Do I need to get my solar PV inspected?
[you can also download a PDF of this advice] Solar owners in Tasmania have been posted a leaflet from the electrical safety section of the Department of Justice suggesting that solar photovoltaic (PV) installations should be inspected as often as yearly. (You can read their advice here.) Is this necessary and should you do it? Why should I get an inspection? There are two main reasons for inspecting solar PV; for electrical...
A green light for Marinus?
This is a summary of the paper. You can download the full paper with references (PDF 700 kB) Summary The release of the Project Assessment Conclusions Report (PACR) for Project Marinus is an important point in the analysis of the project but it is not in itself a green light for the project to go ahead and it does not guarantee that the project is a viable investment and says nothing about how the project will be paid for. The...
100% renewable? an update
In November 2020, Guy Barnett claimed that “Tasmania is now 100 per cent self-sufficient in renewable energy” (This claim actually relates only to electricity, not total energy use.) In July 2021 we published an analysis which showed that this claim was at least premature. For the 2020-2021 financial year, renewable electricity generation in Tasmania was at most 94.2% renewable. In February 2022 we redid this analysis for the 2021...
It’s nearly 2021 – don’t panic about solar rebates
Update December 2020: This post was originally written in December 2019. The same principles apply each year until 2030. Do not be panicked into signing a contract for solar before January the first. Original post: Of the many things that will change as we enter a new decade, one thing that people shouldn’t panic about is the slight reduction in the ‘rebates’ paid on new solar installations. Some less scrupulous solar sales...
Metering FAQ
Changes to electricity metering National changes were implemented from 1 December 2017 which affect the way electricity metering is supplied and managed. The intention was to facilitate retail competition and assist the roll-out of advanced meters (aka smart meters). In Tasmania this resulted in the responsibility for the installation of new and replacement meters transferring from TasNetworks to Aurora Energy. Aurora Energy have...