Australia's future 'lies in solar power'

19 Nov 2009, 6:28 pm   -   Source: SBS - PJ Madam
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When people think of solar power, photovoltaics come to mind. But experts say Australia's future lies in solar thermal. SBS' reporter PJ Madam reports.

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When people think of solar power, the panels on rooftops, known as photovoltaics, come to mind.
But experts say Australia's future lies in solar thermal. SBS' reporter PJ Madam reports.

Many might think Australia is making good use of renewable energies. But 'the sunburnt country' is yet to establish a solar power plant.

"Just how much sunshine we have landing on planet earth is absolutely enormous, so in any scenario that world studies have looked at, the amount of solar energy is so big. That that really is going to be where we focus our efforts," Dr Alister Sproul from the School of Photovoltaic and Renewable Energy Engineering at UNSW said.

In Canberra, giant 'dishes' covered in mirrors, soak up the sun. They're the biggest in the world.

One dish can power 100 homes. Imagine what a whole field could do. The reflection makes it hot enough to cook. On the dish itself, it's 900 degrees.

This kind of heat is the first step towards generating electricity.

"With that concentrated radiation, we can do a lot of uselful things such as making high temperatures, high pressures steam for use in power stations in the same way that we currently burn coal to make that steam." Keith Lovedale from Canberra's Australian National Univeristy said.

In the Hunter Valley, the Liddell Power station is using the good to offset the bad. 
 
“In fact it's the first time it's been done anywhere in the world; where they've used solar thermal technology as a supplementary fuel in a coal fired power station," Rob Cooper, Public Relations Manager at Liddell power station said.

Generating solar power, means slightly less carbon is emitted. But going green is expensive, 10 times more in fact than coal.

It looks more space-aged in Newcastle: 170 mirrors and a "power tower" follow the sun.

On a hot day, the heat inside this tower reaches 1000 degrees.

"There's no doubt that solar power is clean for the environment, but operating a field of mirrors like this, actually depends on the environment itself. The amount of sunlight, cloud, wind and rain - all determine whether this solar tower can operate," Mr Cooper said. 

"On a normal day, these mirrors can generate enough energy to power up to 50 homes, but on a day like today it's overcast and the system has been turned off".

The other hurdle for solar energy, is how to store it, without loosing its heat.

"The CSIRO is just starting up a program to look at storing those temperatures much higher than that. Around the world Australians have made their mark in this industry," Robbie McNaughton from the CSIRO said.

Previously, local inventors were moving their technologies off shore. It was thought things here  were moving too slowly. But some believe that's changing, particularly with costs.

"Once society has the will to switch from fossil fuels to renewable energies, the technology can do it," Dr Sproul said. 

The federal government is now investing but the industry will face competition not just from coal but also from other cheaper renewable energies. 

 

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Solution to Lack of Progress on Emerging Tech: National Feed-in Tariff

Dr James Prest ANU - from ANU, Canberra , 12 months ago

In the background not covered in this story is the fact that that Australia's federal renewable energy incentive law (the eRET, or REE Act 2000) does not effectively incentivise emerging technologies such as solar thermal generation. Close examination of countries which have made big progress with solar thermal generation - such as Spain - shows that they have a different National level renewable elec. feed-in law which offers a specific, targetted rate of renumeration to emerging technologies.

jobs have gone but not because of tax

ben - from colac, 12 months ago

Origin Energy said today it is moving its Adelaide solar operations to the USA, with 20 jobs lost in SA, because the SA plant cannot manufacture the new solar panels. Abbott says its a tax that will lose jobs; it looks like its really about not having the skills and technology. Clean energy is a 'job fest' waiting to happen, but only if we have the skills.

mildura solar plant

robb - from geelong, 1 year

the Mildura reflector solar power plant got scrapped before it began.(Govt never promoted that though) I believe it was dependent on getting RECs for their effort.(saleable clean energy certificates). Vic's max. allocation was not enough for it to be viable. Same problem as applies to power solar panels on your roof. If the State allocation has been reached, you will get stung. Here in Vic. its forecast the allocation will be maxed out later this year.

Not smoke n mirrors

bruce - from ballarat, 1 year

G King 23 nov '09 update. A solar concentrator power station is currently being constructed at Mildura to supply about 45,000 homes. Hopefully first of many. Its essentially the refined technology from the first one built by France ABOUT 40 YRS ago. Its nothing new and its not all smoke n mirrors.

diversity in base load sources needed

robb - from geelong, 1 year

"Going solar" in Aust. is obvious but the issue is base power. i.e minimum power needed on cloudy days and night. Big business gets listened to more than small people. Until coal power stations using minimal emission technology go online along with work processes that allow them to be quickly turned on and off as demand requires, then going solar will not generate maximum benefits. Every other possible base load energy source should be getting developed.

Solar Power

Silvertongue - from Oz, 1 year

Relatively speaking, our power needs are reducing because we have virtually a nil manufacturing and reducing agricultural industry, courtesy of all unimmaginative Fed Govs since the 1970's and Globalization. Our needsa are for ofiice/home lights, washing machines, clothes dryers and computers. China and other developing countries who make our products need massive amounts of power to feed our greedy lifestyle. Naturally we are keen to sell them all our filthy CO2 polluting coal. Dont blame them!

when I'm cleaning windows

Dave - from Gawler, 1 year

I understand that peak efficiancy of solar pannels is severely decreased by even moderate amounts of dust. I wonder how much water is required to maintain effective cells?

No Solar Power Stations?

G King - from Melbourne, 3 years ago

Re your byline "Many might think Australia is making good use of renewable energies. But 'the sunburnt country' is yet to establish a solar power plant." There are three solar power stations in Northern Territory, solar boosting "proven" at Liddell in NSW and I am aware of power stations under development in Queensland and SA. http://www.solarsystems.com.au/SPSA%20case% http://www.chrisharris.org.au/?p=125 20study.pdfhttp://www.ausramediaroom.com/companyNews30Sept09.php

Solar Thermal now only 4x price of wholesale coal

Matthewe Wright - from Melbourne, 3 years ago

The Report misrepresents the cost of Solar Thermal. Current plants are going in for 18cents US Levelised cost of Energy. And in a due dilligence assesemetn of Sandia National Laboratories /NREL molten salt storage power towers The cost curve is such that solar thermal installed globally to power the equivalent of NSW (8700MW) the price of Solar thermal would be the same as a new conventional coal plant. Spain is going through a boom on nov 13 govt approving 2440MW of 24 hour solar plant

Mr

AB - from Sydney, 3 years ago

Australia has an enormous opportunity to recue our CO2 emissions by investing in solar power and energy efficiency. This will provide greater employment albeit in sectors other than mining. Coal mining is something that has served Australia well in the past but continued reliance on being a country that digs things up, puts it on a ship and adds no value to our exports is a very inefficient way to run a modern economy. Energy efficiency and solar power combined are high technology sectors.

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