The ACT Greens have called on the Government to extend the Feed-in Tariff (FiT) to include access for unit dwellers and other potential community groups who are currently excluded from investing in solar energy at their homes.

“The Greens fully endorse extending the FIT to include large and medium scale generators, but we also need to open the opportunity to unit title owners, people with unsuitable roof spaces and those that can’t afford the entire upfront cost, who have been prevented from investing in solar energy. What we want to achieve is investment by as many people as possible,” said Shane Rattenbury, Greens spokesperson energy and Climate Change.

Key points of the Greens submission to the FiT consultation:

- Unit Titles act should be amended to allow participation
- No Cap for systems under 30kW – small scale solar will not be a source of over-heating the scheme
- Production caps on medium and large-scale generators to protect ACT consumers

“There should be a cap on the amount of large scale solar installations in the ACT, but that the scheme should remain uncapped for systems under 30kW, which would include householders and small businesses.”

“When we expand the feed-in tariff to the big solar companies, it will be a competitive environment, and smaller players must still be included.”

“Householders and community groups not only get the benefits of the premium tariff rate, but also the opportunity to invest in something that they know is good for the ACT’s energy future, and good for the environment. It’s a win-win situation.”

“A scheme cap for large installers will be important to provide certainty to investors but also to protect ACT consumers from excessive increases in electricity prices,” Mr Rattenbury said.

The ACT Greens submission to the Feed in Tariff discussion paper is available here.

January marks the last month a new house can be built in the ACT with an inefficient hot water system, due to ACT Greens’ legislation. From February onwards, only low emissions hot water systems, such as solar, heat pump, or efficient gas, can be installed in new ACT houses and townhouses.

“We can save greenhouse gases and money with targeted energy efficiency standards like this,” said ACT Greens MLA Caroline Le Couteur.

“Water heating alone accounts for a quarter of the energy used in an average home. Replacing an electric system with gas-boosted solar uses about 95% less energy and can save around $700 a year.”

The laws also phase in water-saving shower heads for ACT homes. Householders replacing existing hot water systems must now ensure that any attached showers use water efficient shower heads.

“The Greens would like to have seen energy efficient hot water phased in for all existing systems in need of replacement, but neither the Government nor the Liberals would support those changes.”

“This means that many existing homes will continue to waste money and energy on hot water production.”

“The Greens have pushed the agenda on this issue in the ACT – without our Bill, the Government would still have been promising but not delivering on energy efficient hot water for the ACT,” Ms Le Couteur said today.

The ACT Greens’ Hot Water Bill passed in part today, after the Government rejected the bill completely, and the Liberals made amendments to reduce its scope.

“The Greens were elected to take action on climate change. That’s what this bill does. The other parties should have supported it fully and turned their green words into action, and follow Queensland, SA and WA who have already passed similar legislation,” Greens Planning spokesperson Caroline Le Couteur said today.

“We are disappointed the full bill wasn’t passed, but we at least passed laws to ensure all hot water systems for new houses must be more efficient.”

“We will keep pressuring the Government to implement all the initiatives in our bill, which would have phased out inefficient hot water systems in all houses’,” Ms Le Couteur said.

“These initiatives would significantly reduce household energy costs, as well as reduce greenhouse gases. They’re a win-win. But the Government was too concerned with politics to support them and could offer no valid reason to vote against it, and the Liberal Party watered them down significantly”.

“I am amazed by the Government’s refusal to support anything Green. One minute it argues we are doing the wrong thing and the next minute it says it will do it anyway! It’s a political performance that is all for show and I trust that Canberra people are wise to that.”

“There are no guarantees that the Government will use the COAG process to implement the energy efficiency initiatives we need – none of these timelines or details are guaranteed.”

“Mr Barr’s non-cooperation this week has shown that he is yet to come to terms with the end of majority government,” Ms Le Couteur said.

The Greens’ original Bill also won support from energy experts such as Sustainability Advice Team Managing Director, Dr Hugh Saddler, who said:

“The changes proposed by this Bill could make significant energy savings for Canberra houses. Canberra has a large proportion of houses with gas which still use electric hot water heaters. Converting these houses to efficient hot water systems when the existing system has to be replaced is the low hanging fruit, in terms of lowest cost and highest energy savings. This is particularly prevalent in rental houses, and passing this Bill could significantly reduce energy bills for low income renters.”

ACT Greens spokesperson for Planning, Caroline Le Couteur MLA, will introduce a bill this week designed to minimise the environmental and financial costs of hot water heating for ACT homes.

Under Ms Le Couteur’s bill, hot water systems installed in new ACT houses and townhouses will need to be low emission types such as solar, heat pump, or efficient gas. From next year, the efficiency standard will also apply to anyone replacing a hot water system in their existing house or townhouse.

“With the Government rebates currently available, efficient hot water systems are actually the most sensible economic choice right now,” Ms Le Couteur said.

“We can make significant and fast environmental gains just by introducing well targeted energy efficiency standards such as this one.”

“Water heating accounts for a quarter of the energy used in an average home and contributes 3% of Australia’s total Greenhouse Gas emissions.”

“Replacing an electric storage system with a gas-boosted solar system reduces the amount of energy used to heat water by around 95% – which reduces emissions and saves on energy bills.”

“Over the past few years, South Australia, Western Australia and Queensland have all implemented similar legislation.”

“My Bill will catch the ACT up to other States and encourage others into action.”

“The Federal Government has talked about regulating hot water efficiency for the last four years. There is no reason to delay introduction of a standard in the ACT any longer,” Ms Le Couteur said.

The Greens want a solar test applied to all new developments in the ACT, Greens candidate for Molonglo Shane Rattenbury announced today.

“Now that we know the benefits of passive solar design in our living and work spaces, it is time for the planning approval process to catch up and include building orientation and access to sunshine in its development approval process,” said Rattenbury

“For instance, the development proposed for the Burnie Court site in Lyons, as described in Draft Variation No 288, is laid out in such a way that it makes poor use of the free energy of the sun.”

“At the moment, the Territory Plan says that overshadowing is allowed so long as it allows a minimum of three hours in some part of the living areas of existing dwellings. That’s a pretty minimal requirement”

“The Lyons Estate (nee Burnie Court) redevelopment is starting from scratch, so there is no reason why every single dwelling should not have good solar access.”

“The entire new development of Molonglo is the same. We have to be building suburbs now that are fit for the 21st century, not designed like it is the 1980’s.”

“We have to get smarter about planning and building if we want to reduce our carbon footprint and our planning system has a key part to plan in this process,” concluded Rattenbury

11 Aug 08

Deb Foskey, Greens MLA, called today for a solar test to be applied to all new developments in the ACT.

“Now that we know the benefits of passive solar design in our living and work spaces, it is time for the planning approval process to catch up and include building orientation and access to sunshine in its development approval process,” said Dr Foskey today.

“For instance, the development proposed for the Burnie Court site in Lyons, as described in Draft Variation No 288, is laid out in such a way that it makes poor use of the free energy of the sun.”

“At the moment, the Territory Plan says that overshadowing is allowed so long as it allows a minimum of three hours in some part of the living areas of existing dwellings. That’s a pretty minimal requirement”

“The Lyons Estate (near Burnie Court) redevelopment is starting from scratch, so there is no reason why every single dwelling should not have good solar access.”

“And what is the point of introducing solar feed-in laws if new buildings don’t allow occupiers and owners to benefit from them?”

“According to the concept plan quite a few of the buildings will get no northern sun and others will be overshadowed by six and ten storey buildings.”

“We have to get smarter about planning and building if we want to reduce our carbon footprint and our planning system has a key part to plan in this process,” said Dr Foskey.