The twentieth century way of life has been made available, largely due to the miracle of cheap energy. The price of energy has been at record lows for the past century and a half.As oil becomes increasingly scarce, it is becoming obvious to everyone, that the rapid economic and industrial growth we have enjoyed for that time is not sustainable.Now, the hunt is on. For renewable sources of energy, for alternative sources of energy, for a way of life that is less dependent on cheap energy.Â
Gillard and Abbott should follow Brumby to feed-in tariff for baseloadsolar Hobart, Wednesday 21 July 2010 The Greens today welcomed Victorian Premier John Brumby’s announcementof a gross feed-in tariff for large-scale solar plants and urged bothJulia Gillard and Tony Abbott to embrace this world-leading policy at anational level. Australian Greens Deputy Leader, Senator Christine Milne, Continue Reading →
SCORES of businesses hit by the bungled insulation scheme are planning to sue for millions of dollars.
About 40 insulation companies from across the country met at Sydney law firm Swaab Attorneys on June 21 and voted to launch a collective action for damages. Swaab is preparing their case.
Another law firm, Hunt & Hunt, is also preparing an action against the Government on behalf of more than 10 freight companies who were left with unused batts.
In May the Government announced it would offer $15 million compensation after axing the $2.45 billion insulation scheme in April.
Installers claim the scheme is not enough to cover their losses. No offer has been made to freight companies.
A Swaab partner wrote to would-be clients following the June meeting, saying: “Prior to filing these documents in court, we will endeavour to have settlement negotiations with the Government to try and resolve the matter without the need for litigation.”
SA could be major wind energy supplier: Premier Updated 38 minutes ago Map: Port Lincoln 5606 A study of South Australia’s renewable energy potential says the state could export green power to eastern Australia. It proposes doubling wind power generation on Eyre Peninsula through private investment. SA Premier Mike Rann says four energy companies have Continue Reading →
Huge gas reserves found off NSW Updated 1 hour 46 minutes ago Shipments of gas like this one could one day leave the NSW coast. (Kerry Edwards/Pool/The West Australian.) Map: Newcastle 2300 Tests have found natural gas resources off the New South Wales coast north of Sydney could be double the size first thought, rivalling Continue Reading →
Kenya — Let there be light. And thanks to the efforts of rural women in one of the most remote corners of the Kenyan republic, lights turn on as night falls at the end of a sunny day.
Tucked away in the remote villages of Olando and Got Kaliech in rural Kenya, residents in this poor outpost in south-western Kenya today have light after darkness falls. The light is thanks to Phoebe Jondiko, Joyce Matunga and Phoebe Akinyi, the three solar “women engineers” who have literally switched on the lights in the two villages with a view to lighting up more villages in the remote Gwassi Division in Suba District.
Blessed with year-round sunshine, Kenya is quickly waking up to the realization that it can successfully tap into one of the vast natural resources on the planet – the sun. Solar energy has for a long time remained largely untapped in Kenya due to a combination of factors with the single biggest obstacle being the hugely expensive solar kits.
But with the Kenyan government desperately looking for new avenues through which it can turn Kenya’s energy greener, this year it lowered the importation taxes levied on solar energy kits so as to encourage corporations and individuals to use solar to power domestic and industrial operations.
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The Federal Government has come under attack for failing to include Australia’s only domestic producer of solar panels in a Commonwealth tender.
The $1.5 billion Solar Flagship program is committed to building up to four large-scale solar power plants in Australia.
But Australian Manufacturing Workers Union (AMWU) spokesman Tim Ayres says Australian company Silex was overlooked and the Federal Government has chosen overseas competitors instead.
“This company is going to be a successful company into the future but this is an important opportunity to use a Government program to deliver for Australian manufacturing,” he said.