Sunset for solar?

SOME solar firms could go to the wall within days without a plan to allow consumers to reduce their electricity bills by the same amount they are paying for mainstream power, says a leading Coffs Coast provider.

“Until we know what value is going to be assigned to the production of solar power, customers are flying blind and it is not possible to make a clear decision,” Peter Bulanyi said.

“The solar industry can’t wait months.

"We need a decision yesterday.”

Mr Bulanyi, a principal of national solar voltaic company Solar Inverters,

which has its headquarters at Urunga, says aggregation is the simplest and fairest way forward for both consumers and providers of solar energy systems.

“Aggregation allows consumers to reduce their electricity bills at a rate of one to one in terms of crediting their account at the same rate per kilowatt hour they would purchase it from the power company,” Mr Bulanyi said.

“It means people can at least neutralise their bill and if they generate more than they use, the payment for that electricity can be open to negotiation.

“It will add nothing to the State’s Budget and could be introduced today.

“It would be a great thing for the solar industry because it places a value on the electricity the customer is generating.”

Mr Bulanyi said customers in the old Country Energy area, now serviced by Origin Energy, would see an 18% rise in their electricity prices to 27c a kilowatt hour and more large price increases had already been flagged to come into play over the next four or five years, which could see prices rise to 30c, 40c or even 50c per kw/h.

Under aggregation, local people generating solar energy would now be paid 27c a kw/h and this payment would automatically increase with power price rises.

Mr Bulanyi said since Friday his company had been part of talks at the highest level with other industry partners on the way forward for solar power in NSW.

The first round of the solar summit was held last week in the wake of dramas over the withdrawal and reinstatement of solar tariff contracts by the O’Farrell Government.

The government has ordered a review by the Independent Pricing and Regulatory Tribunal to determine a fair price for the solar panel tariff and to end the boom and bust cycle for solar investment in NSW.

The NSW Minister for Energy Chris Hartcher has appointed chief scientist Mary O’Kane to head a taskforce which will draw up a renewable power plan as part of the NSW commitment to sourcing 20 per cent of power from renewable energy by 2020.

Mr Bulanyi said while the Federal Government was ‘desperate’ to support renewable energy, electricity was a state responsibility, which meant the nation had a patchwork of power supply and sale arrangements.