Solar passes means test

Summaries - Australian Financial Review
Tuesday 9/12/2008 Page: 53

The solar energy industry continues to expand, despite gloomy predictions that followed the government's surprise announcement in the May budget of means-tested rebates. Demand has 'exploded,' according to Eric Zimmerman, chief executive of Victoria-based solar installation firm Beyond Building. Coenergy chief executive Rodger Meads, who led a protest against means-testing to Environment Minister Peter Garrett, says the surprise boom is likely the result of publicity generated by the government's decision.

He said the solar panel market had grown at the bottom end but 'probably declined at the upper end.' The Department of Environment says it's receiving 30 times as many rebate applications as it had budgeted for. Phil May of Queanbeyan-based Solartec says his business has remained the same as before the means test was introduced. The industry continues to have concerns about means testing and favours a gross feed-in tariff, which pays homes with solar energy a premium for the electricity they produce. But the Council of Australian Governments two weeks ago backed net schemes, which pay only for electricity fed into the grid.