5 Jun 09   SYNERGY GOES SOLAR WITH SOLAR UNLIMITED

2 Jun 09   STATE GOVT CHANGES FEED IN TARIFF SCHEME

31 Jan 09  WA ELECTRICITY PRICES SET TO DOUBLE

18 Dec 08 NEW SOLAR CREDITS REBATE EXPLAINED

3 Dec 08   26kW SYSTEM INSTALLED (PERTH'S BIGGEST)

 

5 June 2009 - Synergy goes Solar

From 1st July 2009, Synergy will be offering new solar powered solutions to its customers, welcoming it’s partnership with Solar Unlimited, WA’s leading solar provider.
 
Solar is just one of the many energy solutions offered by Synergy.  Synergy provides it’s customers with energy management advice for their homes and business, green solutions and has its finger on the pulse when it comes to the WA energy market.
 
Synergy’s partnership with Solar Unlimited promises to provide Synergy customers with a convenient and competitively priced solar installation option from the 1st July. 
 
For more information, please visit the Synergy website at www.synergy.net.au/solar

2 June 2009 - State Government changes proposed feed in tariff scheme

The state government has promised a gross feed in tariff at the 2008 election.  On June 2, 2009, the Minister For Energy, Petter Collier announced that the originally promised gross feed in tariff would not be introduced.  Instead, the state government would introduce two assistance schemes for residential solar PV system owners, including a new net feed in tarrif commencing after 1 July 2010.  Click here for further details.

31 January 2009 - Office of Energy recommends doubling of electricity prices by 2012

The WA Office of Energy report (http://www.energy.wa.gov.au/2/3240/64/electricity_ret.pm) of January 2009 made a number of recommendations to re-align WA’s retail electricity prices with the cost of production. 

The retail A1 tariff cost at January 2009 was well below other states and on some calculations, below the cost of production.

The Office of Energy report recommended a number of electricty price increases over the next 3 years, the first of which will see the retail A1 tariff increase from around 14c per kW/h (or unit) INC GST, to 17.61c per kW/h INC GST on 1 July 2009.  Below are the Office of Energy’s projections for electricity price increases from January 2009 onwards:

• 2009/10  =    52% increase
• 2010/11 =     26% increase
• 2011/12 =     13% increase

These are the Office’s final reccommendations to the State Government.  If translated into the standard domA1retail electricity tariff, retail prices would increase as follows:

• Jan 2009 price:         13.94c/unit INC GST
• Apr 2009 price:          15.32c/unit INC GST
• 1/July/2009 price:      17.61c/unit INC GST
• 1/Jul/2010 price:       21.18c/unit INC GST
• 1/Jul/2011 price:       26.70c/unit INC GST
• 1/Jul/2012 price:       30.17c/unit INC GST

The Office of Energy’s recommendations would bring retail electricity charges in line with many other states.  Owners of solar PV systems would save hundreds of dollars each year in electricity charges under these increased pricing structures.

18 December 2008 - Federal Govt's Solar Credits rebate scheme explained 
The government has announced that a new Solar Credits scheme will be introduced on 1 July 2009 which “allows for around a $7,500 solar credit for anybody that wants to install new, small-scale renewable technologies in their homes, their businesses or their community groups”  Peter Garrett said.

The Solar Credits scheme replaces the existing $8,000 Solar Homes and Communities Program (SHCP) grant for homeowners, as well as the existing Renewable Energy Certificates program.

Under the new Solar Credits scheme (effective from 1 July 2009, subject to the introduction of federal government legislation), the $8,000 SHCP means-tested grant will be scrapped, and replaced with a boosted Renewable Energy Certificates scheme, providing around $7,500 towards the installation of a system of up to 1.5kW.

It is anticipatd that all homes, including investment properties, as well as businesses will be eligible under the new scheme which is not means tested, and additional rebates will continue to be available for systems over 1.5kW.

For more information on the government’s announcement, please visit www.climatechange.gov.au or click here to view the government’s media release. For more information on the existing grants and rebates available, simply click on the “Can I get a grant tab?” above. To make the switch to solar power today, or register your interest in the new scheme, click here to enquire now.

3 December 2008 -  Solar Unlimited installs Perth’s largest solar power system at Murdoch University  (click here to download the full article).  For more information, please click here to visit the Murdoch University news site.