The NSW Solar Feed-in Tariff Scheme

Submissions Closed for NSW Solar Feed In Tariff scheme.

While a number of electricity retailers already operate buy back schemes, the Government is looking to further encourage and assist home owners to switch to renewable energy sources.

The Solar FIT task force is made up of representatives from the Dept of Water and Energy, the Dept of Environment and Climate Change, the Premiers Dept and the NSW Treasury.

The Task Force is expected to finalise its recommendations for a feed in tariff in early 2009, with the scheme expected to be in place by mid 2009.

For more information, go to the Department of Water and Energy website.

Federal Government rebate applications on the rise

According to Federal Environment Minister, Peter Garret, there have been an average of over 500 applications lodged each week since the May, 2008 Budget, with 700 in one week alone!

This is despite the fact that the Government had placed an annual income cap of of $100,000.00 on people wishing to install solar panels on their roofs.

Editorial: While the Australian Government and Opposition argue about the solar rebate scheme and credits, the environment continues to suffer the effects of pollution from coal burning power stations, and prices are set to spiral out of control.

With Government policy being hard to track at times, the decision about solar for homeowners considering the move should be when to do it, rather than if!

This is obviously a time sensitive issue.

I find it remarkable too that the NSW Government’s Solar Task Force opened and closed submissions from the public so quickly.

Less than two months have passed from the announcement of the Task Force on November 22, 2008 to the closing of public submissions on January 12, 2009.

While there may be a need to get the tariff finalised quickly, it makes me wonder why the the Department of Water and Energy’s website only began calling for submissions on January 8, just 4 days before they closed!

To have such a short submission period, especially in the middle of summer when most people are distracted by holidays and cricket makes me doubt whether the winning model will be a ‘gross’ feed in tariff!