Solar demand soars despite delays

Canberra Times
Wednesday 28/1/2009 Page: 4

ActewAGL has received a surge of requests for solar energy connection despite lengthy delays and confusion about how to calculate rebates. The ACT's new solar feed-in tariff has been brought forward from July to March 1 this year after lobbying from the ACT Greens. The Greens say the tariff will slash the time it takes Canberrans to recoup the costs of connecting solar energy from 30 to 10 years. Applications for connections over the past year equalled the number received in the previous five years, with a bigger rise in demand expected after March.

Environment Minister Simon Corbell says amendments aimed at clearing tip ambiguities in the tariff law won't stop it being Australia's most generous. Daffy resident Tim Roberts invested $40,000 in a new solar system, calculating it would take eight to 12 years to recoup his costs, only to be told by an industry source the quoted rebate of 3.88 times the normal rate of electricity was under review.

"I thought the Government was doing the right thing [introducing the scheme] and showing leadership," he said. ''But they've been holding meetings with industry groups and changing the goal posts." Mr Corbell said he would announce changes to clear tip technicalities in the legislation when the Legislative Assembly resumed sitting next month.

Rebates would still be calculated at 3.88 times the price of electricity. He would also announce how many cents per kW-hours people would be paid for the power they generated. Hilton Fletcher, of installation company Green Frog Solar and Electrical, said the law needed fine tuning to give customers a clearer understanding of the rebate. He said the 3.88 multiplier, adopted by former Labor backbencher Mick Gentleman, who introduced the legislation, didn't mean mach to consumers.

He expected the Government would set a price of between 50c and 60c per kW-hour. "Obviously there would have been some lobbying from energy companies as well, not wanting to pay too much for the energy they have to buy, but it makes sense to its to simplify it a bit." Greens environment spokesman Shane Rattenbury said the law needed tidying tip, but he was unaware of any move to change the 3.88 multiplier. "I think the 3.88 is an appropriate level, it's a level which is encouraging people to get involved.

It is the one that's out there and people have made their investment decisions on it." Solartec Renewables, one of the ACT's largest solar energy companies, said ActewAGL had reduced metering staff, causing delays of two to three months for connections to the grid. Co-director Phil May said he'd been warned by ActewAGL to stop helping prepare wiring for connections, otherwise he could be charged with meter tampering.

"It's a pretty big issue here. You may spend $30,000 or $40,000 or $50,000 on a solar energy system you're not allowed to torn on," he said. "It's like baying a new car and you're not allowed to drive it for three months. It's just incredible." ActewAGL denies cutting staff. The waiting time for connections was about four weeks, which the utility aimed to reduce to two weeks.