Solar Power

[Slybacon]

Dear solar supporters,

Summary

As a result of the Solar Summit 2, and if no further action is taken, 5,000 solar jobs are on the line, and 830 solar businesses will struggle to stay afloat.

The industry has clearly said it needs an immediate 1:1 rate if it is to stay alive.

To achieve a 1:1 rate, we want the government to rule that the electricity meters in solar properties should be interpreted on a quarterly basis, rather than over the 5-30 minute interval that currently occurs.

While at small periods throughout the day, some solar energy may be exported, when taken over a quarter, ‘aggregated net metering’ would in mean that almost every solar customer would be net importer of energy and would continue to pay a bill.

This approach would allow solar companies to build an unambiguous value proposition for customers, and would allow sales to continue in NSW.

This is simple, fair and achievable immediately.

We need you to email and phone the Premier and Minister and tell them this is what industry needs, as well as enlist your customers into the campaign.

AuSES and SEIA are mounting a state wide campaign on Monday to keep the solar industry in NSW alive.

Background

The first NSW Government Solar Summit was a set up.

The second would have been a farce without our intervention.

On Friday the NSW Government ran their expanded ‘NSW Solar & Renewable Energy Summit’.

Again the program was dominated by analysts and advisors who put the case against solar, and spoke about the high costs for solar borne by other electricity users.

In several notable cases there was a strong argument made for NSW to pursue nuclear energy rather than renewables.

The majority of speakers had no solar specific expertise, and of the 30 speakers, only 3 had a direct connection to the solar industry. Of these Warwick Johnson from SunWiz was the most informative and persuasive ‘pro-solar’ speaker.

At lunch time, before there had been any input from the floor, the Energy Minister Chris Hartcher held a press conference, saying the outcome of the Summit was for the Independent Pricing Regulator (IPART) to hold a review into the solar industry, but the outcome must (among other things):

• Result in no increase in electricity prices; and

• Not cost the state budget anything.

He also announced a committee to help form a Solar and Renewable Energy Action Plan for NSW.

After speaking to senior IPART staff, AuSES and SEIA were advised that such a review would take ‘many months’ to complete. Indeed we would be surprised if the review will be completed and acted upon within 12 months.

Industry In Crisis

By mid-morning at the Summit I made the point the solar industry is in crisis, that it cannot afford a talk fest, but instead needed real action to keep businesses open from Monday onwards.

This did provoke the government into holding a series of parallel meetings with us through-out the day, including with Parliamentary Secretary Rob Stokes, and the head of IPART.

Our Position

To achieve a 1:1 rate, we want the government to rule that the electricity meters in solar properties should be interpreted on a quarterly basis, rather than over the 5-30 minute interval that currently occurs.

While at small periods throughout the day, some solar energy may be exported, when taken over a quarter, ‘aggregated net metering’ would mean that almost every solar customer would be net importer of energy and would continue to pay a bill.

In effect this would mean customers would receive a fair price, the retail price, by offsetting all their solar power production at a 1:1 rate.

This is simple, it is fair and it is achievable today. It would cost the utilities nothing, would cost the budget nothing, but would allow the industry to continue to sell solar systems, (albeit at a much reduced rate).

And this approach was strongly supported at the Solar Summit, with all working groups reporting at the end of the day that an urgent 1:1 approach was needed in NSW.

Urgent Announcement Needed

The solar industry is calling on the NSW Government to announce a fair price for solar by COB Wednesday to ensure the survival of our industry.

And again the solar industry is arguing from a position of principle.

What Can I Do?

Immediately you can email and phone the Premier and Minister and tell them this is what industry needs, as well as enlist your customers into the campaign.

AuSES and SEIA will be meeting on Monday to lay out the wider campaign and we will advise you of next steps at the end of that process.

The respective email addresses are:

[email protected]

[email protected]

[email protected]

[email protected]

John Grimes

Chief Executive AuSES