Rebates

The Australian government has pledged a range of rebates for various forms of green energy.

This commitment is based upon limited funds as well as legislative policies, and therefore is subject to change or stop completely.

Some of the current rebates being offered are:

• Up to $1500 for a greywater system.
• Up to $3,000 for a water tank or other water-saving system.
• Up to $3000 for a solar hot water system.
• Up to $100,000 for renewable energy and energy efficiency measures in schools.

Incentives

There are several incentives currently being offered by the Australian government:

• Renewable Energy Certificates (RECs’) are a tradable commodity similar to shares that can be claimed on the production of renewable energy.
• The solar credits scheme is way to multiply the number of RECs given out for the production of solar energy using small generator units.

Feed-in Tariffs (FIT)

The central principle of a FIT scheme is the payment of guaranteed tariffs for fixed periods of time for electricity generated from solar energy. System operators are obligated to guarantee access to the grid for solar installations.

According to the World Future Council the FIT has been internationally the major driving force behind the growth of the renewable energy industry. It is nowadays the world’s most prevalent renewable energy policy. Due not least to the success of the FIT laws in Germany and Denmark a worldwide total of 57 countries introduced similar FIT schemes for renewable-generated electricity.

Feed-in Tariffs in Australia

• Guaranteed access to the electricity grid to connect PV system.
• Electricity companies are obligated to buy the produced excess electricity at a fixed price.
• The fixed price for the PV electricity is paid for a duration of 7-20 years.
• The pricing level and the payment duration is dependent on the state
• The additional cost of the ”Feed in Tariff” is passed on to all electricity consumers in the state

There are currently two types of Feed-In Tariffs schemes in operation in Australia. One rewards you for all the energy your solar system produces, regardless of how much of that energy you use yourself. This is known as a Gross Feed-In Tariff, which only NSW and ACT have enacted. The other scheme rewards you for the excess electricity calculated after your usage has been taken into account. This is known as a Net Feed-In Tariff. Following Table shows Feed-in tariff rates for solar electricity by state.

For more detailed information about Feed-in tariffs in Victoria see the report 'Premium Rates for Solar Electricity' by the Department of Primary Industries (DPI).

Advantages of the Feed-in Tariff

FIT systems are known as the “investor’s best friend”. A guaranteed, clear and foreseeable tariff structure over 7-20 years, means that companies, private persons, farmers and communities are willing to invest in solar technologies.  The price security improves the ability to obtain finance from banks, as banks and other investors are assured a guaranteed rate of return over a certain period of time.

• Improves the ability of small investors (e.g. householders, farmers) to obtain finance from banks
• Provides a clear basis to calculate the financial returns from a solar installation
• Reduces the time to have a complete return on solar energy investment

More information

National Solar School Programm

Australian schools are encouraged to take action to tackle climate change through the National Solar School Program (NSSP). The program offers a grant of $50,000 for single campus schools and up to $100,000 for multi-campus schools to install solar systems, rainwater tanks and other energy efficiency measures.

In 2010, more than 1,200 schools across the nation have already benefited from the NSSP grants. These schools will generate their own electricity from renewable energy and improve their energy efficiency by reducing energy consumption.

All schools that haven’t received a grant in the last years are now encouraged to apply for the 2011-12 round. The Government will evaluate your schools’ application against three criteria: value for money, environmental benefits and educational benefits. A governmental assessment process will then determine which application best meets these criteria and should receive the NSSP funding.

For more information about the National Solar School Program and the necessary steps to obtain funding see the Department of Climate Change and Energy Efficiency website:

http://www.climatechange.gov.au/en/government/programs-and-rebates/national-solar-schools.aspx

The Green Energy Shop is a renewable energy company with a wide experience of solar photovoltaic and solar hot water installations as well as many other energy efficient technologies. We are motivated to assist you with the NSSP application process and provide you with the necessary information to meet each of the three assessment criteria.

• Criteria 1: Value for money

Your school needs to obtain competitive pricing for the NSSP grant. This can be done by requiring several quotes. The Green Energy Shop offers you a free, independent, no-obligation energy assessment of your school. We will then conduct an in depth cost-benefit analysis for the project and provide you with a quote.

• Criteria 2: Environmental benefit

The assessment process considers also the size of the solar system and the level of solar radiation.  In addition the Government takes into account weather a school undertakes an energy audit. A professional energy specialist from the Green Energy Shop can conduct an energy efficiency audit and suggest suitable renewable energy technologies and energy efficiency measures.

• Criteria 3: Educational benefit

The competitiveness of your application is also dependent on the proposed measures that will assist students to improve their understanding of climate change and renewable energy. Therefore, the Green Energy Shop offers a free of charge power point presentation from our energy specialists. The presentation will focus on world resource limitations, climate change, distributed energy and the advantages of renewable energy in Australia. Furthermore we can provide you with background information material about these topics.

Additional income from solar power!!!

With a solar system your school can reduce its carbon footprint and help educate pupils about climate change and renewable energy. In addition your solar system can generate extra income for your school. When your solar system generates excess electricity, your electricity retailer will credit your school for any electricity your solar power system feeds back into the grid. Especially during weekends and school holidays your school has the potential to export substantial excess electricity into the power network. As a result you can receive a regular additional income from your electricity supplier.

More information