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The Northern rivers Echo 6 Nov 08

Roll out the solar panels!

The Northern Rivers Echo 6 Nov 08 The Lismore Climate Care Solar Rollout began installations this week with the first of 56 houses being connected.

For each household putting in a one kilowatt system, it represents a reduction in greenhouse gases of 1.6 tonnes per year, equivalent to taking two cars off the road or planting 83 trees. It will save approximately $250 a year on their electricity bill at the price in NSW at the moment……………………

Nick Lake, director of Nickel Renewable Energy, said there had been bulk buying groups springing up all over Australia that were driving the solar market.

In this year’s budget the Rudd government introduced an income cap of $100,000 per house to be eligible for the rebate and many people predicted it would result in a reduction in the number of houses applying and slow growth in the solar industry. But the Department of Environment are now receiving approximately 1000 applications a week for the solar rebate scheme, up from an average of 120 in the last financial year………………………..n all other states apart from NSW ‘feed in tariff’ legislation has been introduced that means people producing renewable energy are paid at a rate of up to 3.8 times the rate that power companies pay for coal-fired electricity.

Nick said if similar feed in tariff rates were introduced in NSW, people with a one kilowatt solar system would save around $1000 a year on their power bills.

He said in some European countries where high renewable energy targets have been set, power companies are paying a premium price to take out long-term leases on people’s roofs so they can lock in renewable energy supplies.

The Northern Rivers Echo – news

November 7, 2008 - Posted by Christina Macpherson | Uncategorized