Renewable energy in Australia: Difference between revisions

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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>

===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 (MRET).<ref>Lovegrove, Keith. [http://www.australianreview.net/digest/2004/09/lovegrove.html Election 2004: The Government’s non policy on energy] ''Australian Review of Public Affairs'', 10 September 2004.</ref><ref>Diesendorf, Mark (2007). ''Greenhouse Solutions with Sustainable Energy'', UNSW Press, p. 107.</ref> 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.<ref>Diesendorf, Mark (2007). ''Greenhouse Solutions with Sustainable Energy'', UNSW Press, p. 107.</ref>

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 CO<sub>2</sub> capture and sequestration and possibly nuclear power stations are available.


==Public opinion==
==Public opinion==

Revision as of 07:57, 19 July 2007

Part of a series on
Renewable energy

Australia's renewable energy industries cover numerous energy sources and scales of operation. They currently contribute about 6 per cent of Australia's total energy supply. The major area where renewable energy is growing is in electricity generation following the introduction of government Mandatory Renewable Energy Targets[1] and some 8 per cent of Australian electricity comes from renewables.[2]

Survey results suggest that there is considerable public support for the use of renewable energy and energy efficiency in Australia.[3]

Major 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 817MW. The technology is proven, fast to build and economical compared with other renewable energy technologies.[4] However, according to one Liberal Party politician, the drawbacks of wind power include unpredictability and a supply that cannot be stored. [5]

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.[6] 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 power station in Victoria

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[7] 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.[8] Full commissioning is expected in 2013, with the first stage to be completed in 2010.[9]

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.[10]

The commercialisation of this technology has already seen four smaller solar power stations established in central Australia, with support from the Australian Greenhouse Office.[11]

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.[12] 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.[13] 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.[14]

Solar thermal energy

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.[15]

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.[16]

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.[16]

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.[16]

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.[17] 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,[20] [21] and the company is preparing to build the world's largest photovoltaic Solar power station in Victoria, Australia. [22] [23] 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.[24]

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.

Key government policy initiatives

Australia is the highest emitter "per capita" of greenhouse gases in the developed world.[25] It is one of the major exporters of coal, the burning of which causes CO2. It is also one of the countries most at risk from climate change according to the Stern report.

The Australian Greenhouse Office has responsibility for delivering a number of renewable energy programmes. It has policy responsibility for the mandatory target for an additional 9,500GWh of electricity to be produced from renewable sources by the year 2010, and a number of financial incentives for the production and use of renewable energy.[26]

To implement the mandatory target for renewable energy 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.[27]

Other Australian Government support for business, including renewable energy businesses, is delivered by the Department of Industry, Tourism and Resources.[28]

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 (MRET).[29][30] 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.[31]

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.

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."[32]

See also

References

  1. ^ Australian Government, Office of the Renewable Energy Regulator
  2. ^ How solar ran out of puff Sydney Morning Herald, 17 April 2007.
  3. ^ Australians Reject Nuclear Energy Angus Reid Global Monitor, 25 June 2007.
  4. ^ Australian Greenhouse Office, National code for wind farms: A discussion paper May 2006.
  5. ^ Wind not the answer to our needs The Age, 30 December 2005.
  6. ^ Australian Greenhouse Office, National code for wind farms: A discussion paper May 2006, p. 7.
  7. ^ Australia advances with solar power The Times, 26 October 2006.
  8. ^ Solar systems projects
  9. ^ Solar systems facts sheet: the technology
  10. ^ Solar systems facts sheet: the technology
  11. ^ World-leading Australian solar technology for export under AP6
  12. ^ Australian National University, Centre for Sustainable energy systems
  13. ^ Super-skinny solar cells soak up the sun News in Science, 6 December 2006.
  14. ^ SLIVER technology facts sheet
  15. ^ Lovegrove, Keith and Dennis, Mike. Solar thermal energy systems in Australia International Journal of Environmental Studies, Vol. 63, No. 6, December 2006, p. 793.
  16. ^ 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.
  17. ^ Solar Power Profitability: BP Solar
  18. ^ SLIVER technology facts sheet
  19. ^ Geodynamics: Power from the earth
  20. ^ Solar Systems wins National Engineering Excellence award
  21. ^ Solar technologies reaching new levels of efficiencies in Central Australia
  22. ^ Solar Systems to Build A$420 million, 154MW Solar Power Plant in Australia
  23. ^ Solar Systems home page
  24. ^ Solar systems projects
  25. ^ Global Warming: The Facts
  26. ^ Australian Greenhouse Office: Government programmes
  27. ^ Australian Greenhouse Office: Government programmes
  28. ^ Australian Greenhouse Office: Government programmes
  29. ^ Lovegrove, Keith. Election 2004: The Government’s non policy on energy Australian Review of Public Affairs, 10 September 2004.
  30. ^ Diesendorf, Mark (2007). Greenhouse Solutions with Sustainable Energy, UNSW Press, p. 107.
  31. ^ Diesendorf, Mark (2007). Greenhouse Solutions with Sustainable Energy, UNSW Press, p. 107.
  32. ^ Australians Reject Nuclear Energy

External links

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