New solar plan ‘not good enough’

By Tania Martin
A MENZIES Creek environmentalist has slammed the State Government’s new solar power tariff scheme as ‘not good enough.’
Dandenong Ranges Renewable Energy Association president Peter Cook said the newly announced tariff legislation did not address the needs of future solar generations.
Mr Cook said Victoria was far from leading the pack in renewable energy initiatives.
These comments come after Energy Minister Peter Batchelor last week said the new tariff system was proof that the government continued to lead the way.
But Mr Cook said this was far from the truth.
“The ACT has a gross-feed-in tariff which is much better than Victoria’s net system…we are not leading the country,” he said.
Mr Batchelor said the tariffs would provide incentives for people to install solar systems of up to 3.2 kilowatts
“Victorian households who put solar panels on their roof will receive 60 cents credit per kilowatt hour for the energy they feed back into the electricity grid,” he said
“This compares to an average price for electricity of about 17 or 18 cents per kilowatt hour.
Mr Batchelor said the credits would then be deducted from customers’ electricity bills.
“We have made balanced decisive actions on climate change with ensuring that vulnerable Victorians are not penalised,” he said.
Mr Cook also questioned the government’s decision to choose a net system over the gross feed-in tariff which is the inferior of the two.
He said in Germany a gross feed-in system was introduced which far outweighs the Brumby Government’s proposed net tariff.
Mr Cook said the 3.2 kilowatt limit also discouraged people from installing larger solar systems.
“It should encourage people to install systems as big as what they can afford,” he said.
Mr Cook said the only way to address today’s climate change issues was to introduce a gross system.
“A net tariff is definitely not the best system,” he said.