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Other Australian Government support for business, including renewable energy businesses, is delivered by the Department of Industry, Tourism and Resources.<ref>[http://www.greenhouse.gov.au/renewable/government.html Australian Greenhouse Office: Government programmes]</ref>
Other Australian Government support for business, including renewable energy businesses, is delivered by the Department of Industry, Tourism and Resources.<ref>[http://www.greenhouse.gov.au/renewable/government.html Australian Greenhouse Office: Government programmes]</ref>

===State initiatives===

Various [[Australian Labor Party]] state governments have announced that they will introduce an MRET Scheme of their own. [http://www.abc.net.au/news/newsitems/200611/s1784884.htm][http://www.climatechange.sa.gov.au/news/news_4.htm]


===Politics of wind power===
===Politics of wind power===

Revision as of 22:24, 19 July 2007

Australia's renewable energy industries cover numerous energy sources and stages of commercialization. Renewable energy technologies currently contribute about 6 per cent of Australia's total energy supply and some 8 per cent of Australia's electricity supply. Hydro-electricity is by far the largest single contributor.[1]

Following the introduction of government Mandatory Renewable Energy Targets,[2][1] more opportunities have opened up for "new" renewables such as wind power, photovoltaics, and solar thermal technologies. The deployment of these technologies provides opportunities for mitigating greenhouse gases.[3]

At the end of 2006, Australia had 817 MW of installed wind power capacity,[4] mainly in South Australia. A 154 MW, A$420 million, solar photovoltaic power station is planned for Victoria.[5]

Survey results suggest that there is considerable public support for the use of renewable energy and energy efficiency in Australia.[6]

Key renewable energy initiatives

Wind power

The information centre near the base of one of the towers at Wattle Point Wind Farm

Wind power in Australia is clean and renewable and, at the end of 2006, Australia had an installed electricity generation capacity from wind power of 817 MW. The technology is proven, fast to build and economical compared with other renewable energy technologies.[7] However, according to one Liberal Party politician, the drawbacks of wind power include unpredictability and a supply that cannot be stored.[8]

Wind power in South Australia

Wind power in South Australia is a fast growing industry with 388MW of grid-connected wind farms installed at the end of 2006. South Australia is well suited to wind farms and more wind power is generated in South Australia than any other Australian state or territory. Some 9 per cent of electricity generated in South Australia comes from wind power.[9] Major wind farms are:

A further 254 MW of generating capacity (Hallett Wind Farm, 95MW, and Lake Bonney Wind Farm (stage 2), 78MW) is under construction, and construction of another 90 MW (Snowtown Wind Farm) is due to begin in April 2007.

Solar photovoltaics

Solar photovoltaic (PV) technology generates electricity from sunlight, and it can be used in grid-connected and off-grid applications.

Solar power station in Victoria

Template:Future power plant Many projects have demonstrated the feasibility of solar power in Australia and a large new solar power station in Victoria is planned.

Solar Systems is to build the world’s most advanced[5] photovoltaic (PV) heliostat solar concentrator power station in north-western Victoria. The 154 megawatt (MW), A$420 million project, will generate 270,000 MWh per year, enough for more than 45,000 homes. It will aid in reducing salinity and create jobs during manufacture, construction and operation. It will also reduce greenhouse gas emissions by approximately 400,000 tonnes per year.[10] Full commissioning is expected in 2013, with the first stage to be completed in 2010.[11]

The "CS500" dish concentrator PV unit design has 112 curved reflecting mirrors mounted on a steel frame, which tracks the sun throughout the day. The combination of mirror profile, mounting framework and solar receiver will deliver concentrated sunlight energy to each PV module. The tracking mechanism allows electricity to be produced during the day whenever the sun is more than 5° above the horizon. Direct current electricity from the receivers is passed through an electronic inverter that produces grid-quality alternating current electricity. Transformers step up the voltage to the requirement of the local network at the point of connection.[12]

The commercialisation of this technology has already seen four smaller solar power stations established in central Australia, with support from the Australian Greenhouse Office.[13]

New photovoltaic technology

SLIVER Cell (TM) photovoltaic technology uses just one tenth of the costly and limited supply of silicon used in conventional solar panels while matching power, performance, and efficiency.[14] Professor Andrew Blakers, Director of the Australian National University Centre for Sustainable Energy Systems, invented the technology with colleague Dr Klaus Weber and developed it with funding from energy supplier Origin Energy and the Australian Research Council. Blakers and Weber won the Australian Institute of Physics' Walsh Medal for their work.[15] Origin Energy is now making pre-production SLIVER modules at its A$20M pilot plant in Regency Park, South Australia. 75W modules will be released soon with production already committed.[16]

Solar thermal energy

Australia has developed world leading solar thermal technologies, with only very low national market penetration. Domestic solar water heating is the most common solar thermal technology.[17]

Solar water heating

During the 1950s, Australia’s Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO) carried out world leading research into flat plate solar water heaters. As a result, a solar water heater manufacturing industry was established in Australia. A large proportion of the manufacturing capacity was exported. Four of the original companies are still in business and the manufacturing base has expanded to 24 companies. Despite an excellent solar resource, the penetration of solar water heaters in the Australian domestic market is only about 5% and these sales are mainly into new dwellings.[18]

Solar thermal power

There are no large large scale solar thermal power stations in Australia, although the country is well represented in both research and development and commercialization efforts.[19]

The Australian National University (ANU) has worked on dish concentrator systems since the early 1970s. Early work lead to the construction of the White Cliffs solar thermal station. In 1994, the first 'Big Dish' 400 m2 solar concentrator was completed on the ANU campus. In 2005, Wizard Power Pty Ltd was established by a Canberra investor in order to take the Big Dish™ technology to commercial deployment. Wizard Power has a worldwide exclusive licence to the design and associated patents, an ammonia-based thermochemical energy storage system and new advanced mirror panel technology.[19]

Activities at the University of Sydney have spun off into Solar Heat and Power Pty Ltd, which is currently building a major project at Liddell Power station in the Hunter Valley. The CSIRO Division of Energy Technology has opened a major solar energy centre in Newcastle that has a tower system purchased from Solar Heat and Power and a prototype trough concentrator array developed in collaboration with the ANU.[19]

Geothermal energy

Geothermal energy exploration in Central Australia is an area of considerable activity, which involves finding vast blocks of "hot rocks" with fracture systems that could generate electricity through water being injected, circulated through the fractures, and being returned to surface as steam.[20]

South Australia has been described as "Australia's hot rock haven" and this emissions free and renewable energy form could provide an estimated 6.8% of Australia's base load power needs by 2030.[20] According to an estimate by the Centre for International Economics, Australia has enough geothermal energy to contribute electricity for 450 years.[21]

There are currently 19 companies Australia-wide in 141 areas spending $A654 million in exploration programmes. In South Australia, which is expected to dominate the sector's growth, 12 companies have already applied for 116 areas and can be expected to invest $A524 M ($US435 M) in their projects by the next six years. Ten projects are expected to achieve successful exploration and proof of concept, that is, heat flows, by 2010, and at least three power generation demonstration projects on stream by 2012.[20]

Ethanol fuel

Ethanol fuel in Australia can be produced from sugarcane or grains and there are currently three commercial producers of fuel ethanol in Australia, all on the East Coast.

Legislation imposes a 10% cap on the concentration of fuel ethanol blends. Blends of 90% unleaded petrol and 10% fuel ethanol are commonly referred to as E10,[22] which is available through service stations operating under the BP, Caltex, Shell and United brands as well as those of a number of smaller independents. Not surprisingly, E10 is most widely available closer to the sources of production in Queensland and New South Wales.

Recently BP Australia celebrated a milestone with over 100 million litres of the new BP Unleaded with renewable ethanol being sold to Queensland motorists. In partnership with the Queensland Government, the Canegrowers organisation launched a regional billboard campaign in March 2007 to promote the renewable fuels industry.[23]

Major renewable energy companies

BP Solar

BP has been involved in solar power since 1973 and its subsidiary, BP Solar, is now one of the world's largest solar power companies with production facilities in the United States, Spain, India and Australia.[24] BP Solar is involved in the commercialization of a long life deep cycle lead acid battery, jointly developed by the CSIRO and Battery Energy, which is ideally suited to the storage of electricity for renewable remote area power systems (RAPS).

Origin Energy

Origin Energy is active in the renewable energy arena, and has spent a number of years developing:

Pacific Hydro

Pacific Hydro is an Australian company that specialises in electricity generation using renewable energy. Its focus is on hydroelectricity and windpower. Power stations owned by Pacific Hydro include:

Solar Systems

Solar Systems is a leader in high concentration solar photovoltaic applications,[27] [28] and the company is preparing to build the world's largest photovoltaic Solar power station in Victoria, Australia. [29] [30] This project will use innovative concentrator dish technology.

Solar Systems has already completed construction of three concentrator dish power stations in the Northern Territory, which together generate 720kW and 1,555,000 kWh per year. This represents a saving of 420,000 litres of diesel fuel and 1550 tonnes of greenhouse gas emissions.[31]

Wind Prospect

Wind Prospect developed the 46MW Canunda Wind Farm in South Australia, which was commissioned in March 2005. A second South Australian wind farm, Mt Millar Wind Farm, was commissioned in January 2006 and this provides a further 70MW of generation for the company. More recently, a third wind farm has reached financial close for Wind Prospect in South Australia. This is the 95MW Hallett Wind Farm which is expected to be fully commissioned late in 2008.

In Australia, Wind Prospect has more megawatts of capacity approved by local councils than any other developer in the country. In all, nine wind farms totalling over 700 MW have planning approval.

Government policy

Politics of global warming

Australia is the highest emitter "per capita" of greenhouse gases in the developed world,[32] and it is one of the major exporters of coal, the burning of which causes CO2. Australia is also one of the countries most at risk from climate change according to the Stern report. Renewable energy technologies provide opportunities for mitigating greenhouse gases.[3]

Australia's current position is that it will not ratify the Kyoto Protocol, in particular because of concerns over a loss of competitiveness with the US, which rejects the treaty.[33] In 2006, the Australian documentary TV programme Four Corners screened a program titled Greenhouse Mafia which described how some business lobby groups have influenced the Australian government to prevent Australia from reducing greenhouse gas emissions.[34] Industries that have been able to successfully lobby Australian governments to not reduce emissions include the coal, oil, cement, aluminium, mining and electricity industries.[35]

On 3 February 2007, the Australian government announced that it will not be pursuing mitigation of global warming, and instead will be adopting a policy of adaptation.[36]

Renewable energy programmes

The Australian Greenhouse Office has responsibility for delivering a number of renewable energy programmes. It has policy responsibility for the Mandatory Renewable Energy Target (MRET) which requires an additional 9,500GWh of electricity to be produced from renewable sources by the year 2010. The Australian Greenhouse Office also has policy responsibilty for a number of financial incentives for the production and use of renewable energy.[37]

To implement the MRET the Renewable Energy (Electricity) Act 2000 was passed by Parliament. Under the Act a Regulator has been appointed and the Office of the Renewable Energy Regulator established. Roles of the Regulator include accrediting renewable energy generators and determining baselines for existing generators; ensuring that renewable energy certificates are validly issued; imposition of penalties and conducting audits.[38]

Other Australian Government support for business, including renewable energy businesses, is delivered by the Department of Industry, Tourism and Resources.[39]

State initiatives

Various Australian Labor Party state governments have announced that they will introduce an MRET Scheme of their own. [1][2]

Politics of wind power

From 2001 to early 2006, the main driving force for the establishment of wind farms in Australia was the Government's Mandatory Renewable Energy Target.[40][41] However, by mid-2006, sufficient renewable energy had been installed or was under construction to meet the small MRET target for 2010. Also, in 2006, several Federal Government Ministers spoke out against a number of wind farm proposals.[42]

Dr Mark Diesendorf has suggested that the Australian Government has tried to stop the development of wind power, the lowest-cost, new, renewable electricity source, until such time as coal-fired power stations with CO2 capture and sequestration and possibly nuclear power stations are available.[43]

Leaked minutes from a 2004 meeting between leaders of energy intensive industries and the Australian government describe how both groups are worried that mandatory renewable energy targets were working too well and were "market skewed" towards wind power.[44]

Public opinion

Survey results suggest that there is considerable public support for the use of renewable energy and energy efficiency in Australia. In one recent survey, 74% of respondents favoured a "greenhouse strategy based mainly on energy efficiency and renewable energy, and 19% favoured an "approach that focuses mainly on nuclear power and clean coal technologies."[45]

See also

References

  1. ^ a b How solar ran out of puff Sydney Morning Herald, 17 April 2007.
  2. ^ Australian Government, Office of the Renewable Energy Regulator
  3. ^ a b International Energy Agency (2007). Renewables in global energy supply: An IEA facts sheet, OECD, 34 pages.
  4. ^ Global Wind Energy Council, Global wind energy markets continue to boom – 2006 another record year
  5. ^ a b Australia advances with solar power The Times, 26 October 2006.
  6. ^ Australians Reject Nuclear Energy Angus Reid Global Monitor, 25 June 2007.
  7. ^ Australian Greenhouse Office, National code for wind farms: A discussion paper May 2006.
  8. ^ Wind not the answer to our needs The Age, 30 December 2005.
  9. ^ Australian Greenhouse Office, National code for wind farms: A discussion paper May 2006, p. 7.
  10. ^ Solar systems projects
  11. ^ Solar systems facts sheet: the technology
  12. ^ Solar systems facts sheet: the technology
  13. ^ World-leading Australian solar technology for export under AP6
  14. ^ Australian National University, Centre for Sustainable energy systems
  15. ^ Super-skinny solar cells soak up the sun News in Science, 6 December 2006.
  16. ^ SLIVER technology facts sheet
  17. ^ Lovegrove, Keith and Dennis, Mike. Solar thermal energy systems in Australia International Journal of Environmental Studies, Vol. 63, No. 6, December 2006, p. 791.
  18. ^ Lovegrove, Keith and Dennis, Mike. Solar thermal energy systems in Australia International Journal of Environmental Studies, Vol. 63, No. 6, December 2006, p. 793.
  19. ^ a b c Lovegrove, Keith and Dennis, Mike. Solar thermal energy systems in Australia International Journal of Environmental Studies, Vol. 63, No. 6, December 2006, p. 797.
  20. ^ a b c Big energy role for central Australia’s hot rocks
  21. ^ Scientists get hot rocks off over green nuclear power
  22. ^ Queensland Government. Ethanol case studies
  23. ^ Queensland Government. Ethanol case studies
  24. ^ Solar Power Profitability: BP Solar
  25. ^ SLIVER technology facts sheet
  26. ^ Geodynamics: Power from the earth
  27. ^ Solar Systems wins National Engineering Excellence award
  28. ^ Solar technologies reaching new levels of efficiencies in Central Australia
  29. ^ Solar Systems to Build A$420 million, 154MW Solar Power Plant in Australia
  30. ^ Solar Systems home page
  31. ^ Solar systems projects
  32. ^ Global Warming: The Facts
  33. ^ Australian Government (2004). Securing Australia's Energy Future
  34. ^ "Transcript of Janine Cohen's report "The Greenhouse Mafia"". 4 Corners. 2006-02-13. Retrieved 2007-01-21. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  35. ^ "The Dirty Politics of Climate Change" (PDF). Australia Institute. 2006-02-20. Retrieved 2007-01-21. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  36. ^ "Australia 'must adapt' to global warming (ABC news article)". 2007-02-03. Retrieved 2007-02-03. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  37. ^ Australian Greenhouse Office: Government programmes
  38. ^ Australian Greenhouse Office: Government programmes
  39. ^ Australian Greenhouse Office: Government programmes
  40. ^ Lovegrove, Keith. Election 2004: The Government’s non policy on energy Australian Review of Public Affairs, 10 September 2004.
  41. ^ Diesendorf, Mark (2007). Greenhouse Solutions with Sustainable Energy, UNSW Press, p. 107.
  42. ^ Diesendorf, Mark (2007). Greenhouse Solutions with Sustainable Energy, UNSW Press, p. 107.
  43. ^ Diesendorf, Mark (2007). Greenhouse Solutions with Sustainable Energy, UNSW Press, p. 109.
  44. ^ "Minutes of a meeting of the Low Emissions Technology Advisory Group (LETAG) with the Australian Government" (PDF). 2006-05-06. Retrieved 2007-01-21. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  45. ^ Australians Reject Nuclear Energy

External links