How Feed-in Tariffs for Solar and Wind Power Work
When you have a solar power system that is grid connected, you can be paid for the surplus energy that is produced by your system being fed back into the grid. Essentially, the feed-in tariff is the rate that is paid for an amount of electricity that is supplied to the electricity grid from a specified renewable electricity generation source, such as solar panels on your roof or a wind turbine.
To date, regulations for feed-in tariffs for contributions of renewable energy exist in approximately forty countries around the globe.
How do feed-in tariffs work in Australia?
In this country, there is currently no nationalised program. Instead, schemes that are particular to each state are in operation.
5 Facts About Solar Power and the Carbon Tax
Announcement of the Australian Federal Government’s carbon tax has raised many questions about the nation’s use of energy and the viability of more environmentally sound alternatives. The carbon tax will charge the 500 biggest polluters in this country at the rate of $23 per tonne from July 2012. Suddenly, interest in solar energy and solar panels has increased.
What do we know about solar power and the carbon tax?
1) The carbon tax means different things to different people, predominantly determined by whether you are involved with industry. According to some, such as the coal mining towns in remote parts of the country, the tax represents a death sentence to their production and livelihood, while others see it as a good opportunity to explore other options available to us in this country, such as use of renewable energy sources such as sun and wind which are in plentiful supply.
6 Facts About Australia’s Use of Energy
In terms of its use of electricity and in comparison to other countries, Australia ranks approximately fourteenth in the world. This puts us behind the United States, the world’s biggest user of electricity, but only three places behind the United Kingdom, which has a considerably larger population than Australia.
There is a lot of evidence to prove that Australia makes a strong contribution to the problem of global warming and that we are not doing as much as we possibly can to redress this issue. The use of solar panels and solar energy has been — and continues to be — proven to make a positive impact on the environment and a reduction in household energy bills. However, even with government incentives and rebates, solar energy is not being used as fully as it could be.
So, what do we know about Australia’s use of electricity?
7 of Your Home’s Biggest Energy Users
Rising costs of electricity are forcing us all to examine and be more accountable for the ways that we use this form of power. Because of the ever-increasing cost of electricity and because it is important to behave in ways that are sustainable and environmentally friendly, installing solar panels for your home can be a very wise move.
It is probably no surprise that the biggest users of electricity in typical households are:
1) Heating and/or air conditioning
We go to great lengths to change ‘the weather’ in our homes. It is not uncommon for air conditioners and other heating and/or cooling units to be left running when no one is home or when no one is in the room.
3 Ways to Improve the Energy Efficiency of Your Home
It is not just to reduce our energy bills that many of us want to improve the energy efficiency of our homes. Of course this is an important factor, but it is also to be environmentally responsible that so many of us are interested in improved energy efficiency for our homes.
Announcement of the Australian Government’s carbon tax has certainly illuminated the importance of energy efficiency and sustainability. Most of us know that solar panels offer a way for homes to be more energy efficient and to reduce energy bills, but beyond this many of us are unclear about ways to make more effective use of energy in our homes.
When you stop to consider that an estimated seven tonnes of greenhouses gas emissions result from the average household’s use of energy, this gives some indication of the gravity of the situation and the need for prompt and appropriate action. Fortunately, the use of renewable energy, appliances with enhanced efficiency and strategies to minimise energy consumption mean that more environmentally sound alternatives are available.
4 Tips for Purchasing Solar Panels
Perhaps you have made the decision to invest in solar panels for your home, but are unsure of the features to look for and the factors you should consider when purchasing solar panels. There are a number of important areas to consider when you are buying solar panels and here we take a look at four tips to help guide your decision.
1: Do not try to choose a solar panel based only on its cost
Of course you do not want to spend more than is absolutely necessary and you do want to get value for money, but because different solar panels have different features and specifications, they are correspondingly priced differently.
How to Efficiently Heat and Cool Your Home
As we all become more aware of the environmental and financial costs of electricity use, the need to find and use efficient and eco-friendly forms of power is all the more vital. Essentially, we all need to be responsible for the ways that we use power and this certainly extends to how we heat and cool our homes.
With the average household spending a significant amount of their total energy bill on heating and cooling, it has never been more important to choose smart, efficient and cost effective options.
There are a number of ways that we can all reduce our dependence on electricity and be more eco-friendly and responsible with how we use this form of power, while still enjoying a home that is appropriately cooled or heated.
Solar panels:
Six Facts About Grid Connected Solar Power Systems
Many people who have had solar panels installed at their homes have opted for a grid connected solar power system. Although it may at first seem complex, grid connected solar power systems require the installation of surprisingly few components but carry the advantage of surplus energy generated being contributed back to the grid and solar credits resulting.
Here we take a look at six facts about grid connected solar power systems and how they function.
Six Advantages of Solar Energy
As issues with greenhouse gas emissions and global warming are becoming better understood throughout the world, solar energy is quickly and rightfully gathering increased levels of interest. There is significant evidence to prove that the processes used to generate power through fossil fuels are environmentally harmful and so solar power is better recognised for its capacity to reduce the effects of climate change and global warming.
Solar panels for your home are the best way that any household can make a positive contribution to the environment and its protection. With the possibility of earning solar credits from the government and reducing power bills, many homeowners are realising the value of solar panels in a financial sense too.
Four Environmental Benefits of Solar Panels
Today, international awareness and much recognition exist of the damage that has been done to the environment and the need to take steps to rectify problems and protect the environment as much as possible. Solar represent one of the best ways of harnessing a natural source of energy (sunlight) and converting this into a usable and environmentally sound source of power.
Here we take a look at four environmental benefits that come with the use of solar panels:
#1: The electricity is produced by solar panels with no emissions