antipodes : switching to solar can lower current prices - ian lowe looks at where renewable energy is making economic sense - electricity storage

Ian Holloway new, self
New state energy minister Michael Egan has launched a solar-powered unit that can provide very cheap power to remote families.
One of several mid-range
Demonstrate the feasibility of the growing solar winter program.
Solar power generation systems, known as "power-on", are designed to take advantage of solar energy to provide about the typical household load. A back-
Another 30 cents for diesel generators.
The system can provide up to twice as much power from solar panels alone, which can be increased to 5 times.
The generator runs 4 KW.
The installation cost of the unit is approximately $1; 30 000—
It's a bit expensive for the suburbs, but for many in rural Australia, it's cheaper to connect to the grid. (
The price of a power line is generally $1;
10 000 per kilometer)
The average cost of operation is about the typical minimum cost charged by power suppliers to remote consumers.
For example, the Radnidge family, living in the mountainous area near Newcastle, estimated that they had saved about a dollar;
By using solar energy, 100 per month.
The connection to the grid will give them about a dollar in revenue; 45 000. For not-so-
Remote users can now go further and sell solar power to suppliers.
The idea was created by peter Fries, a freelance journalist living on the Sunshine Coast of Queensland.
Hishouse, Solar One, has Solar panels on the roof and is connected to the grid.
In fact, he uses the power grid as a power storage device, not a battery.
During the day he powers the system and gets credit from the South
East Queensland power Council
In the evening, the House rises from the grid and needs to be paid.
But living in sunny Queensland, the French fries are sold more than he bought.
Melbourne is trying the same way.
Almost no city is considered an ideal place for solar energy.
Stewart McGuire, located in the center of West Brunswick, installed solar panels on the roof and reached a power sales agreement with the local Citi power company.
McQuire paid a dollar.
The total cost of the $1 system is 5000; 20 000—
For the benefit of the study, Citi electric withdrew the rest of the bill.
In Melbourne in June, mcquire 'spanels can generate up to 6 KW of electricity when the weather is short but usually clear.
Not the needs of the family.
The real crisis is likely to occur in the cloudy days of July, not just electricity production.
The house also uses the sun to heat hot water.
Since its installation in April, solar panels have provided about two
McQuire believes that spowerbill will be his last one next month.
After that, he wants to provide more power to the grid than he consumes.
Despite all these activities, it is difficult to convince some politicians that solar energy is feasible.
The former Queensland Labor government has set up a sustainable energy advisory group to suggest how best to support solar and other renewable energy technologies.
But since the change of government four months ago, the advisory group has not met, and there are rumors that Tom Gilmore, head of the National Party, may end the meeting.
His department has returned to its mining and energy name of 1980 s from what is called mineral and energy.
This does not mean the future.
The method facing me.
The Thai government is trying to solve Bangkok's traffic problems by building more roads.
Last week, when I attended a conference in that city about the future of higher education, I first experienced the result --hand—
Pollution, noisy streets and traffic are a nightmare.
I was told by a local professor that his seven children were not uncommon.
It takes two hours to go to work.
As a result, the driver installed mobile phones, music systems, food supplies, and even original toilet facilities in the car.
Many people who work on the streets, including those who direct traffic, wear masks to minimize the health damage caused by air pollution.
On last July, when Thai Deputy Prime Minister Thaksin Shinra sethimself took office, he set a six-month deadline to ease the problem.
A year later, the situation became worse.
For example, the number of cars on roads in the country has increased by nearly one.
On the day I arrived, heavy rain paralyzed the road in Bangkok.
Now he has come up with a new solution.
He suggested that any new car registered from the beginning of next year should be banned from the city during peak hours.
His plan is to stabilize the number of cars on the road during peak hours.
It will definitely have a dramatic impact on what has been used. car prices—
Especially when he proposed to define rush-
An hour from six o'clock A. M.