Renewable energy is becoming more and more relevant to our current and future lives. The hot word ‘solar power revolution’ is an emerging boom in the uptake of renewable energy worldwide. So how much is solar really taking over? The answer is 1 percent. And who is leading this so-called solar revolution?
Many are suggesting that Australia is the solar leader of the world. According to the Australian Bureau of Statistics, 19 percent of Australian households now have either rooftop solar panels or solar-powered hot water systems — this is 1 in 5 households nationally.
In terms of an international comparison, the Energy Supply Association of Australia found that Australia is, in fact, world No. 1 in terms of residential rooftop solar — at 15 percent, with this rooftop solar penetration expected to rise to 50 percent within the next decade.
Bloomberg New Energy Finance revealed that while Australia does have a high capacity of rooftop solar per capita, where it falls behind is in the area of large, nationally- or state-run public solar projects. Just 15 percent of Australia’s solar industry is made up of large-scale, utility-level solar projects — something that is almost the opposite of the U.S., where utility-scale solar makes up the majority of solar capacity.
In addition to previous statistics from the Bloomberg New Energy Finance report, the penetration of large-scale solar in Australia was said to be as low as 300 megawatts in 2015 — compared to 7.3 Gig watts of large-scale solar projects in California alone.
The relatively free market that solar has become in Australia is what has caused the unusually high levels of residential solar and lower levels of public projects. In other words, consumer demand and small business supply have carried Australia’s solar boom.
Looking even deeper, the Australian economy’s long history of reliance on the coal and fossil fuel industries can explain a lack of action on large-scale and public solar projects on the part of the government and big business.
Australia must not be let off the hook for its surprisingly low large-scale renewable energy action. Following strong commitments that emerged from the Paris climate summit in 2015, there is no room for any nation to hide behind favorable statistics in one sector to divert attention from disappointing ones in another.
Australia must follow the lead of Europe and the U.S. in terms of deploying commercial, utility-scale solar projects just as much as it should set an example in the rooftop solar sector. After all, if we’re striving for a better planet, there’s nothing wrong with a bit of healthy competition.
HELP Technology Co., Ltd is a professional supplier of solar power products and a wide range of LED lights, such as UL CE certified LED high bay lamp, IP65 outdoor LED flood light, and T8 LED tube light fixture, etc.
More products information please visit home page: www.ledpv.com
Or contact: kofain@ledpv.com, molly@ledpv.com
請先 登入 以發表留言。