Page 2635 - Week 07 - Wednesday, 2 July 2008
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Renewable energies, especially solar photovoltaics, are commercially viable, especially if start-up subsidies and feed-in tariffs such as this are made available to accelerate the technology developments. The wind and hydro sectors can certainly be commercially viable, and the more these technologies are explored, the more we will see scientific innovations, especially those focusing on the large level of energy used in water heating and space heating. We need to see more about solar thermal energy development here, as this is one of the most efficient ways to heat water, and even space.
Currently, it is most economic to install wind generators in rural areas, but there is a lot of research and development in this area, which we hope will be sped up by this bill and similar ones, as well as the increase in our MRET. I draw the Deputy Speaker’s attention to the fact that in Melbourne there has been at least one wind generator built in one of the developments in the inner city, so that residents in that multi-residential development can see their energy source right up close.
It would be preferable to utilise sewage gas, a long-term reliable source, rather than relying on landfill for biogas generation, which should be reduced. It can also be noted that the ACT operates landfill methane collection, which should be seen only as a small and interim measure and not relied on. Instead, the government should focus on a strategy to reduce our waste generation by 2010.
We would have liked to propose varying tariff rates to reflect the varying costs associated with production of the various renewable energy technologies. However, this would be a complex calculation that would be better left until later on in the scheme, when more energy types are being produced, or left to the national scheme.
Not only do we need governments to create incentives and competition to encourage the development of a number of renewable energy technologies, as well as implementing various types in public buildings as demonstrations; we also need to encourage private and community sector participation. There are some great examples of this in Freiburg, Germany, where Mr Gentleman went to research this bill.
There is a huge range of both public and private buildings that are run solely on solar energy. Areas could be grouped and shareholdings established to promote viability. Community-based solar projects should be encouraged as well as the private application of feed-in laws as, despite best efforts, only a minority of households and others are likely to make use of the solar feed-in tariff. I believe I read that for something like 1.5 per cent of households in Germany this tariff is extremely successful.
We also need to see, most likely in partnership with the commonwealth and New South Wales governments and industry, the identifying of areas for the establishment of large-scale wind farms around the ACT. We need to provide better incentives for solar hot-water installation—something that is absolutely great and which is overlooked; it works fantastically well in the ACT and we do not hear a word about it. We need to identify and use geothermal sources in proximity to the ACT, and we need to investigate further biomass energy sources, including methane extraction and power generation. Perhaps these are things that the government is already considering with respect to that much-awaited energy strategy.
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