Australia's upper house passed legislation to require that 20 percent of the country's electricity come from renewable sources such as the sun and wind by 2020, matching European standards and up from about 8 percent now.

The law would quadruple the renewable energy target set by the previous government in 2001 and provide enough clean electricity to power the households of all 21 million Australians.

The target matches one set in 2007 by the European Union, which leads the world in green power technology.

However, the bill passed only after the government reached a deal with the major opposition party to increase government assistance to energy intensive industries, notably aluminum production, and coal mining.

The Australian government is  hoping that the amount of electricity coming from sources like solar, wind and geothermal will be around the same as all of Australia’s current household electricity use in 10 years time.

Matthew Warren, chief executive of Australia’s Clean Energy Council welcomed the move, saying: "This is to date the most significant piece of climate change legislation in Australian history. It is the result of bipartisan support within the Parliament and years of hard work by many in the emerging clean energy industry. The RET legislation will be the foundation of clean energy policy in Australia for the next decade. But our job has only just begun. We need to raise more than AUS $20 billion [US $16.8 billion] to finance new clean energy projects over the next decade to help create 28,000 new clean jobs."

New research could one day lead to photovoltaic materials thin enough, flexible enough and inexpensive enough to go not only on rooftops but in windows, outdoor awnings and even clothing.

As a member of UA professor Neal R. Armstrong's research group, Placencia conducts research aimed at creating a thin, flexible organic solar cell that could power a tent or keep a car charged between trips to work and back home again.

Across the University, professors, researchers, students and others involved in policy planning and economic analysis are working to make that question moot. In a region noted for abundant sunlight, they are chipping away at problems like how to employ solar at the utility-generating plant level, how to harness it to charge the newly indispensable products of the day – cell phones, MP3 players, laptops – what to do at night and when clouds halt the energy giveaway from the sky.

The research proceeds in labs amid state-of-the-art equipment funded by multimillion-dollar federal grants. It's the product of students' hunches and long careers spent unlocking the mysteries of science. Along the way, students are being immersed in a nascent industry that many hope will be the economic engine of the next decade.

The Solar Credits scheme was scheduled to commence on July 1, 2009, but was unexpectedly brought forward and commenced on June 10, 2009; pending relevant legislation being passed.

WHAT ARE SOLAR CREDITS?
In place of the $8,000 rebate, the Federal Government is proposing to introduce the Solar Credits scheme. This scheme is part of the Federal Government's Renewable Energy Target. Which aims to achieve the equivalent of at least 20 per cent of Australia's electricity supply be generated from renewable sources by 2020.

Solar Credits will be provided in the form of Renewable Energy Certificates (RECs), an electronic currency, generated upon installation of a solar power system.

In comparison with the old rebate scheme, an installed solar power system will receive five times the number of RECs for the first 1.5 kW of system capacity (i.e. the first nine panels).

The level of financial support provided by Solar Credits will depend on the price of RECs(which may vary over time) and the location and size of the system. For example, based on $50 REC price in 2009, a solar system in Melbourne will receive $5,150 for a 1.0 kW system or $7,750 for a 1.5 kW system.

By requesting customers to assign their RECs to Solarbank, Solarbank is able to offer a customer a point of sale discount, which reduces the up-front purchase cost and makes the solar power system more affordable.

WHO STANDS TO BENEFIT FROM SOLAR CREDITS?

All households and small businesses. In addition, the $100,000 annual income limit no longer applies. This means that, for example, holiday homes, milk bars, shopping malls, investment properties, etcetera are now all eligible for rebates.

WHEN WILL SOLAR CREDITS BE AVAILABLE?

Legislation necessary for the issue of rebates under the Solar Credits scheme is expected to passed in Federal Parliament during the week starting on August 11. All solar generation systems installed from June 10, however, will be eligible to receive Solar Credits.

WHAT IS VICTORIA'S REED-IN TARIFF?

The Victorian Government supports investment in solar power systems via its feed-in tariff scheme.

Under the scheme, households, community groups and small businesses with solar power systems up to 5.0kW in size are eligible to receive a credit of 60 cents per kilowatt hour for energy the feed back in grid. This is about four times the cost of electricity in Victoria.

According to Victoria's Energy and Resources Minister, Per Batchelor, this scheme will mean an average Victorian household with a 1.5kW photovoltaic system will get around $300 of their power bill for energy sold back into the grid.

This is on top of about R300 in savings Victorian households with solar systems will receive by using the electricity these systems produce in their own home.

The Lithium Industry: Market Projections and Company Strategies to 2013


With the current global focus on sustainable energy sources, lithium has become a hot topic of discussion. There is a plethora of mainstream media articles, statesmen and legislations endorsing or mandating the uptake of hybrid and electric vehicles as a means to reducing the reliance on fuel and the Middle East for oil. Consequently, lithium-Ion batteries for automotives have become the new buzz word and the expectation is that lithium demand will soar.

But what is reality over the media hype surrounding future lithium demand? What amounts of lithium would be needed to meet future electric vehicle battery requirements and will there be enough supply to meet demand?
The Lithium Industry: Market Projections and Company Strategies to 2013 provides you with the answer and lot more.

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