Australia proceeds on program to develop ‘solar cities’
CANBERRA, Australia, April 20, 2005 (Refocus Weekly)
The government of Australia is asking the solar industry to express interest in the ‘Solar Cities’ program that is designed as a main climate change mitigation initiative.
Guidelines for the Aus$75 million program that will “transform the way
entire urban communities thought about and used energy” have been released by
environment minister Ian Campbell and resources minister Ian Macfarlane.
Adelaide and three other Solar City sites will be established throughout
Australia.
Key expected outcomes include “reduced impediments to the uptake of
distributed solar generation; a critical mass of solar technologies and energy
efficiency and load management measures; enhanced technology leadership in the
development of photovoltaic systems; real world application of smart meters; and
cost-reflective pricing to enable these technologies to be appropriately
valued,” the guidelines state. Projects will enable collection of data to
assess the impact that solar technologies have on electricity peak loads and the
investment needed for network improvements.
The initiative was announced in the energy white paper, ‘Securing Australia's
Energy Future,’ last June. It will demonstrate how the uptake of solar power
and energy efficiency measures can contribute to a sustainable energy future.
“Solar Cities is essentially about partnerships,” says Campbell. “It will
bring together governments, industry, communities and businesses to radically
change the way we think about energy.”
Groups which apply for funding should show that they have the support of local
homes and businesses. The program will be implemented by the Australian
Greenhouse Office through trials in grid-connected urban areas.
Eligible proposals will be assessed against core selection criteria, and the
best proposals will be invited to develop a detailed business case during the
tender phase. To encourage interested parties to develop networks, an
internet-based Register of Interest has been established to list 32 pages of
organizations.
Core criteria include the extent to which the proposal demonstrates uptake of PV
technologies, pricing arrangements that optimize the benefits of solar PV
measures, and the impact on projected energy use and GHG emissions for the Solar
City over the period of the project. Desirable criteria include an introduction
of changes in policies, guidelines or mandatory requirements that facilitate the
adoption of PV measures, and the potential for change in community attitudes and
behaviour in relation to the uptake of new technologies.
“The Solar Cities approach will increase the choice of energy sources
available to householders and businesses and will reward them for better
managing their energy use,” adds McFarlane. “Energy retailers will also
benefit from reduced load in peak periods - so there are benefits for the
consumer, the retailer, and the environment.”
The program will run until 2013, with a focus on program design and site
selection in the first year. The Australian Greenhouse Office will conduct
public consultations until mid-May, to accept suggestions for changes to the
guidelines.
A key element of the trials will be the installation of time-of-use meters that
will allow energy prices to reflect their true costs, government officials
explain. During peak load, when solar energy output is at its highest,
electricity costs can be 100 times the average.
“Solar power is a zero-emissions energy source, in which Australia has
developed leading-edge technologies,” it adds. “Solar power can be utilised
either as heat (solar hot water systems) or the conversion of solar power to
electricity (through PV systems). Solar technologies are used widely in
Australia , and receive significant government support.”
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