, with
deployment of flow batteries currently considered the preferred option.
Deployment of storage technology on the UQ 1.22MW PV array at
the Brisbane St Lucia campus is an interesting case study highlighting
these considerations. In the first instance flywheel technologies and super
capacitors were not considered because of their limited ability to store
energy (periods up to one hour).
Option Technology SupplierA. Batteries
Lead-Acid RedFlowEcoult
Nickel-CadmiumSodium based NGK Insulators
GEMES DEA
Lithium based SAFTLi-TecBYD CompanyEnerSysOxisEnergy
B. Flow BatteriesZinc-Bromide RedFlow
ZBB CorporationPremium Power
Vanadium Redox Prudent EnergyOrganic Acid PlurionOther Enstorage Inc.
Extreme PowerDeeya Power
C. SupercapacitorsSAFTLi-TecBYD CompanyEnerSysOxisEnergy
Three types of storage technologies with a partial list of suppliers (bold indicates Australian presence)
The better options for the UQ project appeared to be lithium-ion
(Li-ion), sodium sulphur (NaS) and zebra (Na-NiCl2) batteries. However,
manufacturing capacity and the ability to scale-up to utility level is
questionable locally. Flow-battery designs utilising different chemistries
include polysulphide bromide (PSB), zinc bromide (ZnBr), cerium zinc
(CeZn) and vanadium redox (VRB). The major disadvantage of flow
battery systems is the additional capital and running costs.
A number of the above technologies for energy storage have
already been deployed internationally, although we believe that current
technologies support the use of lead-acid, sodium-sulphur, nickel-metal-
hydride, zinc bromide, lithium-ion and vanadium redox storage systems.
A key consideration for the UQ array application was the fact that both
zinc-bromide and lithium based batteries were locally available at a scale to
meet the project design requirements. A review of local suppliers, together
with consideration of research potential to scale a prototype to utility scale
resulted in the zinc bromide battery being selected for the project.
For a University the research benefits of testing various systems
generally outweighs economic decisions, but the same rules do not apply
to large-scale deployment by utilities. Therefore it is important to consider
both the life and cost of the competing technologies.
While the lead-acid and sodium based batteries are relatively
inexpensive, they only have a life expectancy of 10 years compared to
flow batteries which have an expected life of 30 years, resulting in the
cost per kilowatt being similar over the life of the battery. Further, the
market anticipates that these costs will come down even further as the
technology matures. (This could lead to decision makers adopting least-
cost technology in the short-term, while waiting for economies of scale in
emerging technologies.)
Using data from the Australian Energy Market Operator (AEMO), we
have modeled the medium growth scenario for battery deployment.
Preliminary indications show that the cost of battery storage, which is
dependent on the technology choice, is approximately $1 million/MWh,
making large-scale deployment in the near future unlikely.
The target price for significant deployment in a PV scenario is thought
to be of the order of $750,000/MWh (although this has changed
through innovation and competition since the original research article
was published).
High PowerE.C. Capacitors
Lead-AcidBatteries
Long DurationE.C. Capacitors
CAPITAL COST PER UNIT POWER – $/kW
Better for UPS & Power Quality Application
Bett
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Applic
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10,0003,000
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CA
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Pumped Hydro
Flow Batteries
Metal-Air Batteries
CAES
Ni-Cd
High PowerFly Wheels Long Duration
Fly Wheels
Zinc-Air Bat.
Rechargeable
Li-ion
NaS Battery
The most recent information prepared by the US Energy Storage Association (2009) based on capital costs in 2002 and the anticipated reduction of those costs as technology matured indicates that both sodium-sulphate and flow batteries will have a similar cost structure.
10 | ISSUE 1 • 2013
An extension of our research with this initial ZnBr deployment
will be to review current actual costs of the competing
technologies based on a typical installation within Australia,
commencing with the University of Queensland flow battery study.
However, as noted earlier, this will be limited due to the number
of active participants within the Australian market and the diverse
range of technology options.
As has been suggested, “renewables can do for energy what
micro-chip driven computers have done for information” (Hall
(2008) Energy Policy 36). However it is unlikely that this will occur
without efficient storage options to remove the intermittency
of the renewable energy resource that is so freely available and
demonstration sites made available so that the network companies
can model the implications to both new and existing infrastructure.
The current research at The University of Queensland will provide
the opportunity to assess the ability of storage to remove much of
the criticism directed to intermittent renewable technologies, while
also determining how storage can be best used within a distributed
energy system.
This article is an abridged version of a paper presented at Solar2010,
the 48th AuSES Annual Conference 1-3 December 2010, Canberra,
Australia, and is available on-line at www.solar.org.au/solarpedia
The University of Queensland deployed a 1.22 MW Photovoltaic (PV) array at the St Lucia Campus in 2011 looking at not only energy generation and reduction of its carbon footprint, but also at building on research and teaching opportunities within the renewable energy sector. The ability to model the advantages of energy storage under a range of scenarios within this array provides a number of opportunities. A RedFlow M90 zinc bromine flow battery system was added to the array in 2012.
Solar Advances
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SolPac_Mag Ad print.pdf 1 26/02/13 2:47 PM
12 | ISSUE 1 • 2013
Not everyone has the roof space or the
money to move PV systems – and they
shouldn’t have to. This is where solar access
rights come in. They are essentially an extension
of long-standing property rights — to peace
and quiet, for instance, or to prevent trespass
— to guaranteed access to sunlight.
Views have not traditionally been protected
by legislation or the common law, and generally
access to sunshine hasn’t been protected in
Australia. State governments have only recently
begun introducing legislation to prohibit tall
hedges or trees from blocking views or access
to sunlight, but even then, the right protected
is to sunlight through windows into houses,
not onto roofs.
It sounds simple — just ensure adequate
setback from boundaries, ban overshadowing
of roofs, or guarantee a set number of hours of
sunlight per day — but as these three options
hint, it isn’t. When you get down to designing
a standard, it can get complicated. For setbacks
to work they depend on the height of buildings
and the pitch of roofs also being restricted;
and it depends on their orientation too. You
can ban overshadowing where one house
exists and neighbouring land isn’t yet built on,
but this is not the most common situation.
The most common proposed guarantee — 6
hours of sunlight between 9 am and 3 pm
in mid-winter — does not correspond to the
period of maximum household demand. To
be comprehensive, controls need to apply to
vegetation and signs as well as walls, chimneys
and roofs. And so on.
As a result, there has been little legislation
to protect solar access, and most protections,
such as they are in Australian law, have tended
to be either in local planning instruments or
in codes or standards that lack legal force or
When ABC presenter Geraldine Doogue installed solar panels on her roof while there was a feed-in tariff in NSW, she was expecting credits on her bills of around $150. Instead, she received a credit of only 43 cents. When energy consultant Nigel Morris looked at her panels for an episode of Radio National’s Saturday Extra in August last year, he noticed that her panels were being overshadowed by a neighbour’s skyward extensions. What to do? Move the panels, he suggested. Mark Byrne examines how far we have to go to achieve perpetual solar access.
how not to feel overshadowed
that use words like “consider”, “excessive” and
“minimise” that are open to interpretation,
with decisions usually favouring those with the
money to hire lawyers.
The situation is better in some US states,
with the Californian Civil Code, for instance,
deciding that since promoting renewable
energy is good public policy, adequate access
to sunlight to operate solar energy systems
should be protected and facilitated. More
specifically, that state’s Solar Shade Control
Act of 1978 provides for a maximum shadow
of ten per cent between 10 am and 2 pm by
trees on any solar collector on adjacent land.
But what about overshadowing by buildings,
provision for future solar systems, or the impact
of sloping land on shadowing?
Other states such as New Mexico and
Wyoming have gone further by applying the
principles governing water law to declare solar
access a property right, but the extent of this
right and its impact on the development of
neighbouring land are still being worked out
in litigation.
A hypothetical solar fence in the ACTThe best response in Australia so far has been
in the ACT. It adopts the idea of a hypothetical
solar fence. This means that no building or
tree can be erected or planted on one block
of land where the effect will be to cast a
shadow on neighbouring land longer than
the shadow cast by an imaginary fence of a
designated height on the property boundary
line between specified hours in mid-winter. It
is probably the simplest approach, although
it has problems coping with sloping land and
high density areas.
Recent changes to the ACT’s Territory Plan
apply a hypothetical solar fence 1.8 metres
high to southern property boundaries. Because
the sun is only 32 degrees above the horizon
at midday in midwinter in Canberra, any new
building to the north of this 1.8 metre fence
must sit under the 32 degree envelope. For
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properties facing north-east or north-west, this
increases up to 42 degrees. The hypothetical
solar fence is 3.5 metres high for side boundaries,
where the envelope increases to 45 degrees.
Turn aroundThe apathy of other Australian governments
will need to change if we are to encourage
more people to reduce their use of fossil fuelled
electricity and to become responsible for their
own power supply. We also need to think
beyond discrete solar panels to a future with
more building-integrated solar power — not
only using PV panels as roofing tiles but also
PV-integrated windows and paints. This will
create greater flexibility in where and how we
can generate power from our own houses
and offices, but most of these emerging
technologies have lower efficiency factors than
good old flat panel PVs, so access rights will still
be required.
Make a differenceIf you want to help this process along, make a
submission to the NSW planning white paper
in February and March – see www.planning.
nsw.gov.au for details. The TEC will be asking
for a high-level state policy covering renewable
energy in general (so wind farms, for instance,
are not subject to much stricter controls than
coal mines or coal seam gas wells) and a
statutory right to solar access in particular. We
will probably advocate adopting the ACT model
in NSW as well.
aBout the authorMark Byrne is Energy Market Advocate at the Total Environment Centre and is a former urban planner. This article draws on Adrian Bradbrook’s paper Solar access law: 30 years on Environmental Planning Law Journal (2010, (27), 5), and the NSW EDO’s briefing note to the TEC on solar access. Adrian Bradbrook also authored Solar Energy and the Law, The Law Book Company, 1984.
Typical building envelope. Side or rear boundary. Northern boundary of an adjoining or residential block. X° can be 32° - 42°of an adjoining or residential block.X° can be 32° - 42°
14 | ISSUE 1 • 2013
Benefits of RatingThe energy performance of a building is the
calculated or measured amount of energy
needed to meet the energy demand of a
building. Energy performance rating and
minimum energy performance standards allow
promotion of energy efficient buildings.
The benefits also include achieving
greenhouse gas emission targets and reduction
of capital investment in the expansion of energy
grid for the nation as well as reduced energy
bills and improved comfort for users.
A rated building can get special recognition,
which helps to increase its resale value and
rental income and sends a positive message to
tenants, customers and occupants. Rating can
also help to identify poorly performing buildings
appropriate for retrofitting.
Rating MethodsEnergy rating can be broadly classified into
two: asset rating that is based on data derived
from design drawings and specifications; or
an operational rating based on actual energy
consumption.
Asset ratings are seen to be most appropriate
for new buildings and operational rating is
more effective for existing buildings.
Prescriptive standards that set separate
performance levels for major envelope and
equipment components, such as minimum
thermal resistance of walls, are used more
frequently due to their easier enforcement.
Existing buildings can be rated by
operational performance based on annual
energy consumption, whereas new buildings
as well as buildings at design stages generally
follow asset rating.
Asset ratings performed through calculation
can be inaccurate during the building design
process. This is due to the fact that energy
modeling is typically done for code compliance
but may not produce realistic predictions on
how a building performs during operation.
Using simulation for asset rating can be
expensive as it requires a great number of
inputs, skilled users and a significant amount of
time to gather the necessary data.
For existing buildings, measured consumption
can be obtained from energy bills or
monitoring. Energy bills give easy access to
energy consumption by energy source, although
it is difficult to establish a split by end-uses.
Sub-metering can be installed to identify
the energy consumption by end-users and
this helps to understand inefficiencies existing
in individual systems and suggest specific
improvements rather than stating building’s
overall energy use intensity.
Several rating schemes combine indoor
environmental performance with building
energy performance.
However, these methodologies require
expensive and time-consuming methods and
processes such as measurements of indoor
environmental parameters, monitoring
building air-conditioning systems, etc.
that is complicated and need intensive site
measurement for a number of days.
Few countries have set up mandatory energy
standards for new dwellings and service sector
buildings. Though mandatory implementation
can increase the impact considerably, it may not
be easy to implement.
There are considerable commonalities and
variations in the rating methodologies of
different countries. In most cases, rating begins
with the collection of relevant data for the
development of a comprehensive benchmark.
Subsequently, Energy use per unit area per
year or energy-usage intensity (EUI), the most
commonly used indicator needs to be defined.
The next step involves determination of EUI
and this can be calculated using simulations
or obtained thorough energy bills or measured
using metered data.
This is followed by setting the limit for
energy efficiency with respect to building
types and climate. The EUI is then compared
with a sample of similar buildings in terms of
type, climate energy sources, etc. A number
of energy efficiency measures that have long
term and short term payback period may be
recommended subsequently.
Progress in AustraliaThe energy used by Australian buildings
accounts for approximately 20% of Australia’s
GHG emissions, split fairly evenly between
homes and commercial buildings. At present,
energy efficiency building standards in
Australia are relatively less rigorous than
similar countries.
One of the national strategies is improving
the efficiency of new buildings and major
renovations by increasing the energy efficiency
requirements in the update of the National
Construction Code (NCC).
The building sector consumes around 30–40% of the primary energy in most developed countries and is a major contributor to greenhouse gas emissions. Governments all around the world find themselves at a critical time with regard to the way they utilise energy. The past 10-15 years have seen an upsurge of initiatives in different parts of the world and energy performance rating has become widespread. Priyadarsini Rajagopalan examines this critical area.
Building Energy Rating Systems
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16 | ISSUE 1 • 2013
Commercial Building Disclosure (CBD) is
another national program designed to improve
the energy efficiency of Australia’s large office
buildings. From November 2010 onwards,
commercial and government buildings ≥2000m2
are required to disclose the energy efficiency.
In addition, Australian state and territory
governments have proposed requiring owners of
existing houses, flats and apartments to provide
energy, water and greenhouse performance
information when selling or leasing their properties.
Residential SectorThe Nationwide House Energy Rating Scheme
(NatHERS) provides a framework that allows
various computer software tools to rate the
potential energy efficiency of Australian homes.
The NatHERS was initiated in 1993 to provide
a standardized approach in rating the thermal
performance of Australian homes.
To achieve this star rating for a house, several
factors are taken into consideration, such as
passive design, window positioning and also
heating, cooling and water management systems
of the dwelling.
In May 2008, legislation was passed stating
that if a renovation or extension for a dwelling
is 50 per cent of the original volume of the
building, only the new or extended part must
comply with the five-star standard, and where
the renovation or extension is 50% or more of the
original volume, then the whole building must
comply with the five-star standard.
The state government of Victoria implemented
legislation for all new houses to achieve a six-star
rating from May 2011.
Unique star bands are set for each climate
zone taking into account the extremes of the
local weather conditions. Each star band set
has been developed by specifying the maximum
energy consumption per unit area (MJ/m2)
to allow comparisons of building within and
between climate zones.
Commercial Sector The National Australian Built Environmental
Ratings Scheme (NABERS), first launched in 1998,
was originally developed as an energy efficiency
rating tool for office buildings and now they are
available for shopping centres, hotels and homes.
The tools for Energy, Water, Waste and
Indoor Environment measure the operational
performance and environmental impact of
existing buildings, comparing them with
other buildings.
Rating is performed by a NABERS Accredited
Assessor. An office building’s total energy use for
a 12-month period is collected from billing data
and meter readings.
The energy use is multiplied by the constant
NABERS GHG factor.
The NABERS GHG factor stays constant from
year to year so that ratings can be compared
over time.
The energy use is also adjusted to account
for area, climate, hours of occupancy and
equipment density. This enables buildings with
very different attributes to be compared against
the same performance targets.
The corrected figure, called the benchmark
factor, puts the building on similar levels with
other buildings in the same geographic location.
Environmental Rating Systems Environmental rating tools are based on criteria
that can be used at all phases of development
including design, construction and operations
vary widely and include building management,
the health and well-being of its occupants,
accessibility to public transport, water use,
energy consumption, the embodied energy of
its materials, land use, pollution, etc. Points
awarded for each category are weighted to
calculate an overall score.
Green Star, administered by the Green
Building Council of Australia is a national
voluntary rating system that evaluates the
environmental design and construction
of buildings.
A Green Star assessment methodology to
address the performance of existing buildings,
known as ‘Green Star-Performance’ is being
developed and aims to incorporate NABERS
into the Green Star – performance tool to avoid
duplication of measurements.
ConclusionThere are several barriers that may affect
building industry’s uptake of energy
efficiency measures.
The main barriers include cost, and time.
Mandatory implementation can substantially
increase the number of participants, but may
be difficult to implement for economic or
political reasons.
The success of building rating schemes will
certainly depend on the cost effectiveness of
the schemes and the credibility achieved by real
energy savings. Supporting follow up measures
are needed to ensure that rating impacts on the
targeted market.
Rating should not be a static scheme and
needs to be evaluated regularly. In order
to achieve further advancements in energy
efficiency, rating should progress with time and
contribute quantifiably to the energy efficiency
targets of the country.
Further inFormationLee, SE, & Rajagopalan, P (2008). Building energy efficiency labelling programme in Singapore. Energy Policy, 36, 3982–3992.
Rajagopalan, P and Leung Tony (2012), Progress on Building Energy Labelling Techniques, Advances in Building Energy Research, 6:1, 61-80.
Dr Priyadarsini Rajagopalan is a Senior Lecturer at Deakin University
Policy tools can help to reduce the amount of energy needed to obtain a better performance. Considering the global building stock, buildings normally follow a bell-shaped curve. Performance codes set minimum criteria which are relatively easy to achieve and push the population towards the right resulting in a negatively skewed distribution. Rating and Labelling however, helps to push a large number of buildings towards the left, resulting in a positively skewed distribution.
Nabers buildiNg ratiNg
300
150
100
50
01 1.5
AdelaideCanberraHobartPerth
BrisbaneDarwinMelbourneSydney
2.5 3.5 4.5 5.5 Zero Emissions
2 3 4 5 6
200
250
gH
g in
tens
ity
(kg
CO
2-e/
m2 )
Cumulative distribution Curve for benChmarking
300 350 400 450 500150100500 200 250
eui (kWh/m2/year)
Per
cent
ile (%
)
0%10%
20%
70%
60%
30%
80%
40%
90%
50%
100%
EnErgy pErformancE in normal conditions.
Energy usage intensity (kWh/m2
Energy usage intensity (kWh/m2
Energy usage intensity (kWh/m2
freq
uenc
yfr
eque
ncy
freq
uenc
yEnErgy pErformancE aftEr introducing pErformancE codEs.
EnErgy pErformancE in thE labElling approach.
Special Feature
18 | ISSUE 1 • 2013
Industry Developments
The final report of the Review of the
Renewable Energy Target (RET Review)
presents some significant opportunities and
challenges for Australia’s solar industry, and
in its recommendations you can see some
of the core themes for the solar industry
in 2013.
The RET Review was undertaken by the
independent Climate Change Authority, under
a timeline outlined in legislation. It included
a thorough, independent public consultation
process, including the release of a draft
Discussion Paper. The Australian Solar Council
was heavily involved in this process.
For the solar industry, there were three key
recommendations in the RET Review:
• ThattheRETshouldbereviewedeveryfour
years, rather than every two years as is
currently required;
• TheLarge-scaleRenewableEnergyTarget
(LRET) should be maintained at 41,000
gigawatt hours in 2020;
• TheSmall-scaleRenewableEnergyScheme
(SRES) should remain separate to the LRET
but be amended so that:
- the threshold for PV systems in the SRES
“be reduced from 100 kilowatts to, say,
10 kilowatts … the Commonwealth
Government [should] conduct further
consultations with stakeholders to
determine an appropriate threshold.
Units over the small-scale threshold
would be included in the LRET, with five
year certificate deeming”;
- the SRES is phased out by 2030 by
reducing the level of deeming on an
annual basis.
Each of these recommendations will now be
considered by the Minister for Climate Change
and Energy Efficiency, Greg Combet, and he is
likely to respond by the end of March 2013.
It is worth exploring the implications of these
recommendations in some detail.
Big SolarThe recommendation to maintain the LRET
provides some certainty for the Big Solar
industry and represents a sound defeat for
the vested interests and powerful forces that
wanted to abolish or slash the LRET. The Climate
Change Authority has demonstrated Australia
cannot afford to go backwards in its support
for clean energy. It needs to embrace a new,
cleaner economy if it is to remain internationally
competitive in an increasingly carbon
constrained future.
Unfortunately, business as usual is no longer
an option given the demands of climate change
science, and the Climate Change Authority
failed to set an appropriate, more ambitious
Renewable Energy Target. Future generations
will be a harsh judge of a review that failed
to increase the target in the face of evidence
the planet could experience a 4-6 degree
temperature rise by the end of the century. The
World Bank has indicated this could trigger “a
cascade of cataclysmic changes”.
The Climate Change Authority is now
reviewing Australia’s emissions reduction
target for 2020 and a pathway to that target,
with an Issues Paper to be released in April
2013. A strong emissions reduction target
would be consistent with climate science,
and would provide an additional incentive for
investment in renewable energy.
The Australian Solar Council has argued, and
will continue to argue that, at the very least,
renewable energy projects supported by the
Clean Energy Finance Corporation should be
additional to the RET.
This is no trifling matter. Independent
modeling commissioned by the Australian
Solar Council and WWF showed the CEFC
and the RET could deliver 11 gigawatts
of Big Solar by 2030. More than 30% of
Australia’s electricity could come from large-
scale renewable energy alone by 2030, if the
CEFC was additional to the RET (both are
conservative figures).
The Clean Energy Finance Corporation is
absolutely critical for Big Solar in Australia, but
it is currently opposed by the Federal Coalition.
The solar industry must campaign hard in 2013
to ensure it is supported by all political parties.
The battle to maintain the LRET in its current
modest form is not over. Less than 24 hours
Review of the RenewableEnergy TargetIndustry consultant Wayne Smith examines the fine-print of the RET Review and outlines the short- and long-term scenario for Big and not-so-big Solar to identify a series of missed opportunities for rational solutions.
SolarProgress | 19
“Unfortunately, business as usual is no longer an option given the
demands of climate change science … Future generations will be a
harsh judge of a review that failed to increase the [renewable energy] target in the face of evidence the planet could
experience a 4-6 degree temperature rise by the end of the century.”
after the RET Review was released, the Business
Council of Australia was again calling on the
Coalition to commit to slashing the renewables
target. The RET has strong bipartisan
support, but powerful vested interests remain
committed to destroying the RET. This will
again be a key battle in 2013.
Commercial SolarThe Climate Change Authority’s
recommendations on commercial solar
have the potential to stop the industry in its
tracks before it has even started. At the very
least, the proposal to move solar systems
smaller than 100 kilowatts – and as small
as 10 kilowatts – into the LRET will put the
industry on hold until there is some certainty,
and will inevitably put a short-term freeze
on commercial, off-grid and remote solar
projects. It is hard to see the public policy
benefit of that.
The truth is no one knows the long-term
implications of changing the size threshold
for the SRES and the LRET. We don’t know
what this will mean long-term for the solar
industry or the wind industry, which drive the
LRET, so this sort of meddling can only deliver
unintended consequences.
What we do know is that systems above
10 kilowatts represent just 2% of the solar
market, and those above 50 kilowatts are
an infinitesimally small part of the market.
There is, therefore, no need to make this
change and even if this sector was to grow
substantially, there is a range of measures
that could be put in place at the time to deal
with the cost implications for the SRES.
This is yet another area where the solar
industry will need to undertake detailed
analysis and strong advocacy. If we’re serious
about tackling climate change, we should
be putting solar on the plentiful roofs of our
schools, factories and shopping centres and
in our remote communities. There are already
enough barriers to making this happen, we
don’t need another one.
Residential SolarThe Climate Change Authority has
recommended winding back support for
residential solar, but the proposals are
nowhere near as extreme as those canvassed
in the Discussion Paper, thanks largely to
concerted lobbying by the solar industry. The
CCA has recommended ending the SRES in
2030, and all solar businesses should now
work on that basis.
The CCA has also recommended phasing
out deeming from 2017, so that each year
from that date there is one year less support
provided up front. This is a superficially
attractive way to phase out the SRES, and
if the process begins five years from now it
won’t impact on any current business plans.
The deeming phase-out, like a good magic
trick, may not, however, be what it seems. A
recommended timeline, let alone a legislated
timeframe, is not set in stone, and can be
changed at a political whim.
Within minutes of the RET Review being
released, the Energy Supply Association of
Australia – headed by Matthew Warren, the
former CEO of the Clean Energy Council –
had called for the phase-out of deeming to
be fast-tracked. “2017 is too late”, screamed
the ESAA, calling for the phase-out to
begin earlier and for the timeline to be
much reduced.
The solar industry should oppose the phase-
out of deeming or it might just be left with a
whole new solarcoaster ride, echoing the scary
Solar Multiplier experience.
There are challenges and opportunities for
the solar industry in responding to the RET
Review. 2013 is a federal election year – the
perfect time to unleash the powerful political
constituency represented by Australia’s love
for solar. Australians want more solar, not less.
Australians want more clean energy, not less,
and Australians will be looking to political
parties to deliver this outcome.
Wayne Smith is Director of
Clean Economy Services
T: @CleanEconomySer
20 | ISSUE 1 • 2013
Solar 2013 Conference
SOLAR 2013 CONFERENCE & EXHIBITIONSolar 2013 - presented by the Australian Solar Council and international partner Australian PV Solar Energy Exhibition (AUPVSEE) - will be held at the Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre on Thursday May 23 and Friday May 24, 2013.www.solarexhibition.com.au
Solar 2013 Conference programThis free to attend event will feature:
• Atwo-dayprofessionalconferencestream
• Atwo-dayinstaller/designerprofessional
development stream, and
• Anextensiveindustryexhibition,withmore
than 100 exhibitors
Last year more than 1700 delegates attended
this premier networking and business event. This
year we expect over 2000 delegates will attend,
making this a ‘must attend’ networking event.
Registration is free of charge, but is essential
for all delegates and is available via the event
website: www.solarexhibition.com.au
Designed by the Australian Solar Council, the
Solar 2013 Conference will provide the latest
up to date information on the solar, renewable
energy and energy efficiency industries.
The Conference will host a continuous
stream of presentations from industry
experts, covering diverse topics from current
policy and market analysis, to financing of
industry projects and industry case studies
and best practice.
Day one The Plenary Session will include Industry Keynote
Presentations from Chief Executives of Platinum
Sponsors Solar Inception and Hareon Solar.
We will review 2013 Solar Policy with Wayne
Smith, Chief Executive, Clean Economy Services
and Analyse Certificate Prices and Outlook with
Ric Brazzale, Managing Director, Green Energy
Trading. During the afternoon sessions we will
discuss Global Trends in Solar, and Solar Micro
Inverters and Monitoring.
Diary dateSolar 2013
Melbourne Convention and
Exhibition Centre
Thursday May 23 and
Friday May 24, 2013.
Wayne Smith
SolarProgress | 21
Professional Development StreamIn addition, we are working with the Solar
Energy Industries Association (SEIA) to
deliver a fantastic retailer and solar installer/
designer program and forum. This program
will focus on technical and specific product
issues and is being designed by long-term
leading industry experts, Brian England,
Steve Ingrouille and Kim Atkinson.
The Professional Development Session
on day one will begin with a morning
spent focusing on current industry issues,
then moving on to an Open Forum,
before afternoon presentations which
focus on the nitty gritty of Warranty and
Liability, Performance Statements, System
Financing Options.
Day twoThe day two Plenary Session kicks off with
Keynote addresses from the major parties
in this election year, followed by morning
presentations by the Clean Energy Regulator
and the Australian Renewable Energy
Agency with the afternoon sessions focusing
on Energy Efficiency.
Day two Professional Development StreamDay two Professional Development Session
presentations will open with the Australian
Solar Council presentation on Best Practice
and Design Case studies, and then move
to Battery Back Up, Data Logging, Audit
Reports, and Network Penetration Issues.
“Don’t miss this important industry program - join in and share your thoughts at the open forums, discuss current industry concerns and issues, and address the future outlook for the solar industry.”
The Solar 2013 Exhibition provides
the opportunity to network directly with
policy makers, industry players, experts
and consumers.
There will be a wide range of Australian
manufacturers exhibiting and supporting
organisations include BOSCH, Green Energy
Trading, Infinity Solar, IT Power, SEIA, Solar
360, Solar Max, Solar Plus and WINAICO.
We are also pleased to confirm that
RenewEconomy is our Solar 2013 Official
Online Partner, along with Media Partners:
Energy, Source & Distribution, Solar Progress,
Sustainability Matters and ECD Solutions.
Conference info and updatesPlease refer to the event website for more
information on Solar 2013 Conference and
Exhibition: www.solarexhibition.com.au Ric Brazzale of GET
John Grimes
22 | ISSUE 1 • 2013
Part two of a series in which Steve Blume reviews anomalies and inconsistencies in the energy market and addresses funding models.
In my article in Solar Progress (10/12 Spring issue) I discussed the barriers
faced by those in the solar industry, from households and businesses to utility
scale investors, when seeking funding for their solar generation system.
There is a range of factors which constrain access to funds, a primary one
being the scale of upfront capital needed for a solar generation facility at any
size. It is a high value front end investment followed by low and predictable
maintenance and operational costs with the benefit being derived from an
energy input cost of zero, namely solar radiation.
In all countries, particularly Australia, regulatory barriers present huge
impediments to new players of all generation types, especially solar and
other renewables. In my last article I concluded:
There is one disruption to our energy markets which could transform the whole industry, not just the electricity market. That requires no more than a simple business 101 change to how we deal in energy. Worldwide, companies make a profit by selling the raw products that none of us need or use those products to create energy sources: coal and gas to electricity and oil to petrol, and so on. What if those products were made inputs to the services we actually use – to heat our homes and our hot water, run our cars and other machinery?
A paradigm that has had its dayWorldwide we have a market structure for energy which has always seemed
odd to me. Why do I think it odd? Because the products sold and regulated
are not really what the vast majority of customers want. With some industrial
exceptions such as aluminium smelting, end consumers are overwhelmingly
seeking the outputs of energy use and are not interested in the source of
the energy. Energy sales is a huge market with massive regulatory controls,
all based on the simple idea for suppliers: the more energy we sell the more
money we make.
We now know that making energy using fossil fuels is unsustainable
because of pollution (global warming) and finite resources. The scenario
is similar in nuclear power, with its intractable waste management and
uninsurable risk of catastrophic failures. Any alternatives which might
mitigate those risks, such as thorium fusion technologies, are too far off to
be viable options to counter the threat of global warming.
At one level that seems innocuous and amenable to a technical solution
– rapidly replace fossil fuels with renewables – then we can continue to
make more money by selling more energy. We have no other path than
renewables regardless of the political views of some; all new electricity
generating facilities must use renewable sources. The recent Bloomberg
assessments http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2013-02-06/australia-wind-
energy-cheaper-than-coal-natural-gas-bnef-says.html have confirmed what
much of the world of commerce already knows: that even without real
prices on pollution the technology learning curves have taken renewables
right into the mainstream.
Storage technologies, grid improvements and a multitude of other
changes are driving electricity generation to a renewables future. Liquid
fuels as energy sources are another issue and one needing more complex
solutions, but even here renewable electricity generators will likely play a
primary role in syngas production as well as other biofuels http://www.
scientificamerican.com/article.cfm?id=microbe-uses-solar-electricity-to-
build-liquid-fuel .
However there remains that disconnect between end users who are forced
to buy a ‘product’ – electricity – when they seek a range of useful services.
They want lighting, heating and cooling, they want hot water (usually at no
more than 50oC), and they want to be able to use their appliances inside the
house and in their sheds and work rooms and in their businesses.
The market for electricity is broken – it creates a product which is not
governed by the forces usually in play to drive down the prices to the
consumer, but one which simply offers those able to participate a guaranteed
rate of return. This is largely because they have no pressure to reduce input
costs – the regulatory environment allows these to be passed directly through
to consumers.
Financing Solar
Special feature
Endless Possibilities in Solar Solutions
SolarInception.com.au
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Let’s get off the roulette wheelThe market needs to change so that the
product being sold matches consumer needs –
and that means that energy should be properly
accounted for as an input cost to the delivery
of services. The simple switch to make energy
an input cost to a set of services creates a
fundamental change to the market dynamic
because the business incentive becomes what
we need it to be: the lower the input cost the
higher the profit and the bigger the incentive
to get the most efficient energy production. I
am making the critical assumption here that
all costs are internalised in that model, ie there
must be full accounting for the costs of energy
production. If not, then the gaming which is
a highlight of the current energy markets will
simply be transferred to the new model.
Japanese telecommunications company,
NTT (Nippon Telephone and Telegraph), has
moved into this model in a big way, even
though it seems outside its core business, by
the creation of NTT Facilities (http://www.
ntt-f.co.jp/english/). The NTT Facilities business
model is to sign up clients to long term service
agreements at guaranteed levels – for process
and building power and heat, HVAC and other
energy based services – all giving certainty to
clients, giving them incentives to be efficient
users, and placing downward pressure on
the energy input side for greater efficiency
and lower costs – as that goes straight to the
bottom line. That model means the less energy
used the greater is NTT Facilities profit line – so
which Australian utility will be first to adopt
that disruptive model?
As the Irishman replied when asked ‘How do
I get to Dublin?’ ‘Well, if I were goin’ ta Dublin,
I wouldn’t be startin’ from here!’ But here is
where we are, so which way do we go? Already
many companies around the world have seen
that consumers like certainty and dislike risk
which involves making judgements. The leasing
models for solar systems on roof tops, for solar
hot water and even the Zipcar and other such
services recognise that consumers prefer to sign
up to long-term contracts at fixed prices. They
want guarantees of access to services at agreed
levels, but are agnostic on the energy source
for those services. The various energy efficiency
schemes here and overseas also offer clues to
the way forward, but are based on the existing
market regimes. They are used as tools to force
electricity retailers to offer energy efficiency (EE)
pathways to consumers, but this is contrary
to their business models (ie making money by
selling more energy) so to retain their profit
levels retailers simply transfer costs to those not
participating. There are sound justifications for
these EE schemes, but they are sub-optimal and
fail to address the core problem.
A panacea for market failureThere are many means to redress this problem
and foremost will be the recognition by our
regulators of that core market failure: sell more
energy to make more money, which encourages
profligacy in energy production and use.
One solution is at hand which would help
guide a transition if taken up on a national
scale: the use of US financing model Property
Assessed Clean Energy. The first PACE program
was implemented in 2008 by Berkeley,
California, in a bid to meet local climate goals.
In common with many new schemes it had
its teething problems, not least of which was
the unlucky timing of roll-out as the US housing
bubble burst and GFC took hold.
Nevertheless, the scheme has great merit as a
mechanism for accessing finance for solar and
encouraging energy efficiency.
In my next article in Solar Progress I will
explain how my Property Assessed Clean Energy
Retrofit or PACER program could work.
Steve Blume is CEO of NoCarbon Pty Ltd, the
solar energy and climate change policy and
practice consultancy. www.nocarbon.com.au
“We have no other path than renewables regardless of the political views of some; all new electricity generating facilities must use renewable sources.”
24 | ISSUE 1 • 2013
Combet commentSolar Progress asked Climate Change Minister Greg Combet for an update on the RE landscape in the post-carbon price environment.
Australia’s carbon price was successfully begun on July 1 last year. The
carbon price, and the accompanying Clean Energy Future package, are here
to stay and will drive investment in renewable energy for decades to come.
Putting a price on carbon is an essential step in reigning in greenhouse
gas pollution, while also increasing demand for alternative energy sources
like solar.
The carbon price gives businesses a financial incentive to reduce
emissions in producing and consuming energy. The carbon price also
helps investors, innovators and entrepreneurs to develop and bring new
renewable energy technologies to the marketplace.
The carbon price is designed to work with the Renewable Energy
Target (RET), Australian Renewable Energy Agency (ARENA) and Clean
Energy Finance Corporation (CEFC), which together are mutually
supportive and transformative.
With the carbon price having been in place for over eight months now,
there is measurable evidence that it is working. Greenhouse gas pollution
has fallen in the National Electricity Market by 8.6 per cent, or 7.6 million
tonnes, compared to the same period in 2011.
Investment in renewable energy, conversely, is continuing to increase.
Bloomberg New Energy Finance estimates that global investment in
renewable power and fuels increased 20 per cent to a new record of
$302 billion in 2011, with solar being the fastest growing sector.
The RET continues to underpin investment in renewable energy sources
like solar, wind, tidal and geothermal power, and with the carbon price
will deliver at least 20 per cent of Australia's electricity from renewable
sources by 2020.
To date the RET has been successful in supporting more than 955,000
Australian households and businesses install rooftop solar and more than
783,000 solar hot water systems and air sourced heat pumps. These have
made a measureable impact on electricity demand, which further reduces
emissions in our electricity grids. In the first six months of the carbon price,
the power station generation in National Electricity Market was 2.7 per cent
less than the same period in 2011.
We now have over 2,000 MW of solar PV capacity and over 365
renewable energy power stations that have been accredited under the RET
scheme since 2001, and more are on the way.
The RET and the carbon price work because they are both market
mechanisms. They send the right signals to the market, to encourage
business and investors to develop and deploy renewable energy at the
lowest economic cost.
It’s because of the carbon price that the wholesale price of electricity
now better reflects the price of pollution paid by the largest emitters of
carbon pollution.
Renewable energy generators now benefit too from both the higher
return for their electricity in the wholesale market and associated financial
markets, as well as the value from renewable energy certificates created
under the RET.
But it’s not just the RET and the carbon price that will drive investment
and innovation in Australia’s solar and other renewable sectors.
These two measures are further strengthened by the CEFC which is now
established and getting ready to invest from 1 July 2013.
The CEFC will inject $10 billion of finance over five years to overcome
barriers to investment, in renewable energy, low emissions technology and
energy efficiency. It will directly assist businesses seeking to get innovative
clean energy project proposals, including solar projects, off the ground.
The ARENA is responsible for administering $3.2 billion to support
research and development, demonstration and commercialisation of
renewable energy technologies. This $3.2 billion is additional to the funds
available to the CEFC and revenue generated by the carbon price.
The carbon price, RET, CEFC and ARENA represent a comprehensive
package that will not only increase investment and job opportunities in the
renewable energy sector in the short to medium term, but help usher in a
Clean Energy Future benefiting all Australians over the long term. Australia
needs these four policies to work together in mutually supporting ways -
relying on one or two of them will not transform our energy sector.
With these key policy and program measures legislated and implemented
I am very confident about the outlook for Australia’s residential and large-
scale solar sectors going forward.
Greg Combet AM MP
Minister for Climate Change and Energy Efficiency
Minister for Industry and Innovation
Political update “I am very confident about the outlook for Australia’s residential and large-scale solar sectors going forward.”
“The CEFC will inject $10 billion of finance over five years [and] directly assist businesses seeking to get innovative clean energy project proposals, including solar projects, off the ground.”
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26 | ISSUE 1 • 2013
Celebrating50 yearsof solar
During the December 2012 Solar Jubilee conference a large number of key solar power developments and insights were listed on the program. Presenters did not disappoint, delivering a host of interesting insights about ground-breaking developments, and in other cases, observations of the local and global market.
What on earth do fresh blueberries cultivated in Chile have to do with
solar power? Quite a bit, as Solar Jubilee conference goers learnt.
Sitting snugly between the Pacific coastline and Argentina is the central
Chilean region of Bio Bio, a mass producer and exporter of near-ripe
blueberries. The delicate perishable fruit suffers an aversion to heat, so it
is somewhat ironic that solar radiation is coming to the rescue through
the development of a solar driven combined organic Rankine cycle and
vapour compression cycle with “coolth” storage.
Just one of many intriguing insights delivered during the two day
conference featuring more than 60 specialist speakers across six
streams: PV, solar heating and cooling, CSP, Policy, Grids, and the Built
environment; and from universities across Australia, India, the US,
New Zealand and more.
Presented were developments on pioneering endeavours as diverse
as polycrystalline silicon thin film cells and germanium nanocrystals to
carbon neutral aboriginal communities and development of greenhouses
in mountainous Nepal to counter malnutrition in the region whose
growing season is confined to four months a year.
CSP in Europe A familiar face at ASC conferences is Scott Frier of Abengoa, whose
December 2012 trip marked his 16th visit to Australia.
Frier reported on CSP (solar thermal) developments in Abu Dhabi and
also in Spain which remains the “standout” leader in development of
CSP plants.
Worldwide CSP installed capacity stood at 1.8 GW in 2011 and leapt
to 2.5 GW 2012. The forecast to 2017 is a healthy 10.9 GW. “And that
is a certain thing,” said Frier, adding the thought provoking comment:
“Given its solar resource, Australia could be the Spain of the Pacific”
[but] “Here in Australia the solar flagships did not yield the large-scale
projects anticipated.”
Frier is a big advocate of the feed-in tariff as one option to promote
solar power, with Option 2 being reverse bidding.
Ahead of the packThe title of keynote speaker Peter Fries’ address was ‘First out of the foxhole
gets shot’ in reference to his pioneering spirit developing the first Australian
grid connected PV system and having to jump hurdles to complete the
project. (See full story on the Mt Coolum house on pages 30-31.)
June 1994 marked the official opening, and three years on Fries sold
the house and spent the next decade in the US with the UN on media
matters. By the time he returned to Australia in 2008 various solar
incentives and rebates were in place.
Now with TPM Cleantech overseeing 3.5 MW financed projects,
Fries’ upbeat forecast for five years hence is: “The solar industry will be
completely different … and utilities are horribly surprised at the pace.”
Conference Feature
Seeing Green
Frier singled out Greens leader Senator Christine Milne as “a real firebrand, inspirational …”. During Europe’s winter solstice Milne would be visiting Seville to view CSP plants first-hand and gain an idea of the power of molten salt storage which enables power supplies 24/7. On her return Milne was reported as stating: “… all I could think was here they are doing it in Spain, why aren’t we doing it in Australia when we have got all the advantages in terms of physical space, we have got the right solar radiation but we have got the mindset that sticks with old fossil fuel technologies? … It is now a matter of the economics of it, not a matter of whether technology can deliver power after the sun goes down.”
Peter Fries
SolarProgress | 27
Conference notablesGrocon Group’s David Waldren presented a series of net zero energy
buildings across the world, but his address sparked debate over the
company’s inappropriate positioning of some rooftop PVs, namely in the
shade or facing sub-optimal position.
No solar conference would be complete without an address by Keith
Lovegrove of ITPower. He presented the likely future for CST/CSP, with
references to CLFR at Liddell Power Station and at Kogan Creek. Posing
the question: Has CSP lost the race? Lovegrove noted the higher levels
of activity surrounding wind and PV in contrast with CSP. To rouse
interest, he floated the notion of converting brown coal and biomass to
liquid fuels.
Meanwhile, Dr Harald Drueck of the University of Stuttgart outlined
solar thermal trends and developments in Europe.
Rob Bartram of First Solar revealed some of the lessons learnt from
the development of the Greenough River Solar farm, which boasts
150,000 solar modules and took 12 months to construct. Developers
agreed that 10 MW is too small to realise economies of scale and found
that local sub contractors lack project experience but that community
support for large scale PV is very strong.
Barriers to development of utility scale solar include ineffective
financing structure and local industry capacity, he said.
ASC matters
ASC CEO John Grimes described the solar society’s celebration of 50 years as a “fantastic milestone” and spoke of his optimism in the future role of the ASC and solar developments in general.
Displaying the time lapse images of construction of a linear Fresnel PV plant in Germany that was speedily installed despite the driving snow, John demonstrated just how quickly a solar plant could be built from digging to cabling to frames and panels.
He also presented an overview of ASC’s SolarPlus, describing it as “a great tool to give customers as it lends confidence and choice” and stated that the ASC’s Best Practice Program which represents a badge of trust and certification and sets a new benchmark akin to “A CPA program for solar accountants” now boasts a number of graduates.
“Linking research and industry is the most potent thing we can do,” said John who on behalf of the wider solar power industry maintains a high public profile and continues to forge strategic relationships with key partners in China and Europe and beyond
He presented findings from the ASC commissioned detailed market analysis which revealed four million Australian households now have solar hot water or PV panels.
Noel Barton and Keith Lovegrove
Scott Frier
Harald Drueck
Rob Bartram, Olivia Coldrey and John Grimes
28 | ISSUE 1 • 2013
A key event at the 2012 Solar Jubilee conference was the recognition of prominent, long- standing solar identities through induction into the Solar Hall of Fame. The ASC committee selected each of the pioneers for their outstanding contribution to the field of solar power and collective drive to bring it into the mainstream.
The Solar Hall of Fame inductees are as follows:
emerituS ProFeSSor John Ballinger Emeritus Professor John Ballinger, AM, FRAIA
was a Professor of Architecture at the University
of New South Wales where he was founder
of Solarch, the National Solar Architecture
Research Unit at UNSW. He has more than 50
solar efficient buildings to his name and was
appointed Project Manager for the Nationwide
House Energy Rating Scheme (NatHERS).
ProFeSSor Bill charterS Professor Charters has clocked up 35 years
in academic research and development in
the field of solar thermal systems and energy
conservation and efficiency through the
Department of Mechanical and Manufacturing
Engineering at the University of Melbourne.
And was Chief Technical Advisor to the UN
Development Program on the regional solar test
facility in India.
ProFeSSor martin green Professor Martin Green
AM FAA FTSE is Scientia
Professor at UNSW
and Executive Research
Director of the ARC
Photovoltaic Centre of
Excellence. He is well
known internationally for his work developing
the world’s highest-efficiency silicon solar cells.
emerituS ProFeSSor StePhen KaneFF
dr daVid millSDavid Mills helped
develop the double
cermet sputtered
selective absorber
coating now used widely
on evacuated tubes
throughout China for the
production of solar hot water: solar technology
that may be the largest scale currently in use
globally. David Mills also developed the CLFR
solar thermal electricity and in 2006 co-founded
Ausra Inc (now AREVA) in California.
ProFeSSor graham morriSonProfessor Graham Morrison is Emeritus
Professor at UNSW and has been involved
in solar thermal energy research and
education for more than 35 years. He
co-founded Solar Heat & Power Pty Ltd
(later AREVA Solar) and developed the
steam generation compact linear Fresnel
concentrator used at Liddell power station
and for the Solar Dawn Solar Flagships
solar power station. He worked on the UN
Development Programme on the solar thermal
energy test centres in India and China.
aSSociate ProFeSSor monica oliPhantPhysicist Monica
Oliphant has
participated on several
Australian Federal and
State Government
Committees,
including the 2003
MRET Review and she is a Senior Advisor
for IEEPA (International Energy Conservation,
Environmental Protection Association, Beijing)
and the UNIDO International Solar Energy Centre
for Technology Promotion and Transfer, Lanzhou.
mr Wal read The work by Wal Read and his colleague Roger
Morse at the CSIRO in the 1950s boosted the
efficiency of Australian solar hot water systems
by about 20%. Wal Read is hailed as one of the
pioneers of solar thermal engineering in Australia.
dr Zhengrong ShiShi Zhengrong obtained his doctorate degree
on solar power technology at the UNSW
School of Photovoltaic and Renewable Energy
Engineering. On return to China in 2001 he
founded Suntech Power and along with the
company rose to great heights.
dr SteVe SZoKolay amArchitect Dr Szokolay was Consultant for several
UN organisations and lectured at many overseas
universities. He published more than a dozen
books and 150 research papers, mostly on solar
energy and energy conservation in buildings,
climatic design and sustainable architecture.
dr muriel WattDr Watt is the Head
of Energy Policy &
Photovoltaics at IT
Power Australia and
was Senior Lecturer,
School of Photovoltaics
and RE Engineering
at UNSW. She is the Australian representative
and member of the management board of
the Executive Committee of the International
Energy Agency Photovoltaics Power Systems
Programme (PVPS), and Chair of the Australian
PV Association
ProF Stuart WenhamScientia Professor Stuart Wenham is a world-
leading solar cell inventor who heads the ARC
Photovoltaic Centre of Excellence at UNSW. He has
invented or co-invented eight suites of solar cell
technologies that have been licensed to solar cell
makers around the world. In 2007 he received the
World Technology Award for Energy.
Present at Solar Jubilee to receive their award were
Muriel Watt, David Mills and Monica Oliphant.
Presenting the awards were Bill Parker, Keith
Lovegrove, Olivia Coldrey of ASI, and John Grimes.
Solar Hall of Fame
Conference feature
30 | ISSUE 1 • 2013
In 1992, I was a journalist for The Australian
newspaper and a very part time media officer
for the Australian and New Zealand Solar
Energy Society. During a reporting trip to
the US and Japan, I saw a number of grid
connected PV projects, including a 29 home
subdivision in Phoenix Arizona. When I returned
to Australia, I found, to my amazement, that
no one had yet connected a residential PV
system to a state’s power grid.
I wondered if a similar project could be done
here, so I cold called Tony Booth, the head
of research for the South East Queensland
Electricity Board, which is now Energex.
I fully expected a secretary to answer
the phone, but to my shock and amazement,
the voice at the other phone said “Tony
Booth here”.
“Uh, um … Mr Booth,” I said, “it’s Peter Fries
here and I’ve just returned from the US where
I saw a number of solar photovoltaic projects
connected to the grid and I’d like to do the
same here with the help of SEQEB”.
To his great credit, Tony simply replied
“Sound interesting, come to Brisbane and we’ll
talk about it”. So I did and met with Tony and
a young engineer named Grayden Johnson.
Together we hatched the project that would
lead to a PhD for Grayden and, I thought some
serious cred for ANZSES.
At the subsequent ANZSES conference in
Darwin, I proposed that ANZSES support a
promotional project to install, monitor and
promote the first grid connected PV system
in Australia on an energy efficient building,
and that I would construct the building as
my home. The resolution was unanimously
accepted and I moved forward with the belief
that I could count on ANZSES support.
At that point I called up my brother
who was a stockbroker at the time and
proudly announced that I would be
constructing the first grid connected solar
residential system in Australia.
After a fairly long pause he replied “Pete,
stockbrokers have a saying: first one out of the
foxhole gets shot”.
Forging aheadUndaunted, I proceeded to design the passive
solar and energy efficient building with the help
of some new CAD software at the University of
Queensland and attracted the TVS Partnership
and architect Mark Thomson to the project.
I secured a beautiful sloping block of
land on the northern side of Mt Coolum
on Queensland’s Sunshine Coast, which
proved to be both a blessing and a curse. The
passive solar design included rammed earth
construction, which I had also seen in the US
but which was a centuries old technology. And
I was acquiring other sponsors of products
and services in-line with the project’s goals,
including Pilkington, James Hardie, and Fisher
and Paykel.
I proposed that ANZSES fund the PV system
about $10,000, which would be supplied
from BP Solar, and I would run the project as
a demonstration for two years, after which we
would decide what to do with the system.
Solar power pioneer Peter Fries broke new ground building Solar One, australia’s first residential building to feed power into the grid. The hilly terrain of the Sunshine coast was the setting for the rocky ride.
“I proudly announced [in 1992] that I would be constructing the first grid connected solar residential system in Australia.”
However, one ANZSES branch decided that
it was too early to promote PV and if ANZSES
was going to do so, they should open it up
to tender.
I remember thinking at the time: “So let me
get this straight, I put a project together over
12 months, find sponsor and line up a utility,
and you want me to put it out to tender?”
At this point, I learned another valuable
lesson: in worthwhile projects, help comes
from the most unlikely directions. RF Industries
decided this was a good project and offered
the array to ANZSES for about $2000, at which
point the Chair, Steve Szokolay, decided it was
too good a deal to pass up for ANZSES and
used money from the promotional fund (at the
time) to purchase the system.
The RF industries system included a 1.4 kW
array of Solarex polycrystalline cells – made
up of 14 x 83 watt panels, and the first grid
interactive inverter made by Dale Butler and
Siemens.
Construction time was about six months and
I have to say, without exaggerating, that the
final building was beautiful. You can see some
video at www.solar.org.au
First one out of the foxhole gets shot
Special feature
SolarProgress | 31
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“In the 18 years since the switch was thrown on Solar One, there are now nearly one million solar powered buildings in Australia – a compound annual growth rate of 100%.”
The Project was officially opened by the
Queensland Energy Minister at the time, Tony
O’Grady, on a clear, sunny day in July, 1994.
Sunny outcomeThe results over the two-year demonstration
period were pretty much as expected. 4-6 kWh
per day with about half that fed into the grid.
The house was very energy efficient, however,
and only used about 5 kWh per day – quarter
the Queensland average, mainly through the use
of a Solahart gas-boosted solar water heater,
gas cooking, and high star rated appliances.
Monitoring of the internal temperature found
that the house never went below 16°C and never
went above 26°C – even on the hottest days.
Solar One was a technical success and
received substantial media attention over the
course of the two-year demonstration.
Part of the learning process for the Project
was how to value the electricity and what
type of agreement should be signed. You can
see the original at www.solar.org au At the
end of the first year, I received the first ever
cheque for electricity fed into the grid from a
residential PV system: a princely sum of $7. I
still have the cheque.
Not everyone was impressed, however.
Nearing completion, one of the builders looked
up at the grid PV system. “This will never catch
on,” he scoffed. To be fair, this was two weeks
after his ute had slid down the block because
someone didn’t put the handbrake on. OK, it
was me.
The builder of course, was wrong. Solar PV
has caught on. In the 18 years since the switch
was thrown on Solar One, there are now nearly
one million solar powered buildings in Australia
– a compound annual growth rate of 100%.
That’s how far we’ve come.
Although I sold Solar One in 1997, the
building continues to operate well. The inverter
was replaced after 18 years of service – not bad
for the first such inverter made in Australia.
Seen in this arc of history, Solar One was
a modest effort by a group of curious and
committed people. It wasn’t unique – except
in Australia – and the solar part at least wasn’t
even particularly challenging.
It was however, the proverbial first step on
the bumpy journey to a clean energy economy.
Yet it was a step that had to be taken and I
like to think that it twisted, just a bit, the cork
holding in the Sustainable Energy Genie – who
is now well and truly out and won’t go back in
– unless we let it.
Journalist and filmmaker Peter Fries has been
a solar advocate for more than two decades.
editor's note: Solar One was inspirational,
and while the impact of such developments
are impossible to quantify, the house and the
concept inspired many others to do the same.
32 | ISSUE 1 • 2013
Special feature
What triggered your early interest in energy conservation?
When starting high school, I had a short introduction to renewable
energy (RE), and I became fascinated with the fact that you could produce
electricity from seemingly nothing.
This fuelled an insatiable curiosity about all the different ways energy
could be created – I’m embarrassed to admit I spent more than a few
lunchtimes engrossed in RE books learning how photovoltaics work.
I remember being convinced that geothermal power was the way to go
one month, and another month believing solar and wind were the only
mature technologies able to satisfy our energy demand. A few years later,
public interest in climate change really took off, and this only continued
to fuel my interest in the RE field.
What practical measures have you taken in your life/home to minimise power use or embrace clean energy?
Back when I first became intensely interested in RE and energy efficiency,
I went on an ‘energy crusade’ around our house. I did all the little things
like put in CFLs, add insulation and install motion sensor lights outside,
but I also started a long, arduous campaign to my parents to install a
photovoltaic system.
At the time, the 1.5 kW system I was looking at needed an investment
of around $7000 (with subsidies). Of course, this was a lot of money,
and my parents initially baulked at the cost (even with the comprehensive
payback plan I had outlined). But as the cost of solar fell over the years,
my dream became more likely and early in 2012 we finally installed a 1.5
kW system. It may have something to do with the fact that we signed a
deal with an electricity provider to install the panels for free in return for
50% of the electricity over the next five years …
I also planned a business around auditing people’s homes in my
neighborhood to supply and install various energy and water saving
measures, but I never had time to implement it!
What attracted you to the Renewable Energy engineering degree at UNSW?
After looking at programs in the US and Australia, I was impressed by
the breadth of this degree with courses covering almost all the renewable
technologies, including related areas such as policy, energy efficiency and
low energy buildings. And of course, it’s taught by one of the leading
engineering faculties in Australia.
This degree is enhanced by the concentration of funding and
research at UNSW, and the presence of the ARC Photovoltaics Centre
of Excellence, which holds the world record for the highest efficiency
silicon solar cell.
When Rob Selbie was in his early teens he was advising homeowners about sustainability and suggesting they ditch energy-sapping halogen lights. One decade on he’s one foot taller and still leading the charge. Here we ask the savvy Sydney student to share some of his views and expectations.
Bright spark
Imag
e by
And
rew
Sel
bie
SolarProgress | 33
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Currently the business is run by the 2 principles who are not electricians.
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I’m beginning my third year of this course and really appreciate
studying with so many like-minded people; my fellow renewable energy
engineering students obviously share a passion about the environment
and addressing climate change.
In your opinion is there an ideal mix of renewable energy sources?
I think it’s now obvious that that there is no ‘quick fix’ solution that we
can simply substitute for fossil fuels. I believe that we’ll slowly move to
a solar dominated future, but in the near term wind and biomass will
provide a large part of the push towards renewables. However, with cost
being rapidly removed as a barrier to solar, I believe that ultimately solar
will be the first choice in most applications.
Tell us your thoughts on solar power
Over the first two years of my RE engineering degree, I’ve gained a
comprehensive knowledge of solar power, and how grid-connected
PV has become the overwhelming way to implement solar. Right now,
the solar industry (especially Australia) is in uncertain territory, trying to
establish an equilibrium between supply, demand and subsidies, but I
believe – hope – that we’ll soon be beyond this rough patch, with solar
becoming an increasingly important energy source.
I’m particularly inspired by Beyond Zero Emissions’ ambitious and detailed
plan to transition Australia to 100% renewable energy by 2020, using just
3% of our GDP over the next 10 years. BZE advocates the development of
solar thermal (CST) to provide the majority of the energy needed.
What are your (and your generation’s) expectations for a cleaner, greener future?
My friends [outside university] have an awareness of the current climate
change concerns and in general I’d like to think our generation is past
the debate about the cause and effects of climate change, and actively
exploring ways we can contribute (however little) to a solution.
I think the drive to reduce fossil fuel use will be driven more by
economic benefits rather than solely a desire to improve the quality of
the environment. Conversion to renewable energy provides a long-
term solution, but has long payback times. Increasing energy efficiency
is an under-appreciated way to reduce carbon emissions and fossil
fuel use. Though it’s not as glamorous as renewable energy, in almost
all cases boosting energy efficiency is simpler, cheaper and easier to
implement first, with shorter payback times. Readers will have heard of
Amory Lovins, who’s a big proponent of this in the US.
Rob’s RE focus Rob Selbie is currently entering his third year of a Renewable Energy
Engineering degree at UNSW, where he has been involved as an
executive of the Renewable Energy Society and a representative for
the School of Photovoltaic and Renewable Energy Engineering. Rob
helped create REnaissance, the UNSW newsletter covering the field of
renewable energy.
“Over the first two years of my RE engineering degree, I’ve gained a comprehensive knowledge of solar power, and how grid-connected PV has become the overwhelming way to implement solar.”
Imag
e by
And
rew
Sel
bie
34 | ISSUE 1 • 2013
Award winning solar consultant Nigel Morris presents a colourful look at the solar landscape.
I was recently pondering where the sun might take us this year and
during a poignant moment was reminded of the story of Icarus.
According to Greek mythology, Icarus was so overcome with
the sensation of flying that he ignored the advice of his father – a
master craftsman – flew too close to the sun and suffered the tragic
consequences. In my case, I had to console my heartbroken five-year-old
son who, despite his strap-on angel wings and grim determination to
throw himself off ever higher things, had come to the sad realisation that
he was never going to able to fly. The magic spell was broken.
Right now, the Australian solar industry could perhaps be likened
to Icarus.
We have flown higher than we thought possible, hitting almost
1000MW of annual PV installations in 2012, despite cutbacks in financial
incentives. It’s worth remembering that just three years ago the entire
Australian market was thirteen times smaller at 75MW.
This meteoric rise in deployment has had enormous positive
benefits; new levels of employment, innovative products, reductions
to greenhouse gases, healthy competition, and more. In rough terms,
consumers have invested in excess of $7 billion building “the people’s
power station” and are racking up savings on electricity bills in the order
of $800 million each year.
However, nothing comes without consequence and we are starting to
see the ramifications of such rapid deployment.
We have significant, increasing barriers to connection at the domestic
and commercial level, despite a mountain of effort on policy, legislation
and rules. We have some instances where network feeder penetration is
as high as 69% of peak load and reverse power flow is occurring on some
occasions, which is scaring the pants off some network companies and
in some cases creating serious voltage rise consequences. And we have
significant amounts of PV and other renewables being injected into the
network which has shifted the time of peak demand and reduced the
wholesale cost of electricity, particularly in the case of South Australia.
These issues could well be a sign that we are flying a little too close to
the sun, and like Icarus it could be worthwhile taking heed of the “master
craftsmen”; those with more mature PV markets than us, like Germany.
Germany’s declining wholesale electricity price and monumental PV
contribution (up to 18% of total energy and 50% of total demand on
some occasions) is radically re-shaping the country’s electricity market
and this issue is increasingly being debated around the world because the
ramifications are enormous. Why?
There are many reasons, but the core is this; the traditional
revenue streams (particularly from the provision of peak energy) are
catastrophically affected, an issue that we are starting to see in Australia
too. In simple terms, if the traditional revenue streams for conventional
generators (and network companies and retailers) change dramatically,
their whole world will be shaken to the core; revenue modelling,
investors, shareholders, finance providers - everyone will have to get their
head around a new model. If the time of peak demand continues to
shift, pricing strategies and consumer signals will have to change; and we
haven’t even managed to get Time Of Use widely used in Australia yet.
For solar investors, this is a double whammy because the more we
deploy, the more we potentially reduce wholesale costs and the more that
happens, the less we are likely to get for the energy we produce. We may
be flapping our way to the sun.
These matters are just a tiny sample of the myriad of implications and
issues that the solar industry and the electricity industry are going to have
to grapple with in the coming years and the solar juggernaut doesn’t
seem to be slowing down. Much. At all.
We truly are looking down the barrel of an energy revolution.
Nigel Morris is director of consultancy Solar Business Services
www.solarbusiness.com.au
australian solar and the Icarus syndrome
News and views
SolarProgress | 35
The pioneering years of solar energy research at The Australian National University 1970-2005, by Robin Tennant-Wood. Book review by Bill Parker
Following the sun
To embark on a major research and
development project in solar energy in a
location described as “diabolical” sounds
daunting. In this case, the location of White
Cliffs in New South Wales - 1100 kilometres
from home base with poor connecting roads
and a temperature regime that is the subject
of record books - was to be the birthplace of a
“simple” solar technology.
Robin Tennant–Wood begins his narrative
on the pioneering years of solar energy at the
Australian National University by presenting
a snapshot of the political world of Canberra
and the ANU and the physical environment of
White Cliffs.
I would suggest readers visit Google Earth to
gain an impression of the “Martian” landscape
of opal mining and the curious V-shaped dish
array at the town’s southern edge. Then reflect
on the determination and dedication of a small
group solar engineers and scientists who built,
arguably, the world’s first solar power station.
A benchmark indeed.
There was widespread interest in solar
energy during the early 1970s with an oil
crisis affecting the Western world, and
therefore its politicians. White Cliffs was
built for an unprecedented $800,000 which
in today’s costs would be about $3 million.
Also the ANU took the unprecedented step
of forming ANUTECH, a P/L company, to
manage the project.
The driver of the White Cliffs solar dish
project was Emeritus Professor Stephen
Kaneff with a support team consisting of
Robert Whelan, Keith Thomas, Peter Cantor
and Peter Carden. This group, while being
the core of the White Cliffs project were
more than that and became the “agenda
setters”, as Tennant–Woods puts it, for the
development of solar energy research in
a society that was still pro–nuclear. The
elements of future research were established.
Decommissioned in 1994, the White Cliffs
solar power station is listed as a national
engineering heritage site.
Neither Kaneff nor Carden were in favour
of nuclear energy. And the research and
policy background then was espousing the
safety, potential success and low cost of
nuclear fusion.
Here, the author paints a realistic picture of
the way in which the funding cake was divided
up, and the need for the external funding. The
attitude then was that solar was trivial, but that
without White Cliffs, solar research at ANU may
not have achieved what it has.
The pathway that the various entities at ANU
took as more and more milestones in solar
thermal work were achieved is recorded by
Robin Tennant–Wood with detail that shows
how decisions were made at ANU. It is a
surprising story which makes the book worth
reading in its own right. From the early days at
White Cliffs to the commissioning of the 400m2
“big” dish and later an adjacent 500m2 dish
the path was not smooth, indeed it could be
described as hostile.
PV work at ANU followed a different
evolutionary pathway. Commencing in 1991,
the group led by Andrew Blakers was, and is, a
university entity. The focus was diverse allowing
for a continuum if one avenue of investigation
had problems. By 1997, there was a marriage
of PV and solar thermal and the outcomes have
been significant.
Two other notable figures in Australia
solar research, Martin Green and David Mills,
both emerged on the Australian research
landscape at about the same time. The nexus
of Australia’s solar research was formed
by ANU, UNSW and Sydney University. The
origins were different of course with (for
example) the thermal work of Roger Morse at
CSIRO, and herein also lies the origin of the
Australian and New Zealand Solar
Energy Society.
Externally, Solahart was contributing
to research in solar thermal and Telecom
Australia was involved in PV. And here again
were the connections between commercial
outcomes and research. ANZSES, as was, held
a dual role of part industry association and
part scientific forum.
At least funds were on offer both from
overseas and from the Federal government.
Even so, the image of the British academic with
his trousers secured at the bottom with string
(to prevent cold air access) came to mind as I
read the comments of David Mills as to how
things were done on the cheap in Australia.
Tennant–Wood has left no stone unturned,
covering every aspect of the way we have
used our ingenuity to harness solar heat
and light. John Ballinger’s solar village at
Bonnyrigg for example, using far less energy
“purchased” energy when compared to a
control group of houses. The Solar Energy
Information Centre in Sydney showing the
practical value of solar energy.
Politics plays a crucial role and the legacies of
governments are here in forensic detail.
This is an important book. Every high school
should make this mandatory reading.
ISBN 9781922144126
(Print version) $19.95 (GST inclusive)
ISBN 9781922144133 (Online)
Published October 2012
Citation url: http://epress.anu.edu.au?p=204181
Book Review
36 | ISSUE 1 • 2013
which students learn how to design, perform
and evaluate their own investigations of solar
panels, wind turbines, and so on.
After trialling ideas in a small number of
schools across Australia in 2008 and 2009,
resource materials, including specially designed
robust, accurate and reliable equipment, were
developed and trialled in over 180 schools
in 2010, with the aid of Federal Government
funding. Teachers were required to participate
in the STELR professional learning program as a
condition of acceptance.
The Science and Technology Education Leveraging Relevance Project is a national secondary school science education initiative aimed at nurturing students’ interest and participation in innovation with an emphasis on sustainability.By STELR Curriculum Coordinator Jenny Sharwood
The stElr project
Today more than 300 schools across Australia
are involved in the STELR Project. There is an
excited buzz in participating classrooms, with
students experimenting and negotiating the
solutions to real-life practical problems.
Students undertake group research projects
on a wide range of energy resources then
share their findings with the rest of the class.
This includes investigating how their chosen
energy resource works, how it contributes to
Australia’s energy needs, its advantages and
disadvantages, its likely future and possible
Special Feature
Imagine entering a Year 9 Science classroom
in which students are so engrossed in their
experiments that they barely notice your arrival.
Some groups of students might be measuring
the effect of tilt angle on the power delivered
by their model solar panel. Others may be
debating how best to simulate cloud cover to
test its effect, or starting to design their model
solar-powered cars.
These and other challenging activities
are the culmination of the innovative STELR
program on global warming and energy, in
SolarProgress | 37
careers and the training required. Many schools
include site tours as part of their program.
Making an extraordinary difference in science teaching
Why does the STELR Project make such an
extraordinary difference to the way science
classes work?
The STELR Project is an initiative of the
Australian Academy of Technological Sciences
and Engineering, whose eminent scientists,
inventors, technologists and engineers, were
concerned about the decreasing enrolment rates
of Australian students in the enabling sciences
and mathematics in their senior school years. They
strongly believe that if Australia is to continue to
be a vital, innovative, sustainable and productive
society in the future, then we must all nurture
our young people and ensure that we will have
enough scientists, inventors, technologists and
engineers to carry us into the future.
Research reveals that students are most
actively engaged in their learning when they
see it is relevant to their lives. Recent research
showed that global warming is of great
concern to many Australian students. It is
important that students are hopeful about
their future and feel that they can make a real
contribution to solving this problem. For this
reason the STELR program focuses on one of
the most constructive ways to mitigate global
warming – the development of renewable
energy resources.
If we are to prepare students to be our
constructive thinkers and doers of the future,
they need to learn how to critically examine
important issues, use their own initiative and
creativity, solve challenging problems, perform
and evaluate objective investigations (including
ones they have designed themselves), conduct
research, draw evidence-based conclusions, work
collaboratively and communicate effectively.
To ensure that all students have these
opportunities, the STELR program is required
to be part of the school curriculum, and not
just used as an extension opportunity for a few
select students.
Not just for high schoolLecturers in many university schools of education
now use STELR activities to train pre-service
teachers, particularly as the program models the
teaching and learning approach specified in the
Australian Science Curriculum. Teachers at STELR
schools are also reporting a significant increase
in numbers of students studying the enabling
sciences and mathematics at the senior level.
Our STELR school numbers are growing and
we are developing other programs for Years
7 -10 that are based on this very successful
model. This will require considerable funding
support as well as expert advice.
If you would like to support this work in some
way, please visit website: www.stelr.org or
contact the Project Manager Peter Pentland at:
“Students undertake group research projects on a wide range of energy resources then share their findings with the rest of the class.”
38 | ISSUE 1 • 2013
News and views
In the backlash against rising electricity
prices, renewable energy has often
been singled out as the convenient
scapegoat, particularly by a conventional
power industry keen to protect their
economic position.
While the industry is entitled to their
opinions, they are not entitled to their own
facts, which are anything but supportive.
While the spotlight has been rightly applied
to infrastructure ‘gold plating’, the real
elephant in the room is the corporate
welfare doled out to already profitable
sectors. Queensland is a prime example.
The coal and gas industries in the highly
ironic Sunshine State are rapidly expanding
under archaic laws that give mining
right of way over other land uses. Their
development has not only faced far fewer
restrictions but these mature industries
have been greatly subsidised.
In his review of energy policy in
Queensland, Clean Energy Pathways, energy
systems expert, Trevor Berrill, has identified
State subsidies to the coal and gas industry
of at least $6.9 billion over the past five
years, including hundreds of millions
of dollars for the development of the
oxymoronic ‘clean coal’. Another $13 billion
is to be spent on infrastructure to support
the industry in the next 20 years.
By contrast, renewable energy and
energy efficiency industries have received
about $900 million in the same period. The
industry, however, still faces many barriers
such as access to land for large-scale wind
and solar thermal electricity projects, none
of which are yet ‘off the ground’.
Fossil Foolsin the Sunshine State
Land of sunshine? Peter Fries sums up the numbers only to find things don’t quite stack up.
“If you are in a fossil fuel hole and you want to get out, the first thing to do is stop digging.”
SolarProgress | 39
Digging ever deeperLook deeper into the data and Queensland is
just the tip of the fossil fuel subsidy iceberg.
In 2011, total fossil fuel subsidies by the
Australian government were calculated by
the Grattan Institute to be $12.2 billion. This
compared to just $1.1 billion spent on climate
policies, including support for renewable
energy in 2010–11. In the previous three year
period, fossil fuel subsidies also outpaced
funding for government climate change
initiatives by $1 billion.
When federal and state subsidies are
combined with the cost of pollution, every
Queensland home is paying $3475 per year to
use fossil fuels. That is not a misprint. The figure
includes Queensland Government subsidies of
$1.42 billion per year ($750 per home), federal
government subsidies of $10 billion per year
($1250 per home) and the $6 billion pollution
cost of burning coal and gas ($3150 per home).
Even if the pollution cost is reduced by a
factor of 4, the cost to support a profitable and
highly polluting industry is more than $2000
per year per home.
Compare this to the cost of renewable energy
support nationally at $100-200 per year per
home and the Queensland solar feed in tariff
that adds $54 per home by 2014.15, according
the State Energy and Water Supply Minister.
Hon. Mark McArdle.
The power of oneThe solar feed in tariff, however, has helped
create a highly successful solar PV industry in
the 18 years after Solar One on the Sunshine
Coast became the first rooftop solar PV system
connected to a power grid. Queensland now
boasts 250,000 solar homes and there are
nearly one million nationally – a 100% annual
growth rate that has created a real industry
sector with thousands of clean energy jobs.
The renewable energy support, however,
does not factor in a number of benefits that
electricity distributors are now starting to
realise. In his analysis of electricity demand from
2008 and 2012, John Davidson calculates that
the solar PV installed in Queensland is actually
saving households without solar $56 a year.
This is consistent with comments made
by Energex’s Mike Swanston on ABC radio
after the temperature hit the high 30s in
Queensland. The 500 megawatts of rooftop
solar was, he said, “… making a big difference
in reducing the peak demand across south-
east Queensland.” Peak demand power is
the most expensive power to generate. With
the generation cost of roof-top solar now at
grid parity with domestic retail prices, solar is
cheaper than gas generation to offset summer
peak demand.
Coal and gas industries have a rightful
competitive and unsubsidised place in the
market, but let’s stop the fossil fooling that
masquerades as real competition.
Our children will look back and wonder how
such bipolar insanity could pass as intelligent
policy. To paraphrase the Irish Proverb: if you
are in a fossil fuel hole and you want to get out,
the first thing to do is stop digging. Literally.
By removing subsidies and making prices tell
the environmental truth, we can move steadily
to a clean energy economy while contributing
to climate change efforts internationally. That’s
a win-win for us… and our kids.
Peter Fries is an environmental journalist and
filmmaker. In 1994, he coordinated the Solar
One Project, the first rooftop solar PV system
connected to a state power grid.
This article first appeared in e-newsletter Renew
Economy in January 2013 and is reproduced
with kind permission of the author.
“In 2011, total fossil fuel subsidies by the Australian government were calculated … to be $12.2 billion … compared to just $1.1 billion spent on climate policies, including support for renewable energy in 2010–11.”
40 | ISSUE 1 • 2013
Notes from a small island by rob McGregor, Kerry and anne watson
The first meeting of the Tasmanian branch of ISES (later AuSES, now
ASC) was held on December 6, 1982. Eighteen months later, the branch
held the inaugural Solar House Tour. The ambitious mid-winter tour
inspired by the residence constructed by the astrophysicist Grote Reber
in the small Tasmanian highland village of Bothwell (now publicised as
the home of golf in Australia), about 80 kilometres from Hobart.
Grote Reber was the father of radio astronomy, and being an
impatient sort of person decided not to wait a lifetime in the USA for a
large grant to build a radio telescope. Instead, he migrated to Tasmania
where he could interrogate that part of the universe that interested
him and built his own telescopes. These early radio telescopes looked
like hop farms, with a matrix of posts and wires, and were scattered
throughout the Midlands as well as beside Hobart Airport during the
‘60s, ‘70s and ‘80s.
By the ‘80s Grote had retired and being a physicist, he worked
from first principles and built himself a solar heated home and an
electric car. A museum commemorating his life and achievements has
been established at the Mt Pleasant radio telescope near Richmond in
Tasmania.
The 1983 tour started with a visit to the Bignell house, designed by
architect Jim Moon, which was an active solar heated house with a
roof collector and underfloor rock store, which the tour group of about
20 members and friends really appreciated as a respite from the crisp
Bothwell weather. In typical Tasmanian fashion, we had a barbecue
lunch at the c.1830 Thorpe Mill, which was originally powered by an
overshot water wheel driven by the Clyde River (real ‘solar power’ for
the miller) and then being restored by the Bignell family.
By Noel Barton, president of NSw Branch of australian Solar Council
The NSW Branch of ASC runs a
regular Information Evening on the
fourth Tuesday of each month. As
well as a senior speaker, we usually
have a Future Directions segment.
In this, we normally invite a younger
person working in the CleanTech
industry to provide a 10-minute
outline of their career outlining their motivations, aspirations and the
challenges. This is useful all round – the young people are a breath of
fresh air for our older members, and in return they get the chance for
some public speaking practice and recognition. The Future Directions
program is coordinated by Committee Member Mary Hendriks, who I
understand has encouraged other branches to adopt a similar feature.
Our Future Directions speaker for November was Naghmeh Navidi
who came to Australia from Iran three and a half years ago. Her
undergraduate degree is in Electrical Engineering from Iran and she has
completed two Masters here in Australia – Engineering Management
(University of Newcastle) and Photovoltaic and Solar Energy (UNSW).
Naghmeh currently works in Neolec, a wholesaler in solar industry, as
Product Designer and she is also doing some small solar design.
Tasmania’s inaugural australian Solar house tour branch
NSW branch
ASC around the nationThe tour concluded with a visit to the Reber residence. The design
was for an active heating system. The north wall was a hermetically-
sealed double glazed air collector, with crimped and dimpled selective
surface air channels behind the glass, connected to an under-floor
rock store, which distributed heat through a floor and wall plenum
air-handling system. However, as with many owner-builders, the project
was incomplete, and the air-handling unit was displayed on stools
in the rather chilly loungeroom. Grote demonstrated his innovative
solutions for shading to the west and for controlling air temperature in
the glazed northern wall.
This first tour began a tradition for the branch, which has held highly
popular annual or biannual solar house tours for the last 30 years.
Bignell house in Bothwell
Tasmania state conferenceThe ASC’s Tasmanian Branch is hosting a state conference on Buildings for Climate Change from Friday 5 July to Saturday July 6, 2013. The sessions are as follows: Energy and Buildings, Water and Buildings, Building Materials, and Climate Change and Buildings. Papers can be refereed if submitted beforehand. It is expected the emphasis will be on cool temperate climates and on the residential and small commercial sector.
Details will be placed on the web as they become available, meanwhile email [email protected]
Naghmeh Navidi (left) with Mary Hendriks at the November meeting
SolarProgress | 41
An off-grid solar energy system to power the Hell’s Point Explosive
Ordnance Disposal (EOD) Training and Operations Centre located in
Honiara, Solomon Islands was commissioned late last year.
Working with local Solomon Islands contractor Willies Electrical and
Solar Power, the Remote Area Power System (RAPS) harnesses solar energy
to support the newly constructed EOD training facility.
Hell's Point system configuration:The solar solution includes a 17.1 kW PV array of Hyundai Heavy
Industries monocrystalline 225 W PV roof-mounted panels, and SMA PV
and Off-Grid inverters/chargers.
Energy storage and backup power is handled through a bank of
flooded lead acid batteries that are automatically recharged by excess
system energy with a capacity of nearly 150 kWh. An 11 kVA diesel
generator set with automatic remote start-up function provides extra
backup protection in the event of poor weather."
The RAPS also includes a computerised monitoring system, the SMA
Sunny Webbox, which sports remote monitoring and configuration
capability that allows anyone – whether in the Solomon Islands, Australia,
or the US – to access real-time energy production and other data via a
computer or cell phone. The system stores inverter measured values via
Bluetooth or RS485 and uploads this online to the Sunny Portal server.
With around-the-clock data it can detect faults from the inverter and
despatch emails via the Sunny Portal. Parameters can be changed and a
variety of measured values can be depicted, analysed and downloaded via
a web browser.
By using solar energy rather than fossil fuel, the training facility will trim
its energy bill and reduce maintenance needs while reducing noise levels and
lowering greenhouse gas emissions, explained David Iro, owner of Willies
Electrical and Solar Power. “Also, by working with the US Government to
provide training to local contractors, we are building community job capacity
while ensuring that the system is properly supported and maintained.”
Australian-owned Solar Inception designed the RAPS, supplied high
quality solar equipment and helped install and commission the system.
Solar Inception General Manager Doug Fletcher said the local climate
was ideal for harnessing the power of the sun, and job opportunities are
boosted with more renewable energy systems being installed.
Multi-National Cooperation, FinancingThe Hell’s Point Explosive Ordnance Disposal site is a joint project
between the Royal Solomon Islands Police Force (RSIPF), Australian High
Commission and the United States Government. The site ensures safe
storage and disposal of unexploded ordnance from the Second World
War, when the area was used to stockpile dangerous munitions.
Construction of the new Training and Operations facility, which opened
in June 2012, was funded by the Australian Defence Cooperation Program
(DCP) as part of its financial commitment to the RSIPF Explosive Ordnance
Disposal Program at Hell’s Point. The DCP invested over $3.5 million Solomon
Island Dollars – approximately AUD $471,000 - in the Financial Year ended 30
June 2012. Other improvements included all new roads and demolition pits,
world-class EOD render safe equipment and personal protective equipment.
Through the DCP program, the US has also contributed more than US $1
million to the EOD project, and will be actively involved with Willies Electrical
and Solar Power in training local workers to support the new solar RAPS.
The power of the Solomons
The low-down of the Solomons
The Solomon Islands (capital Honiara) consist of nearly one thousand islands covering an area of around 28,400 square kilometres east of Papua New Guinea.
Its history dates back to 30,000 BC with the arrival of Papuan-speaking settlers, followed in 4000 BC by Austronesian speakers (travelling in their distinctive outrigger canoes). Sometime during 1200 and 800 BC the Lapita people – ancestors of the Polynesians – arrived from the Bismarck Archipelago.
The Islands were named Islas Salomón in 1568 on the arrival of Spanish navigator Álvaro de Mendaña, the first known European visitor. The UK established the islands as a protectorate in 1893. During WWII the Solomon Islands was the scene of fierce fighting between US and Japanese troops. Self-government was achieved in 1976 and independence two years later, with Queen Elizabeth II as head of state.
Main image (top): Completed 17.1 kWp rooftop solar array at Hell’s Point Explosive Ordnance Disposal Training and Operations CentreBelow: From left – David Iro Fulaga (Willies Electrical and Solar Power), Mark Lasley (US Department of State), Warrant Officer Tim Chislett (Australian High Commission), and Jeremy Tranter (Solar Inception).
42 | ISSUE 1 • 2013
A round-up of who is doing what in the world of solar energy
Grid connect solar with storage Rarely a day goes by without mention of renewable energy’s potential in
the market place and inevitably mentioning energy storage. The proposed
financial and structural value that energy storage will undoubtedly
contribute as a support mechanism for all aspects of electricity supply.
However, the viable applications of storage technology are not clear as
technologies are still work in progress.
It is obvious that energy storage has enormous potential in the
electricity industry and the development of suitable products is the
industry’s holy grail. The rollout of smart grid technology worldwide is
predicating its long-term success and the inclusion of energy storage as
integral.
The various roles of energy storage are (i) a support mechanism for
electricity networks; (ii) a way to improve grid stability in the framework
of increased renewable energy grid penetration; (iii) a contributing factor
to provide more reliable remote power needs; and (iv) to provide ways to
better meet residential and commercial customers’ needs.
Figure 1 Total Forecast Commercial Market for Energy Storage in Australia to 2030 (Source: Energy Storage in Australia, Marchment Hill Consulting, 2012.
There are many reasons that an energy storage system might be added
to a grid-connected solar system. The most common are:
• toprovidebackupforloadscontinuousgridsupportintheeventof
blackouts or brown-outs; and
• toreducepowerbills,wherethecustomerstoresenergyfromtheir
solar PV system during low tariff times, and uses that stored energy
during peak pricing time.
Many inverters on the Australian market allow PV modules to be
connected to the grid and battery storage to be interconnected. If an existing
grid-connected PV system has battery-backup added, there are variations of
products to use, such as the SMA Sunny Backup and Sunny Island.
During significant disruptions, such as brown out or grid failure, the
inverter disconnects from the grid and the energy storage system uses the
DC power inverted from the solar/battery bank to run the designated or
required AC loads.
For domestic and small commercial systems there are five possible system
configurations for grid connected PV systems incorporating battery storage:
1. A single unit acting as both Inverter and Charger, charging the
batteries from the PV and/or grid.
2. The Solar Controller and Inverter are two separate units.
3. Two Inverters(1): (i) for connecting the PV to the grid; and (ii) for
connecting the batteries to the loads. The batteries are charged via grid
and have an interconnecting switch to allow PV to charge batteries.
4. Two Inverters(2): (i) for connecting the PV to grid; and (ii) for connecting
the batteries to the loads and the batteries are being charged via grid.
The grid connect inverter is connected directly to the grid.
5. Two Inverters(3): (i) for connecting PV to grid; and (ii) for connecting
the batteries to the loads and the batteries are being charged via the
grid. The grid connect inverter is connected directly to the loads. This
is shown in Figure 2.
Figure 2 (i) system for connecting PV to grid; and (ii) for connecting the batteries to the loads with batteries being charged via the grid. The grid connect inverter is connected directly to the loads.
GSES is offering a Professional Development course on this topic and a
supporting publication ‘Grid Connected Solar with Batteries’.
article written by Susan neill of gSeS. For more information: www.gses.com.au
Solar products services
SolarProgress | 43
SMA Marketing Manager Anna Brazil quizzed SMA’s Marko Werner on market dynamics and their impact on inverter supplies.
Having joined SMA in 1987, Marko Werner has witnessed the growth of a
small sales department to a global sales organisation. This global context
has opened up endless opportunities for SMA, but it has its challenges.
What are your FeelingS on the auStralian marKet?
The Australian market is very important to SMA, which has had a
presence in Australia since the 1990s. Our Australian subsidiary was
established in Sydney in 2007, and I have seen it go from strength to
strength, building a loyal customer base through our valued distributors.
Not only were the Sydney Olympics a milestone for Australia, they
were also a great milestone for SMA, and for me. I have watched the
Australian market’s ups and downs since then, and seen the public
perception of PV evolve. Regardless of changing government incentives,
Australia is a fortunate country with high levels of solar irradiation.
Holistic energy management is the key to continued success and I can see
subsidies becoming irrelevant for Australia.
Why doeS it taKe Sma in germany So long to SuPPly StocK to auStralia?
I understand the concerns of our customers … the sheer distance creates a
disadvantage for Australia; sea freight can take a long time and it is neither
financially economical nor environmentally friendly to rely on air freight.
SMA operates a just-in-time manufacturing model that provides
customers with the most up-to-date versions of products while reducing
costs due to waste. This model has proven effective for the rest of the
world but unfortunately it takes a while to get stock to Australia. We have
recently introduced a bonded warehouse in Australia to provide a buffer,
and Australian customers will benefit from this.
Early in 2012 increased demand from German and British markets
stemmed from subsidies in both countries changing, with solar
professionals in a race against time to install systems before the
deadlines. As a result, these markets were prioritised and this caused
supply problems in Australia which is regretted.
This inconvenience happens in all solar PV markets – the change to
Queensland’s feed-in tariff is a prime example.
Why doeS the auStralian marKet oFten receiVe neW ProductS later than the reSt oF the World?
The geographical distance plays a part in this. Once a product has been
developed in Germany, it is usually a straight-forward process to make
it available within Europe. Variations in requirements are usually easily
remedied.
Australia’s grid requirements differ from the requirements in Europe
and also vary within Australia. These are factored into our product
development process but we need to be certain that these products will
pass certification in Australia before we start shipping them. I would
prefer for a product to be delivered later than expected than for SMA to
release a product that we are not fully sure of.
Our research and development team is in Germany so it makes sense
to try new products in the European market first, where engineers at
company headquarters are better placed to offer support.
What are Sma’S Future PlanS For auStralia?
During 2011, over 50% of SMA’s sales took place in foreign markets and
the Australian market made up a significant proportion of this. I have
witnessed the Australian market’s strong performance and can see more
growth potential …Australia has the potential to be one of the top five
PV markets for SMA.
The country is going through a transformation. Self-generated PV
current is already more cost-effective than relying on a conventional
energy suppliers and I receive regular feedback on rising energy costs.
Homeowners are beginning to realise the benefits of energy management
systems and will look to increase self-consumption. I also see a shift
towards large scale solar in Australia.
The Australian market is enormously important to SMA and I look
forward to embarking on this evolutionary adventure with Australia and
its neighbouring countries.
www.Sma-australia.com.au
sMA servicing Australia
Marko Werner who is Chief Sales and Marketing Officer at SMA understands the complications of operating in a global context
The Sydney Olympics stadium at Homebush
44 | ISSUE 1 • 2013
Solar products services
solarClips – Cable management made easy With tighter standards and a more competitive market for PV,
installers, designers and retailers have to find ways to save on labour
costs to maintain profit margins. Cable management behind the solar
modules, is often problematic.
For those that have made the decision to switch from the old cable
tie to SolarClips, they are off the roof faster, leaving the system with
the knowledge they are using a quality product for their customers.
Matthew Spargo said “We had been using the clips in our solar
installation business for quite some time, at least a year before
the standards changed. As a small operator they got me off the
roof faster. We launched www.solarclips.com.au and received our
first bulk shipment over a year ago, and to our surprise we ran out
within weeks.
“We have received great feedback mainly about the design and
strength of the clips. Now with over three million clips in use across
Australia the product has proven itself as a preferred solution to PV
cable management.”
Visit our website and watch the video demonstrating ease of
use. The clips can be purchased directly from the site using Paypal’s
secured checkouts.
We already supply a number of wholesalers around the country
with our clips so if you represent a wholesaler or a large project
contractor please contact us directly by email.
www.solarclips.com.au
Aussie Wide Solar We all know evacuated tubes provide a much higher performance than
older flatplate collectors, especially in colder locations and seasons,
but now there is a new system on the market that offers an even more
effective evacuated tube system. By combining evacuated tubes and
u-pipe water flow with a parabolic reflector, you can generate both
high performance and high efficiency, using 100% of the sunlight
striking the area.
This evacuated tube SHWS from Sunshower Australia is brand new to
the Australian market. It combines the latest innovations and technology,
including purpose designed storage tanks to maximize the performance,
which come in three sizes, 250, 315 and 400 litre. But it’s the collectors
where the Sunshower system really shines.
The CPC (Compound Parabolic Concentrators) collectors have a profiled
reflector behind the tubes that angles the light towards the tubes no
matter what time of day it is, soaking up the maximum solar gain for the
available roof space. As there is no heat exchange manifold in the header
there is no subsequent loss of heat. While a single CPC collector system
will generate 29 STCs in zone 3, a twin collector system will generate a
massive 48 STCs for the installer. The twin collector system combined
with a 400 litre tank will generate an estimated 85% in energy savings.
Other advantages include preassembled collectors, eliminating
assembly while on the roof. The collector can be mounted at any angle
from 5–90 degrees for a wide range of installation options. The storage
tanks simply swap like-for-like with the existing, minimising new plumbing
work. The Australian manufactured controller is simple to connect, and
only needs to be switched on to self–commission.
The entire system has been approved by Watermark, Australian
Standards and the Clean Energy Regulator. The company offers a
standard seven year guarantee on both the solar collector and storage
tank. Designed by Australians for Australians, it uses components from
Germany, China and Australia. Assembled and installed in Australia,
Sunshower is Australian owned and based in Newcastle.
Ph: 1300 287 765Fax: 4960 8880www.aussiewidesolar.com.au
46 | ISSUE 1 • 2013
Solar products services
solarMax “maximised” for Australia Swiss company Sputnik Engineering
manufactures grid-connected solar
inverters sold under the name SolarMax.
Products include PV plants on single-family
homes to megawatt solar power plants,
communication and monitoring solutions,
and software tools.
Having already implemented a number
of successful projects in Australia, the
company opened a new branch office in Sydney in October 2012.
Gavin Merchant, Key Account Manager Australia said: “The Australian
market has a huge growth potential … the current share of renewable
energies in the energy mix is a mere nine percent [and] we want to
contribute in the development of RE … first and foremost in the field of
small PV plants.”
He is responsible for promoting the collaboration with local installers
and dealers and increasing sales of SolarMax products, with an
immediate focus on the residential and commercial area using SolarMax
string inverters which can be used indoors or outdoors and record high
efficiency of up to 98%.
www.solarmax.com Phone: 02 8867 3168.
regen Power’s Acquasmart: Solar powered drinking water for remote communities It is estimated that more than 60% of the population in remote areas is
either without clean drinking water or has inadequate access. Water is
drunk directly from rivers and streams, or is collected and boiled, which
can be time consuming and damaging to the environment. In developing
countries, microorganisms cause 2.5 million deaths each year.
Clean drinking water is a basic human need, and its availability is a critical
factor for reducing water borne diseases. Water used for drinking should be
treated and disinfected before consumption, and should be professionally
tested for quality as there may be concentrations of naturally occurring
elements which exceed health criteria.
To that end, Regen Power has developed AcquaSmart , the automatic
drinking water treatment plant to purify surface water from sources such
as rivers, ponds, streams, canals and lakes, and sub-surface water into
drinkable water.
The system combines HybridGen – Regen’s award winning (patent
pending) variable speed diesel generator with solar panels and wind
generators. The main features of the fully automatic system include modern
water treatment components - source water pumping, quartz filter, carbon
filter reverse osmosis plant, ultraviolet (UV) light steriliser, Ozone and ozone
sterilization; Real-time monitoring; powered by a fully integrated innovative
solar /wind/diesel hybrid power plant. The plant is mounted on a mobile
trailer.
AcquaSmart water treatment plant is a must for remote villages with
difficult access, where piped drinking water systems will not be established
in the foreseeable future. Also, for villages with dispersed households
spread over difficult terrain, where piped systems are expensive to establish
and maintain; or those without central grid electricity.
The system’s fresh drinking water meets World Health Organisation
(WHO) standards.
www.regenpower.com Phone: 1300 876 354
The Australian Solar Council’s flagship publication Solar ProgressSpread the word about YOUR business
As the official journal of the Australian Solar
Council, Solar Progress continues to represent
the broad interests of Australia’s solar industry,
covering solar energy initiatives, groundbreaking
advances and market dynamics presented by
solar scientists, consultants and reporters.
More and more solar professionals are turning
to Solar Progress as the definitive source of
industry information.
The magazine is circulated to 5000 people
across Australia with a stake in solar energy:
researchers, engineers, renewable energy
consultants, training organisations, solar installers
and architects, officers in state and federal
government, students, and the general public.
Solar Progress is distributed at solar conferences
and presented to prominent overseas solar
specialists during overseas delegations.
Establish your presence in the solar energy
industry by promoting your goods or services to
the wider solar community.
Contact Brian Rault [email protected] or 03 8534 5014 to secure your advertising presence
Issues each year 4
Read byup to 18,000
Circulatedto 5000solar
specialists
Did you know? By advertising in Solar Progress you are reaching key
decision makers across the full spectrum of Australia’s solar energy industry.
solPac – Cost-saving-in-a-box for national solar professionals You’re on a client’s roof for what should be a fast solar
install when you realise you’re low on DC cable or missing an
adaptor. Instead of moving to your next job, you’re on the
phone trying to locate the nearest electrical wholesaler and
watching your margins slip …
Enter SolPac, designed by electricians for electricians,
SolPac cost-effectively delivers all solar components necessary
to complete any installation in one convenient box.
SolPac was established by Australian owner-operators David
Rogers and Scott Ferguson, who spent eight years working
with True Value Solar. They have completed more than
20,000 solar installations with over 180,000 solar panels.
SolPac is the all-in-one pre-packaged solution to get
installations competed fast – simply arrive, grab your
SolPac, and start installing. Each SolPac is universally
tailored for all inverter and system sizes nationally,
including everything needed to get the job done and to
keep installing more systems.
CEO David Rogers says, “It is all about efficiency and
bottom line. After doing so many installs and seeing how
much productivity we lost when sourcing materials we could
see this was something the industry needed. We started by
pre-preparing packages for ourselves and decided to bring that
advantage to the industry at large.”
SolPac Director Scott Ferguson added: “Solar retailers need
to keep costs down but it’s also imperative to stay ahead of
changes. SolPac delivers quality at a premium, while not just
meeting but exceeding industry standards.”
Each SolPac includes: European 1000V 32amp DC Isolators
(ESV 130037, IEC 60947-1); AC Circuit Breakers; Sheathed
corrugated conduit; Single TUV Cable; Corrugated adaptors;
W/P AC Isolator; Nylon gland; DEK Tights; Label pack, lock dog
and more.
Label packs and components are region-specific, and all
SolPac products conform to current and forthcoming industry
AS5033 and AS3000 regulations. SolPac dispatches within
24 hours and guarantees their packs are cheaper than DIY
sourcing. Time is money, so why waste both sourcing materials?
Before you do another solar installation, contact SolPac.
www.solpac.com.au 13a ceylon St, nunawading Vic. Phone (03) 9877 0905
Advertisers’ IndexBlue Sun Group 25Bosch 3EnaSolar Ltd 15Enphase Energy 5Global Sustainable Energy Solutions Pty Ltd 31Goodwe Power Supply Technology 17Infinity Solar 45Power Pioneer Group 10Regen Power Pty Ltd 29SI Clean Energy Inside back coverSMA Australia Pty. Ltd Outside back coverSolar Inception 23SolarClips 44SOLCO Inside front coverSolpac Solutions 11Sustainable Living & Lighting 33Trina Solar Ltd 7True Value Solar 13
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THE ONLY POWER-ONE AUTHORISED AUSTRALIAN SERVICE AND REPAIR CENTRE
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Solar Progress-March.indd 1 5/02/13 12:31 PM
ASC Corporate Members Issue 1- 2013
THE ONLY POWER-ONE AUTHORISED AUSTRALIAN SERVICE AND REPAIR CENTRE
REDUCE YOUR OVERHEADSPurchase your products from the only
supplier that can give you real time assistance on the job with back up support, service and
warranty repairs
Products ~ Engineering ~ Support
1300 767 761 [email protected]
Solar Progress-March.indd 1 5/02/13 12:31 PM
SMA SUNNY DESIGN WEBSimple plant design for Mac, iPad, PC and tablet users
“With Sunny Design, the world’s leading inverter manufacturer SMA sets the bar high,” - Photon Magazine, October 2012.
SMA-Australia.com.au1800 SMA AUS
www.SunnyDesignWeb.com