Cut The Red Tape

---

Rebates & Bonuses: Solar

Solar Bonus Scheme:

Queensland Government: Office of Clean Energy:

From 10 July 2012 the Queensland Solar Bonus Scheme feed-in tariff will change from 44 cents per kilowatt hour to 8 cents per kilowatt hour. Existing Scheme customers will continue to receive 44 cents per kilowatt hour for energy exported to the electricity grid provided they maintain their eligibility for the Scheme.

Prospective customers wishing to access the 44 cent feed-in tariff rate have until midnight on 9 July 2012 to lodge an application with their electricity distributor. The distributor will consider all applications against Scheme eligibility criteria and their technical, safety and quality requirements.

The 8 cent tariff will begin on 10 July 2012 and be reviewed by 1 July 2013. It is scheduled to end on 1 July 2014.

For further information: http://www.cleanenergy.qld.gov.au/demand-side/solar-bonus-scheme.htm?utm_source=CLEANEENERGY&utm_medium=301&utm_campaign=redirection

Solar Hot Water Rebate

Queensland Government: Office of Clean Energy:

The Queensland Solar Hot Water rebate is NOW CLOSED.

For further information: http://www.brightthing.energy.qld.gov.au/rebate-and-incentives/solar-hot-water-rebate/

Solar Hot Water Rebate: Renewable Energy Bonus Scheme (REBS):

Australian Government Department of Climate Change and Energy Efficiency: REBS closes on 30 June 2012.
The Government announced on 28 February 2012 that REBS will close on 30 June 2012.Please note that: systems purchased or ordered after 28 February 2012 are not eligible under REBS.

For further information: http://www.climatechange.gov.au/solarhotwater

Solar Sport and Community Group Grant

Local not-for-profit sporting and community organisations are encouraged to take advantage of Queensland Government grants to install solar panels and solar hot water systems on their facilities.

By installing solar panels or solar hot water, sporting and community organisations can make savings on their electricity bill and help to reduce Queensland's reliance on conventional electricity generation.

Commencing on 1 June 2010, a portion of the Gambling Community Benefit Fund is being allocated to the installation of solar power or hot water over a period of three years.

For further information: http://www.cleanenergy.qld.gov.au/default.htm

---

Solar Credits through RECs for solar panels, wind turbines and micro hydro systems.

Solar Credits provide additional support to households, businesses and community groups that install small renewable energy generation units, such as rooftop solar panels, and small scale wind and hydro electricity systems. Solar Credits apply to the first 1.5 kilowatts (kW) of capacity installed for systems connected to a main electricity grid and up to the first 20 kW of capacity for off-grid systems.

The Office of the Renewable Energy Regulator provides Renewable Energy Credits represented through the trading of Renewable Energy Certificates (REC's).

On 5 May 2011, the Government announced changes to the Solar Credits multiplier which will apply from 1 July 2011. The Solar Credits multiplier will be reduced to three (was 4) for small-scale systems installed from 1 July 2011. The multiplier will then phase down by one each year consistent with the original intent of the Solar Credits multiplier' reducing, over time, until the multiplier is phased out by 1 July 2013. The Government intends to put in place transitional arrangements in regulations to recognise written contracts entered into prior to 5 May 2011.

Schedule of changes to the Solar Credits multipliers

Date installed	9 June 2009 - 30 June 2011	1 July 2011 - 30 June 2012	1 July 2012 - 30 June 2013	1 July 2013 - 30 June 2014	From 1 July 2014 onwards
Multiplier	5	3	2	1	0

What does this mean?
Until the 30th June 2011, you can receive 5 times as many RECs for each megawatt-hour of energy produced. For example, based on a REC price of $40, a 1.5 kilowatt solar panel system installed in Brisbane would receive a $6,200 rebate until 30 June 2011. The rebate will fall each year until 2014 when only the REC's may provide a credit as there will be no multiplier.

Installers of these systems usually offer a discount on the price of an installation, or a cash payment, in return for the REC's (certificates).

For more information refer to these websites:
http://www.climatechange.gov.au/government/initiatives/renewable-target.aspx
(scroll down the page to: Support for households installing renewable energy systems)
http://www.orer.gov.au/sgu/solarcredits.html

---

STCs and LGCs (Energy Certificates) and the REC Registry

• The price of the Certifcates changes as they are traded in the market by negotiation between sellers and buyers.This is controlled by the Federal Government Office of the Renewable Energy Regulator (ORER).
• On 1 January 2011 the Renewable Energy Target was split into the Large-scale Renewable Energy Target (LRET) and the Small-scale Renewable Energy Scheme (SRES).
• RECs created for Solar Water Heaters and Small-scale solar, wind and hydro systems is classified as Small-scale Technology Certificates (STCs).
• One STC equals one megawatt hour (MWh) of electricity generated or displaced.
• RECs created from Energy Power stations installed after 1 January 2011 are classified as Large-scale Generation Certificates (LGCs).
• One LGC equals one megawatt hour (MWh) of eligible renewable electricity generated above the power station’s baseline.
• The Office of the Renewable Energy Regulator has a list of agents that trade in RECs.
• The sellers of products that have RECS can act as an agent and redeem (cash them in) them for you.

For further information: http://www.orer.gov.au/certificates

---

Rebates & Grants: Waste

reThink Business Waste Services–$750 subsidy

Queensland Dept of Environment and Resource Management (DERM)

The reThink Business Waste Services (RBWS) Program provides a subsidy to businesses to help review existing waste management practices, identify changes and introduce a new resource recovery service. The RBWS Program is now open for applications.

Click here for more information: and apply for the subsidy
reThink Business Waste Services (RBWS) Program

Waste Equipment Rebate

Queensland Dept of Environment and Resource Management (DERM)

The reThink Business Waste Equipment Rebate gives back 40 per cent of the cost of new bins, posters and stickers, from the Local Buy Catalogue.

Click here for more information: and apply for the subsidy
Waste Equipment Rebate

 

---

Government Initiatives

Queensland Government EPA-Climate Smart Living

The ClimateSmart Home Service has ceased taking bookings from midnight 26 April 2012. Customers across Queensland who already have a booking or who are waitlisted to receive a service remain eligible* to receive an appointment before the program's closure in September 2012.

For more information go to: http://www.climatesmarthome.com.

---

Australian Government Environmental Taxation Concessions

Australian Government Dept. of Sustainability, Environment, Water, Population and Communities has responsibility for a number of administrative arrangements relating to taxation concessions as follows:

• Providing a donor, who has donated a gift of $5,000 or more to an environment or heritage organisation, the opportunity to claim the donation against their tax returns over a five year period.
• Providing a capital gains tax exemption for gifts of property left in a will to an eligible organisation.
• Providing income taxation concessions for landowners entering conservation covenants with eligible organisations, this includes States, Territories, some local governments and some non-government organisations.
• Providing environmental organisations with deductible gift recipient status.

For further information : http://www.environment.gov.au/about/tax/index.html

---

Tax Breaks For Green Buildings

As part of the 2012-13 Budget, the Government has decided not to proceed with the Tax Breaks for Green Buildings Program. Since 2010 there have been major changes to the policy environment, most notably the passage of the Clean Energy Future (CEF) package. The carbon price is the key policy for cutting carbon pollution across the economy.

For more information: http://www.climatechange.gov.au/government/initiatives/tax-breaks-for-green-buildings.aspx

---

Links

Go to this excellent source of links for sustainable development.

http://www.environment.gov.au/settlements/energyefficiency/index.html