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While these days I mainly focus on the bigger end of the energy transition (700% #renewables), for more than a decade I worked on community renewables and #solarforall. Given the @abc730 story last night on solar export charges I thought I would share a few facts...
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Australia leads the world in rooftop solar uptake, with more than 1 in 5 households having solar on their roof. This is something to be proud of.
Rooftop solar has both helped drive emissions reduction in the power sector AND lowered power bills for us all.
It does so in a number of ways, but particularly by reducing peak demand - the most expensive times for generating and distributing electricity https://reneweconomy.com.au/how-rooftop-solar-is-saving-billions-on-energy-bills-for-all-consumers-56676/
It does so in a number of ways, but particularly by reducing peak demand - the most expensive times for generating and distributing electricity https://reneweconomy.com.au/how-rooftop-solar-is-saving-billions-on-energy-bills-for-all-consumers-56676/
As a renter who lives in an apartment I am keenly aware that not all Australians can currently directly benefit from rooftop solar (though we all indirectly benefit - see previous tweet ). Indeed ~40% of Australian households are currently "locked out" of solar.
BUT...
BUT...
There are two possible responses to this fact.
The first - penalise existing solar owners (the route taken by those pushing the AEMC Rule Change).
The second - advocate for programs and new models that deliver #solarforall
The first - penalise existing solar owners (the route taken by those pushing the AEMC Rule Change).
The second - advocate for programs and new models that deliver #solarforall
The great team @CommunityPowerA, @Pingala_Energy and @EnovaEnergy are leading the charge - working on Australia's first Solar Garden. This project supported by the NSW Government is the kind of innovative solution we need.
https://haystacks.solargarden.org.au/
https://haystacks.solargarden.org.au/
Now solar gardens aren't the only solution and model, there are strata models, ones for social housing providers, models where landlords and tenants split the benefits of solar and many more. See one example (of many) below https://www.solaranalytics.com/au/blog/solar-analytics-announces-solar-for-rentals
https://www.solaranalytics.com/au/blog/solar-analytics-announces-solar-for-rentals
I'm just so sad that when we know this decade is the critical decade on climate and we need to dramatically accelerate the transition to clean, #renewable energy, that so many people are focusing on a "solution" to an issue that will only slow the transition down.
