By Evolution Solar Sunshine Coast

The Climate Change Authority (CCA) today released its review of the Renewable Energy Target (RET). Targets remain at 20 per cent of power to come from renewables with some proposed drops to rebates and incentives mostly to small scale rooftop solar installations. After all the incentive cuts the solar industry has already suffered in the last six months, is the Queensland Government going to support the review?

With this being the first review of a body the Queensland Government set up, it is unlikely that Minister Greg Combet is going to go against it. The Minister has said that his decision is to come early in 2013 however it can take up to six months.

The review is leaving the renewable energy target for large scale generators at 41 000GWh by 2020. With many investors waiting on the review before giving the go ahead on projects in the pipeline, Bernie Fraser, Chairman of the CCA said that it would “provide a degree of certainty and predictability to investors in renewables.” The changes are mostly in small scale generators and include changing the review process from every two years to every four years, decreasing the deeming period of 15 years by one every year from 2017 and recommending the Minister retains control of small-scale renewable energy schemes (SRES) price cap (currently at $40).

Reducing the deeming period means that renewable energy systems installed will attract less of an STC rebate (usually taken off at point of sale) therefore making systems more expensive and less attractive. Once again, our governments seem to be anti-solar and hell bent on turning people away from solar. Installing an off-grid solar power system once again becomes appealing so as not to be reliant on the grid, energy companies, changing renewable energy laws, politics or price hikes. If all solar users went off grid, the demand at peak times would be a huge burden on utility companies and most probably cause more price hikes.

With the Minister controlling the price cap to be used as an “emergency brake” we could see further decreases to the STC rebate making systems more expensive still. With the changes that have happened almost overnight in the last six months, it does not seem too farfetched that this ‘brake’ may be used in the near future which could cripple the industry further.

Scotland’s target is to have 50% of all power from renewables by 2020 and Germany 35%, so why is it that Australia is only aiming for 20%? The Green’s called for an increase saying we should be aiming to be 100% renewable as soon as possible but how can we, with little and decreasing government support.