Published Sunday, 17 August, 2008 at 04:00 AM
JOINT STATEMENT
Minister for Mines and Energy
The Honourable Geoff Wilson
Premier
The Honourable Anna Bligh
Queensland going solar
Premier Anna Bligh has congratulated Queenslanders for their outstanding response to the State Government’s solar bonus scheme.
Premier Bligh and Mines and Energy Minister Geoff Wilson said that after less than two months hundreds of households were signing up for the State Government’s green energy scheme.
The solar bonus scheme, which started on 1 July, pays households and businesses 44 cents per kilowatt-hour for surplus electricity generated by their roof top PV systems and fed into the electricity grid.
Premier Bligh said more than 80 households from Cairns to Coolangatta had already signed up and more than 300 households and businesses had sent in applications.
“It’s clear from those early figures that more and more Queenslanders are keen to do their bit for the environment,” said the Premier.
Mr Wilson said households that conserved energy would reap even greater rewards and outlined tips to make the most of the solar bonus scheme including:
• minimise standby power use
• reduce the use of heating and cooling appliances
• make the most of natural and energy-efficient lighting
• switch off second fridges or freezers if you can do without them
• switch pool or spa pumps and filters to off-peak tariffs.
Minister Wilson said Queensland’s climate was ideally suited to solar energy and that a number of State Government initiatives around the state were working to harness that potential.
“I recently inspected the first residential solar system installed on a home on Magnetic Island under the government’s solar city initiative,” he said.
“It’s the first in a mass rollout of solar systems by Ergon Energy and it’s set to transform Magnetic Island into a truly solar suburb.
“We’re investing $15 million into this world-class initiative. The solar suburb will save energy and reduce dangerous greenhouse gas emissions by around 50,000 tonnes over the next seven years. That’s the same as taking 1700 cars off the road for the same period.
“Magnetic Island residents are to be congratulated. They’re helping to create a blueprint for future sustainable energy use, and the world will soon be watching.
“Greenpeace wants to feature our solar city initiative there in a new documentary to bring more people around to the benefits of renewable energy.”
Premier Bligh said other parts of Queensland had also seen the light.
“The town of Windorah in remote south west Queensland will be the first town in Queensland to use solar power for all of its daytime electricity needs,” she said.
“This could revolutionise the way power is produced for remote communities that are not on the national electricity grid.”
Ergon Energy is building Queensland’s first solar farm at Windorah. They’ve installed five 14-metre diameter solar dishes that will generate the town’s daytime electricity needs.
“The dishes will act as giant sunflowers, facing and following the sun so they capture as much sunlight as possible,” said the Premier.
The farm is expected to generate its first kilowatt hours of electricity by the end of the year.
For information on the solar bonus scheme, contact 3237 1508 during business hours or email solarbonusscheme@dme.qld.gov.au
Media contact: Minister’s office 3225 1819
Premier Bligh and Mines and Energy Minister Geoff Wilson said that after less than two months hundreds of households were signing up for the State Government’s green energy scheme.
The solar bonus scheme, which started on 1 July, pays households and businesses 44 cents per kilowatt-hour for surplus electricity generated by their roof top PV systems and fed into the electricity grid.
Premier Bligh said more than 80 households from Cairns to Coolangatta had already signed up and more than 300 households and businesses had sent in applications.
“It’s clear from those early figures that more and more Queenslanders are keen to do their bit for the environment,” said the Premier.
Mr Wilson said households that conserved energy would reap even greater rewards and outlined tips to make the most of the solar bonus scheme including:
• minimise standby power use
• reduce the use of heating and cooling appliances
• make the most of natural and energy-efficient lighting
• switch off second fridges or freezers if you can do without them
• switch pool or spa pumps and filters to off-peak tariffs.
Minister Wilson said Queensland’s climate was ideally suited to solar energy and that a number of State Government initiatives around the state were working to harness that potential.
“I recently inspected the first residential solar system installed on a home on Magnetic Island under the government’s solar city initiative,” he said.
“It’s the first in a mass rollout of solar systems by Ergon Energy and it’s set to transform Magnetic Island into a truly solar suburb.
“We’re investing $15 million into this world-class initiative. The solar suburb will save energy and reduce dangerous greenhouse gas emissions by around 50,000 tonnes over the next seven years. That’s the same as taking 1700 cars off the road for the same period.
“Magnetic Island residents are to be congratulated. They’re helping to create a blueprint for future sustainable energy use, and the world will soon be watching.
“Greenpeace wants to feature our solar city initiative there in a new documentary to bring more people around to the benefits of renewable energy.”
Premier Bligh said other parts of Queensland had also seen the light.
“The town of Windorah in remote south west Queensland will be the first town in Queensland to use solar power for all of its daytime electricity needs,” she said.
“This could revolutionise the way power is produced for remote communities that are not on the national electricity grid.”
Ergon Energy is building Queensland’s first solar farm at Windorah. They’ve installed five 14-metre diameter solar dishes that will generate the town’s daytime electricity needs.
“The dishes will act as giant sunflowers, facing and following the sun so they capture as much sunlight as possible,” said the Premier.
The farm is expected to generate its first kilowatt hours of electricity by the end of the year.
For information on the solar bonus scheme, contact 3237 1508 during business hours or email solarbonusscheme@dme.qld.gov.au
Media contact: Minister’s office 3225 1819