{"id":299,"date":"2009-10-18T21:59:11","date_gmt":"2009-10-19T01:59:11","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/energyrealist.com\/?page_id=299"},"modified":"2012-10-21T11:34:27","modified_gmt":"2012-10-21T15:34:27","slug":"australian-view","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/energyrealist.com\/?page_id=299","title":{"rendered":"Australian View"},"content":{"rendered":"

The imagined audience for energyrealist is located on or within a few hundred miles of\u00a0 the north-east US corridor running from Boston to Washington, but we hope our message appeals to many others as well.<\/p>\n

As we say on the home page we look to learning something from the experience – good and bad – of Australia and Germany, who have each embraced alternative energy with a lot of intensity.<\/p>\n

The following content shows the Australian perspective. \u00a0The contributions are by Warwick Rowell, unless otherwise indicated. \u00a0Australia changed to decimal currency (the Australian dollar) from pounds, shillings and pence in 1966, and moved to the metric system from 1970 to 1988. \u00a0All values are therefore in metric and $AUS, again unless specifically indicated otherwise. Dates are in Australian\/European format i.e. Day\/Month\/Year, and spelling is in English English – which we hope does not offend or confuse our US readers.<\/p>\n

The article “Permaculture and Climate Change in Western Australia<\/a>” first appeared in Environment WA in 1991. \u00a0It is still very relevant today, and certainly relevant to more than Western Australia.<\/p>\n

“The first fifty percent is easy!<\/a>“, addressing how households can cut their energy consumption, and their carbon emissions in half – while saving money – first appeared in 2007.<\/p>\n

A worrying view, saying that we have gone too far already is expressed in this paper by David Hamilton presented in October 2009<\/a>.\u00a0 David Hamilton is Charles Sturt Professor of Public Ethics, Centre for Applied Philosophy and Public Ethics at the Australian National University (clive.hamilton@cardou7.dreamhosters.comanu.edu.au) and currently standing for election to the Australian government as a member of the green party.<\/p>\n

Warwick also writes a short note on how energy costs are distorted by government subsidies.\u00a0 This issue is not confined to Australia – in the US government subsidies distort the transportation system and all phases of the energy system.\u00a0 The realist will not try and untangle all of these issues, but in fairness point out that subsidies for energy audits and solar panels are as much a distortion of the system as are subsidies to nuclear power companies.\u00a0 At the homeowner level the main measure of energy cost is still how many cents per KWh (in whatever form: electricity, gas, oil…).\u00a0 Here are Warwick’s comments:\u00a0 “A quick comment on decision making concerning alternative sources of power. \u00a0\u00a0The dollar cost of your KWh is probably not the real cost.\u00a0 Like using diesel or gasoline, there are hidden subsidies that we have grown too used to.\u00a0 In 1993, a retiring engineer was commissioned to look across the state and discover the real costs of producing power for rural Western Australia. \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0No environmental stuff, just what dollars went out the door.\u00a0 \u00a0\u00a0The average cost in 1993 was 91 cents per KWh.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 So there was then a hidden subsidy of 79c per KwHr; ie it is coming out of my taxes etc from somewhere else.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 What might that figure be today?\u00a0 \u00a0\u00a0If we say conservatively, a subsidy of $1.80 over the base rate, which was until very recently, still 12 c per KWh, then my consumption of just 6 KWhs per day gives a daily real cost of say $6, so an annual cost of say $2000 \u2013 for someone who is doing a lot to reduce their power consumption. \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0We plan on spending around $40,000 on our next system, which will have wind and solar.\u00a0 In due course, this will feed back to the grid.\u00a0 This is the most economical form of long term energy storage.\u00a0 We will be paid for surplus generated in summer, and can \u201ccash some of that in\u201d in the winter, if there is a long cloudy spell.”<\/p>\n

In November 2009 the realist traveled (Australian and English readers please excuse the spelling), and collected a few more pieces of information:<\/p>\n

The pictures of the Albany wind farm<\/a> show how such a project can be part of the landscape and become a tourist attraction.<\/p>\n

The picture below shows the progress of Warwick’s new house.\u00a0 The notable points are:<\/p>\n