bridie

Here in WA the electricity company have just set up a new thing, if you pay $10 per bill extra you get electricity from renewable sources.

Um.... how is that going to work?

Are the people who pay the extra going to have a special supply so only they get the renewable?

And I wonder how long until all of us are forced to pay the extra anyway...

I am a bit confused as to why it should be extra, surely it should be cheaper to use renewable energy such as windpower as it is free?

smee

It is more expensive to generate renewable energy.
Like you, I don't see why individual customers should have to pay extra for Synergy to be able to buy more renewable energy, the more they are able to buy the more they are able to generate. You will get a mix of energy.

gedge

i assume what they try and do is invest the money paid by customers who have signed up in to renewable sources of energy
you'll still get the same electrickery as every one else but if more people sign up a greater percentage of the source will be renewable in theory

ideally it would be cheaper but they have to invest in the technology to begin with, and i guess that the return on investment isn't as good as with the traditional methods i.e. putting x dollars in to windpower produces y electric, but putting the same x dollars in to coal produces y++ electric
only a guess, i'm not an expert

Amazulu

The WA government should be paying for this considering the $2billion surplus they have.

smee

Maybe if everyone paid an extra dollar on their bill we all might be able to use renewable energy, I would pay it if it benefits the enviroment.

thewoodz

we have just signed up with origin on the same basis - apparently for all the electricity u use then they " purchase" the same amount from a renewable source.
we also got a green kit containing 6 energy efficent bulbs and a greener shower head - so we've already got our money back

suzimc

We're just about to sign up for the same thing with AGL...it looks like the same sort of deal, you don't get any different supply than anyone else, it just means that the power company are obliged to purchase the equivalent of your power usage from renewable sources.

bridie

makes sense now thanks

Timber Floor Au

its a green initiative.

Many aussies were asked, would you be prepared to pay a littel extra for your electricity, if it was sourced from renewable energy resources.

I for one think YES i would pay it !!

Vim Fuego

On a related note ... why everything that can be solar-powered here isn't by default is beyond me ...

Yeh it comes down to cash, but surely it would do more good investing in that than spending vast sums of money pursuading people to change to 'energy efficient' globes that they can use while they watch their Stupidsize Plasma TVs.

Timber Floor Au

True but.. we recently priced solar, and at just over 40k.. i kinda wobbled a bit.

I agree it should be more available, affordable and publicised.

The down side is the sheer size and weight of the units, and heat generated.

We had looked at a block of land near us, 375 acres, going for $375k !!!

as you can imagine we were just being sticky beaks at the deal to be made...

mountain goat country and abseiling spring to mind... power pick up was 3k from the house pad.. and could only be done underground.
Prices varied from 95k upwards.

A sling shot wire up the hills were possible but nearly as expensive, so in this instance SOLAR was the way to go... we dint but it tho pmsl

smee

A roof mounted wind turbine has been invented, they are a bit bigger than a 44 gallon drum, wonder why these aren't more readily available, especially here in WA where it's windy most afternoons.

Timber Floor Au

That would probably power a small appliance.. given the approx size of the fan blade, and lightweight nature of the rotor, to be able to be mounted upon a domestic roof.

Good idea but..

Solar is deffo the way to go.

I think.. and you heard it here first !!!

I THINK...

all windows in australia, should be double glazed, and use a lcd gas filled solar panel within the cavity of the glass !

Now that would be cool !!!

Vim Fuego

Aye, for the average home to be converted then the machinery will wear out long before it pays for itself, so the technology has some way to go.

I think the Government (both Federal and State) could do more though, rather than expensive planning for 'clean' (ha!) Nuclear power, allow uranium to be dumped in the NT and flog all our resources to China.