Rob Jennings

Our research has highlighted the barriers to taking up solar. One is that people don’t trust the many companies whose telemarketers are annoying them on the phone. Will the work be done and done safely? Will there be hidden costs which were not mentioned prior to the day of installation? Will the tree shading my roof be a problem? These are all questions which cause anxiety for householders.

Another barrier is what may be called `technology confusion’. Because there are many types and quality of panel and inverter on the market, it’s very difficult for the average householder to decide what’s best. As a result, many people have decided to wait until an offer they can trust comes along.

A third barrier is cost. Although solar prices have fallen a lot, one-off installations  are still relatively expensive for many people.

With MASH+ we are breaking through all these barriers. You have a trusted supplier recommended by other organisations, you can have the different panels and inverters clearly explained and you can pay a discounted price up-front or over time.

Once a leader in renewable energy, Australia is now going against the tide. Claims that renewable energy is pushing up electricity prices are dishonest. As articles in last Saturday’s Age (14 June 2014) make clear the major cause of power price increases over the last few years has been the huge investment in transmission costs due to upgrading of poles and wires. Most industry observers call this ‘gold plating of the network’. Instead of taking more imaginative measures to control peak demand for a few days in summer, the industry has invested heavily to increase its reliability and capacity to provide uninterrupted power on those few days. This has come at a great cost to consumers. Renewable power has accounted for only 9% of the increase in electricity costs.

So why the war? The coal industry and the big generators have campaigned heavily for an end to renewable subsidies. Solar power, particularly, is hurting their business as solar’s peak output occurs in the afternoon when the profits for the generators are highest. Solar has cut peak demand for grid electricity in Australia. It has challenged the business models of those who are doing most damage to our environment.

What’s the likely outcome? In the end solar will win. Its price continues to fall as the technology develops and battery strorage is not far off. The more that the utilities raise their service fees and tariffs, the more people will leave the grid altogether. Eventually, perhaps within 4-5 years, the utilities will realise that it’s futile to oppose renewables; in the meantime however they will help set back Australia’s renewables progress.