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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 safety and to check that the system is performing as it should. Any electrical system that suffers from...
read moreA 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 economic modelling done for the PACR show benefits exceeding costs across the whole NEM for a range of scenarios....
read more100% 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 calendar year. For this period renewable electricity generation was 102% of Tasmanian demand. The increase is not...
read moreIt’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 companies are using this change that happens on 1 January to panic people into signing contracts for solar...
read moreMetering 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 appointed Metering Dynamics to carry out this work, and Metering Dynamics have in turn contracted with Lendlease...
read moreTREA Annual General Meeting and strategy discussion – 17 October 2018
The Annual General Meeting (AGM) of the Tasmanian Renewable Energy Alliance Inc. will be held at 5pm on Wednesday 17 October at the Talbot Hotel, 131 New Town Road, New Town. (Parking at rear). The meeting will also include an informal discussion and planning for what TREA should be doing to prepare for the end of the legacy FiT on 31 December. The business of the Annual General Meeting is to: elect the officers of the Association and the ordinary committee members, confirm the minutes of the last preceding annual general meeting and of any...
read moreTasmanian Solar Feed-in Tariff Review
Update 6 December 2018: Read our article in The Mercury “Slamming the brakes on solar” (PDFs of print and online versions) Update 21 November 2018: Read our media release on the final report of the Solar FiT Review Update 6 August 2018: Our submission Solar for Tasmania’s Future is now available for download. The state government is conducting a review of the solar feed-in tariff and submissions are due by next Monday 6 August 2018. You can download the TREA Briefing Paper for more information and suggestions on points you could...
read moreChanges to Australian Standard on connecting generators
A new version of AS/NZS 3010:2017 Electrical installations – Generating sets comes into effect in Tasmania on 8 November 2017 and CBOS will enforce the new requirements contained within the standard from the date of commencement (download Notice of Commencement). This Standard sets out the minimum safety requirements related to the use of generating sets for the supply of electricity at low voltage, that is, not exceeding 1000 V a.c or 1500 V d.c. The Standard applies to electricity generating sets that are driven by internal combustion...
read moreEnergy efficiency
Saving energy and saving money “Saving energy and saving money” forums These were held in Launceston (4 Apr 2017) and Hobart (5 Apr 2017). You can download the flyer. Download the presentations: TREA presentation: TEELS (loan scheme), why energy efficiency, tariff options, energy audits and monitoring, solar diverters. Home Efficiency Group presentation: roof heat recovery and ducted air circulation. Mode Electrical presentation: on-grid and off-grid solar plus battery options, heat pumps, containerised solar power system for a hospital in...
read moreAurora time-of-use tariff
Update 24 June 2020: Chart below now compares the various tariffs using the 2020-2021 prices. Update 10 Jan 2017. Note that these tariffs are in AEST (ie do not follow daylight saving changes). See official Aurora page for details of these tariffs. Aurora Energy introduced two new time-of-use tariffs, from 1 July 2016 on an opt-in basis. One for residential customers and one for small business customers. The residential Tariff 93 has two prices: peak 7-10am and 4-9pm Monday to Friday, all other times including all weekend are off-peak. (see...
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