Solar Power in Australia

Worldwide solar power had become considered as the best option in both large and small scale to make the switch to renewable energy viable and greatly offset carbon emissions. Australia is one of the few nations that offer the perfect environmental conditions for solar panel systems to be viable, and in response to those natural gifts the federal government is doing everything in its control to make the most out of all the sunlight that the country basks in.

In the recent years the solar industry has boomed in Australia primarily because of two reasons. 1^st is the technology itself; Australian trained students have gone on to work for and even own, some of the best solar manufacturing companies in the world. These companies and manufacturers are internationally known for their innovative and top of the line products including Trina Solar, Suntech and JA solar. They were able to study and further enhance their knowledge at the The School of Photovoltaic and Renewable Energy Engineering based at the University of New South Wales, which offers one of the best bachelor and doctoral courses in the world.

2^nd is the Australian government’s strong support, since 2008 comprehensive bonuses and schemes have been in place in every state. These schemes have made solar panels in Australia much more affordable since then, which has been assisted by the worldwide drop in the costs of solar panels together with an increase in their efficiency. However recent changes to some of the said schemes atshort notice have left some Australians skeptical in making the switch. The truth is though that even with those changes the country still offers considerable subsidies and support compared to other nations.

Aside from those two existing reasons, the Australian solar industry is keeping its eye closely on another potential major milestone. The carbon tax that is currently being pushed through by the Gillard administration is a crucial avenue for renewable energy to triumph over the dirty and expendable fossil fuels.

The carbon tax will ensure more government funding for large scale solar power projects and other renewable energy sources. The said tax is expected to significantly reduce Australia’s use of fossil fuels in two ways. Firstly, as more solar farms are constructed solar power will become closer and closer to achieving “grid parity” with fossil fuel sources of electricity. Secondly, the financial penalty imposed on polluting businesses and industries will result in there being strong market forces at work to make solar technology more widespread and financially viable as form of “tax evasion”.

At first, you may think that another tax is a burden to every family rich or poor. But there will be significant compensation paid to both homeowners and businesses to help them to adjust to the changes, and in the long run the burden will be greatly outweighed by its benefits. As scarcity hits our current energy sources higher and higher electric bills are inevitable, and are already causing economic hardships for many families. The implementation of the carbon tax, and continued government funding for solar power installation will soon prevent this from happening.

On top of that, the revenues will be used to reduce our carbon footprint. Eliminating carbon not only saves our environment but discretely it saves you money. As global temperature surges up, you tend to use more energy to attain your comfort levels and as you do more carbon is released in the atmosphere and the cycle repeats again.