mailto:oliphant@adam.com.

au
Australian Solar Energy Society (SA Branch)

SOLAR NEWS SA Formerly the ANZSES CHATTER

www.anzses.org sa @ anzses.org DECEMBER 09

WELCOME
… to this month’s edition of Solar News SA
Want a printed copy? Go to www.35s.com.au/anzses
A NEW NAME: AUSES
Following the separation of the NZ section of ANZSES and member consultation, the board resolved that the Society will trade
as the Australian Solar Energy Society. To avoid any confusion with the American Solar Energy Society (ASES) the board has
decided to use the abbreviation AuSES.
AUSES/ATA MEETING DEC 8TH 7.30PM : ENFIELD COMMUNITY CENTRE, 540 REGENCY ROAD, ENFIELD
. “What are our Climate Change Targets and How can Solar Cities help us reach them?”
December 8th: Dr Monica Oliphant, President of the International Solar Energy Society and a member of AUSES will present her
experiences of Solar Cities all over the world
This talk looks at what our targets are, source of emissions and renewable energy options. In addition it gives some examples of
Islands and Cities aiming for high renewable energy penetrations and notes some interesting energy efficient technologies.
This will be a joint meeting with the Australian Solar Energy Society and will be the ATA SA Branch annual meeting including
election of officers for 2010.
FEED-IN TARIFF SUBMISSION
AuSES –SA recently made a submission to the local review of the feed-in tariff, as follows:
The aim of the feed- in- tariff (FIT) scheme is to:
• Encourage the uptake of small scale photo- voltaic (PV) systems
• Reward owners of PV systems for their investment in PV
• Balance the reward to the owners and the cost of the scheme.
There are currently more than 8,500 household PV systems installed in South Australia, which is the greatest uptake of any state
on a per capita basis.
AuSES SA believes that the main incentive for installation was the Federal Government’s PV rebate program (PVRP) which was
closed in May 2009. This was replaced by the issue of bonus renewable energy certificates (RECS) for PV systems.
Unfortunately the value of RECS has dropped recently, and a home owner can now expect to get a rebate of approximately
$2,600 for the installation of a 1kWp system and $4000 for a 1.5kWp system. This is instead of the maximum of $8000 under the
previous PVRP system.
This has resulted in a significant fall in the number of applications for systems since the scheme was changed.
We believe the current FIT scheme has been an effective additional incentive to homeowners to install PV systems on their
homes but in view of the reduced subsidy from the Federal government the scheme needs to be improved.
We consider that the scheme could be improved by changing from a net FIT to a gross FIT, i.e. the system owners be paid on
the energy generated rather than just on the energy exported. This type of tariff has recently been announced by the NSW
government and will also apply in the ACT. Both the ACT and NSW schemes also have more generous tariffs than the South
Australian scheme (50.05c/kwh for systems of less than 10KW in ACT and 60cents in NSW). Under the proposed Victorian
scheme, a net tariff will apply, but at 60cents/kwh. As a consequence of these more generous interstate schemes, SA is likely to
lose its lead as the State with the highest per capita uptake of PV.
The current system is of little value to owners of 1kWp or smaller systems, as most of the energy generated is consumed in the
home with very little being exported. The amount of energy exported depends strongly on the size of the system and the owner’s
load profile (pattern of electricity consumption over an average day). The net tariff favours householders with large systems
(greater than 1.5 kWp) who are rarely home during the daytime. A gross feed-in tariff would provide a greater incentive to those
people who cannot afford the 1.5kWp system, for which the maximum RECS are awarded, but would consider the smaller
investment in a 1kWp system if the FIT justified it. Adoption of such a scheme would boost local employment and training in the
PV industry and help the move towards a low carbon electricity future.
The metering for gross generation may require minor modification to the existing import/export meter on the system and in view
of this we recommend that the conversion from a net to gross FIT be optional for system owners. If it is assumed that the cost of
conversion is at the owner’s expense it is estimated that it would be paid back in approximately one year.
If a gross FIT is introduced then many system owners will be in net credit on their electricity bills. In order to increase the
incentive to system owners we recommend that this credit be paid quarterly to the system owners.
At present there are no incentives for people who are unable to afford the cost of a system on their own roof or who do not have
suitable roof space of their own ,to become part of a consortium and own a share of a community based system. Such systems
could be placed on a suitable community roof space or be stand-alone. If it is necessary to place a cap on such systems we
suggest it be 10kWp per share holder with no overall total cap.

In summary AuSES-SA therefore recommends that the FIT be retained with greater incentives to the householder and that:
• The tariff be paid on all photovoltaic generated energy rather than just exported energy.
• There be no reduction in the minimum 44c/kWh paid for generated or exported electricity.
• That net credits to system owners be paid quarterly.
 • There be no reduction in the eligibility cap size of 10 kWp
• There be no reduction in the eligibility limit for small businesses up to an electrical energy consumption of 160MWh/yr.
• There be no change to the duration of the scheme, currently valid to 2028.
• That the tariff be applied to systems funded by public consortiums with a minimum cap of 10kWp per share holder.
ADVISORY COMMITTEE
Local Members Chris Von Der Borch and John Boland were recently elected to the National Advisory Committee for AuSES, to
assist and advise the board members under the new constitutional arrangements. Congratulations!
THE ISES SOLAR WORLD CONGRESS, JOHANNESBURG, SOUTH AFRICA OCTOBER 11-14 2009
Report from Stewart Martin
This ISES conference attracted approximately 730 delegates, 190 students and over a 1000 visitors to the trade display. There
were 12 delegates from Australia including at least 4 from South Australia (Wasim Saman, Monica Oliphant, John Boland, and
Stewart Martin).
There were 12 plenary speakers, up to 5 parallel sessions covering; “resource assessment”, “solar heating and cooling”, “solar
electricity,” “solar buildings” and “solar energy and society” and over 100 poster papers.
There was much optimism at the conference with significant progress being reported in the development, production and
implementation of all the RE technologies.
Some of the papers of particular interest included the following:
CIS – Based Thin Film Technology. Prof Vivian Alberts University of Johannesburg.
Thin film solar cells from the alloys of CuInGa/CdSe are currently produced commercially by about 8 companies, however
volume is very low when compared with silicon cells. The group at the Uni of Jo’burg has developed a cell of this type with
efficiency from the pilot plant of 14.7% which is considerably better than the present commercially available cells (approx 10%).
The stability of the cells is reported to be as good as silicon cells. A spin-off company (Thin Film Solar Technologies) is setting up
a commercial plant for production of the cells which is expected to be online by 2013. The cells will be deposited by evaporation
onto glass or flexible substrates.
Solar Hybrid Innovation Powers Marble Bar and Nullagine. Dave Edwards, Horizon Power, WA.
Marble Bar and Nullagine are in the East Pilbara approx 1500 km N of Perth and are amongst the hottest towns in Australia. The
current power stations are 30 yrs old in isolated networks which need upgrading. Horizon Power is installing solar/diesel hybrid
systems to supply the towns. Marble Bar with 4X 320 kW diesel gens + 303 kWp tracking solar array and Nullagine with 3x
320kW gens + 202 kWp tracking solar array. The arrays of silicon modules were supplied by Sunpower, Australia. Both systems
have 500kW “Power store” flywheels supplied by PowerCorp of Darwin which store 18MJ of energy, with zero to full o/put in
5ms. These systems will be the first to use flywheel storage with solar/diesel.
Energy audits were done on each dwelling to assist with matching power profile to load and problems with very inefficient
equipment and practice were largely rectified..
Solar will produce 65% of the town’s average daytime energy (1.1 GWh/yr) and reduce fuel consumption by 35% (150kl/yr) and
emissions by 500t/yr. The systems which will be commissioned in April 2010 will be controlled remotely from Port
Hedland/Karratha..
Concentrator PV Systems with AC Efficiency > 23%. A. Gombert, Concentrix Solar, Freiburg.
Concentrix has a 25 MWp/yr production facility in Freiburg for Flatcon modules, expandable up to 100MW/yr. These consist of a
set of Fresnel lenses concentrating sunlight onto high efficiency (35%) III-V multi-junction cells. There are currently 200 cells in a
75W array.

A Flatcon Array
Two power plants of 100 kWp each were connected in Sept 08 in Seville
and Puertollano, Spain. The arrays have a tracking accuracy >0.1˚ a
maximum AC efficiency of 25% with an annual average AC efficiency of
20%. The temperature dependence is low and the levelised cost of
electricity (LCOE) in Seville is approx same as fixed Si modules. (Av
insolation 5.9 kWh/day), whereas in high insolation areas (Av insolation
7.1 kWh/day) Flatcon gives the lowest LCOE.
Solar Cookers in Africa. Crosby Menzies, Solar Fire and Sunfire
Solutions, Johannesburg.
Approx 3 billion people rely on firewood for cooking-consuming approx 2
billions tn of wood/yr. Lack of firewood and clean drinking water are
catalysts which could destabilise Africa.
Solar cookers can:
• Reduce firewood consumption by 50-70%.
• Ensure safe drinking water.
• Reverses effects of deforestation and desertification.
• Alleviate poverty.
• Reduce work load of women and children.
• Dramatically reduce indoor air pollution- 4th biggest killer of women and children in Africa. Also reduce
haze-smog in atmosphere.
• Reduce conflict with wild life.
• Create jobs.
Sunfire are distributing cookers and integrated cooking packages to villages in S. Africa , this is subsidised by the Solar
Entrepreneurs programme using funds provided by the carbon offsets obtained from flights in the UK.
Products include:
 • Parabolic dish – cost ≈ A$250 (best can boil 1l water in 5 mins).
• Fuel efficient stove (uses 50% less firewood and smoke than cooking fire).
• Box cooker (oven).
• Retained heat cooker.

The Sunfire Parabolic Dish

Sunfire are currently looking for volunteers to help roll out their cooking
packages in Southern Africa, see their website or contact Stewart Martin for
details.
The Future of Solar Electricity. Prof Eicke Weber, Freiburg.
Progress on several fronts was described including:
• World PV production in 2008 was approx 5GWp with 2 GWp
being installed in Spain and 1.2GWp in Germany mainly due to
generous feed in tariff schemes.
• Development of cells from refined metallurgical grade silicon
(cost $1/kg) rather than semiconductor grade silicon (cost
$60/kg).
• Efficiency of multicrystalline silicon cells being improved by using
laser fired contacts, plasma surface texturing and surface
passivation.
• Grid competitive electricity prices from solar expected by 2020 and earlier in parts of Southern Europe (depending
on electricity tariff and solar insolation).
World record efficiency for triple junction III-V cells now 41.1% (Fraunhofer Inst.).
New and Emerging Developments in Solar Energy. Prof Yogi Goswami.
Yogi discussed the research into using nanotechnology to produce nano-antennas with a rectifier to convert sunlight to electricity
with a potential maximum efficiency of 80%. He also described the “Goswami” cycle which is more efficient than the standard
Rankine cycle for extracting power from relatively low temperature steam, as for example from solar thermal power stations. He
also discussed his research into solar photo-catalytic detoxification and disinfection of air and water using sunlight and titanium
dioxide.
The following papers were given by the South Australian contingent:
1. How Solar Cities Can Help us Reach our Climate Change Goals. Monica Oliphant.
Monica will be giving an overview of this presentation at our joint meeting with the ATA on Tues Dec 8th.
2. Bayesian Model Selection of Solar Diffuse Fraction Models. P. Lauret, J. Boland, and B. Ridley.
3. Modelling the Conditional Variance of Wind Farm Output Utilising Realised Volatility. J. Boland, B. Ridley and M.
Agrawal.
4. The Impact of Passive Design and Solar Energy Use in a Housing Development on the Electrical Grid. W. Saman and
E. Halawa.
5. Reduction of Greenhouse Emissions from the University of SA- Learning to Educate with Less. S. Martin, A. Lewis, F.
Bruno, W. Saman, A. Marshall and T. Jones.
A paper was also given by Dario de Bortoli (Origin Energy, Melbourne) entitled:.
Adelaide Solar City: Innovative Solutions to Engage Consumers and Facilitate Behavioural Change.
Industrial Display
The industrial exhibition was very impressive and included over 60 companies, from all over the world specialising in all aspects
of renewable energy but particularly on solar hot water and photo voltaic systems and production.
Congress Resolution
Delegates adopted a Congress Resolution, which will be taken forward to Cop15, the United Nations Climate Change
Conference in Copenhagen from 7 to 18 December 2009.
The ISES SWC2009 Resolution, among others, appeals to industrialised countries to increase their efforts in transitioning to
renewable energies. It calls on the world’s governments to implement without further delay policies that have been proven
internationally to be the most effective and efficient in the rapid transition to a renewable energy world, giving priority to
renewable energy and refraining from any kind of caps that may slow down renewable energy deployment.
Click here to read the full version of the Congress Resolution.
THE CHANNEL 9 YOUNG ACHIEVER AWARDS
This is a state wide Awards Program run for young South Australians between the ages of 14-28. It acknowledges and rewards
individuals working to better their communities and South Australia as a whole.
The Nippy’s Environment Award salutes those who are dedicated to saving planet Earth by nurturing and protecting our
natural surroundings.
Nominations can be submitted via the mail (PO Box 1028, KENT TOWN SA 5071), via email – sa@awardsaustralia.com or
online at http://awardsaustralia.com.au/YAA_sa.html
ROXBY DOWNS
AuSES –SA recently made a submission to the Roxby Downs EIS process. It concentrated on housing provisions and is
available at www.35s.com.au/anzses/
UPCOMING MEETING FEB 2010 – WATCH THIS SPACE!
Sustainable Population Australia (SPA) Zero Carbon Network (ZCN) and Economic Reform Australia (ERA), along with AuSES,
are planning a public forum involving Mark Diesendorf, Helen Caldicott, Barry Brook and Tom Blees in February next year. More
details in the new year.
NSW ANNOUNCES FEED-IN TARIFF
The Premier of Australia's largest state, New South Wales, recently announced a gross feed-in tariff (FIT) of AU $0.60/kWh for
seven years. This tariff is approximately four times the rate residential customers pay for electricity, and is available for all small
consumers of electricity (below 160 MWh/year consumption). This gross FIT, which will pay on the entire amount of solar
generation from systems up to 10 kWp, modifies the initially proposed net Feed-in Tariff, which would have run for 20 years.
The gross FIT also means that the more affordable small installations of 1.5 kW again become financially sensible investments.
The Australian states of Victoria, South Australia, and Queensland all have net FITs, which pay a premium only for power export
to the grid. This incentivises PV owners to install large solar power systems and to minimise daytime power consumption in order
to maximise revenue from power exports.
The problem with a net FIT is that it does not provide guaranteed returns on investment, as the revenue created depends
significantly upon the occupant’s daytime power consumption.
As such, the gross FIT opens up the market for small scale commercial systems, which could have paybacks within 7 years. The
gross FIT also means that the more affordable small installations of 1.5 kW again become financially sensible investments,
largely due to “solar credits”, the complementary federal government support measure that targets 1.5 kW systems.
JAPANESE TEAM WINS SOLAR CAR CHALLENGE
Thirty five teams from around the world started the event in Darwin.
A Japanese solar car has won the Global Green Challenge race from Darwin to Adelaide,
crossing the finish line this afternoon.
The Tokai Challenger took the lead on the first day of the 3000 kilometre race, which began
last Sunday.
Race officials say the team suffered a flat tire today near the Crystal Brook rail overpass
less than 200 kilometres from the finish.
The win breaks a four race winning streak by the Dutch Nuon team.
Source ABC
DEPUTY DIRECTOR OF THE INSTITUTE OF ENVIRONMENTAL STUDIES AT UNSW DR MARK DIESENDORF
WRITES:
Despite strong and consistent public support, renewable energy has been held back for decades by Australian governments.
They have done this with a combination of token support on the public stage and decimation behind the scenes.
The principal feature of John Howard’s tokenism was the tiny Mandatory Renewable Energy Target (MRET), a certificate system
the gave a subsidy to generators of renewable energy. MRET was so keenly supported by the new clean green industries, that
the 2010 MRET target was essentially reached in 2006 and then Australia’s nascent wind turbine manufacturing industry went
from boom to bust. Factories making wind turbine components in Wynyard, Tasmania, and Portland, Victoria, were shut down.
Before the 2007 federal election, Rudd Labor promised to change all that. Its election commitments for renewable energy
included an expanded Renewable Energy Target (RET), the Renewable Energy Fund (for demonstration and dissemination), the
Energy Innovation Fund (for research), the $8000 rebate for residential solar electricity, and an emissions trading scheme.
Voters were also led to belief that several existing schemes -- such as the Remote Renewable Power Generation Program and
Cities for Climate Protection -- would be continued.
Eighteen months after Rudd Labor was swept into office, partly on the strength of its promises for renewable energy, every one
of these promises and reasonable expectations had either been broken, or delayed in implementation, or only funded to a
negligible degree. Here, I focus on RET, which was finally passed into law in August 2009, over a year after it could have been
implemented. Its official aim is a worthy if modest one: to lift renewable energy’s contribution to 20% of Australia’s electricity by
2020. However, the scheme is designed in a way that ensures that this goal cannot be achieved in practice.
The first design flaw, pointed out before the scheme was put before parliament, is that a large proportion of the target will be
taken up by solar and electric heat pump hot water. While these technologies deserve support, it should not come from inclusion
in the RET. With existing subsidies, the main barrier to solar hot water is not an economic one, but rather the requirement by
many local governments that solar hot water must have planning permission.
The second major design flaw of the RET is that, under the Solar Credits Scheme, each residential solar electricity system that is
installed is counted as if it contributed five systems, one real and four "phantom", to the target. Although the phantom systems
will be phased out by mid-2015, by then the damage will have been done. Together with solar and heat pump hot water, the
phantom solar electric systems will have taken up the vast majority of the RET and the subsidies that come with the renewable
energy certificates (RECs) generated by the RET.
It is difficult to believe that these fundamental design flaws were a result of incompetence alone. One result is that there will be
few if any RECs available for large-scale wind power and bioelectricity from crop residues, the two lowest cost of the new
renewable electricity technologies. Another result, already causing consternation among renewable energy businesses, is that
the price of RECs will fall and so the large-scale renewable energy technologies will not be able to compete with dirty coal power.
Several wind farms currently under development are now facing bankruptcy. The remaining manufacturers of wind turbine
components, such as Keppel Prince, are on the point of laying off many workers. The Condong and Broadwater bioelectricity
power stations, which burn sugar cane residues, are said to be making big losses.
The solutions to this situation are simple. The federal government should remove solar and heat pump hot water from the RET
and should immediately stop counting phantom RECs as contributing to the target. State governments should ban local
governments from requiring planning permission for the installation of solar and heat pump hot water. Thus we can have solar
hot water, residential solar electricity and large-scale wind power and bioelectricity. However, we would still need a separate
scheme to build the market for large solar power stations. Based on European experience, the best mechanism is feed-in tariffs.

Dr Mark Diesendorf is deputy director of the Institute of Environmental Studies at UNSW and author of Climate Action: A
campaign manual for greenhouse solutions. Source: Crikey.com.au
BRANCH COMMITTEE 2009:
President: Stewart Martin Solar News SA Editor: John Held
School of Electrical and Information Engineering, University Ph 8271 4555 (w) 8272 6608(h) Email
of SA, Mawson Lakes 5095 jfheld@rusyel.com.au
Ph 8302 3048 (w) 8261 4630 (h) fax 8302 3389 email:
Publicity Officer:
stewart.martin@unisa.edu.au
Margaret Dingle ph 8362 7007 email
Secretary: Albert Thompson mdingle@chariot.net.au
aat@internode.on.net
Sustainable House Day Coordinator:
Treasurer: John Rolls Monica Oliphant 8277 3357 (h) 0404 898277(Mob) email:
103 Lansdowne Terrace Vale Park 5081 Ph 8463 6907 (w) oliphant@adam.com.au
8269 3879 (h) 04 1029 4638 (m)
Committee Members:
Rolls.John@saugov.sa.gov.au
Mark Needham
Chris Von Der Borch
FUTURE MATERIAL FOR SOLAR NEWS SA
We are keen to distribute as much information and news as possible in this format. Obviously it’s quickest, easiest and fastest by
email – so if you are getting this by post, and have an email address, please contact John Held at jfheld@rusyel.com.au . Please
send me any news, meetings of interest to members, and other bits of information!