From sunshine to solar-powered state

BP Solar expects the number of Queensland homes installing solar power to jump from 400 last year to more than 150,000 over the next 20 years, following the announcement by the Queensland government of the Solar Bonus Scheme.

Brooke Miller, regional director for BP Solar Australasia, congratulated Premier Anna Bligh and her government for introducing Australia’s first ‘Gross’ Solar Feed-In Tariff as the central part to this scheme.

The policy will result in Queenslanders receiving a financial incentive for the entire output of their solar system, including the energy that is consumed, and the energy that is sold back into the grid.

“It is exactly this type of forward looking policy that will allow Queensland to transform itself from being the ‘Sunshine State’ to being the ‘Solar-Powered State’,” said Miller.

“Now homeowners can become the CEO of their own power station, receiving a fair price for the energy they produce on their very own roofs.

“Queensland stands a lot to gain from becoming the benchmark for driving solar power in this country. Not only will this state reduce its need to invest in peak power by installing new peak energy capacity, but it will cut its greenhouse gas emissions each year, and create a new green collar workforce.”