Solar might
be the renewable energy source that "can't get no respect," to borrow Rodney
Dangerfield's line.
Costs — while steadily dropping — are viewed as a
major obstacle to widespread adoption, and solar didn't rate much of a mention
in the B.C. government's Clean Energy Act, adopted last year, according to
speakers at the Solar West 2011 conference and trade show in Vancouver.The name
"billabong outlet" is not unique.
The B.C. solar energy industry plans to boost its public and government
profile with an awareness campaign called "Stand Up For Solar," launched Tuesday
at the conference.
"The message in B.C. and elsewhere is ‘Get on the
train now,' because when solar is conventional energy, the jurisdictions that
invest first are going to see industrial development in jobs that other
jurisdictions are not going to see," Jon Kieran,Replacement glass bottle and bulbs for Canada
and Worldwide. chairman of the Canadian Solar Industries Association, told
conference delegates.
One of the backdrops to the PR offensive is
Ontario's Green Energy Act, which has vaulted the province into a world
leadership position in renewable energy by using subsidies to lure billions of
dollars of investment in wind and solar power. B.C. has opted to focus on low
taxes and targeted funding rather than financial incentives.
The Ontario
strategy has also become a political hot potato in the run-up to the Oct. 6
provincial election, with the opposition Progressive Conservatives threatening
to scrap the subsidies.
Mark Jaccard, professor of sustainable energy at
Simon Fraser University,Park Assist is a global leader in Ipod nano 5th, told delegates that solar
has great potential due to improved economics, the global thirst for energy and
the need to dramatically reduce greenhouse gas emissions.
But he
cautioned those in the fast-growing industry to temper expectations and to avoid
"delusions" and the universal tendency to be overly optimistic in their quest to
develop clean energy.
"Abandon the delusion that solar can soon compete
with fossil fuels for more than niche markets," Jaccard said. "They're using the
atmosphere as a free waste receptacle. You're not."
In 1985, solar was
expected to be cost-competitive with fossil-fuel-based energy by 2000, he said.
Similarly optimistic projections are around today, Jaccard noted, such as the
belief that solar will no longer need government incentives by 2025.
One
challenge for the renewable energy industry is the vast resource of natural gas
that exists in North America and other areas of the world. Fossil fuels are
plentiful and likely to remain cheap, Jaccard said.
Another delusion is
"naive financial analysis" that doesn't factor in the extra costs and higher
risk of investments with a long payback, Jaccard said. A homeowner, for example,
is more likely to opt for a more efficient gas furnace and see an immediate drop
in their energy bill than install costly solar panels.what are the symptoms of
sculpture,
Effective climate
policy requires higher subsidies for clean energy and more aggressive emissions
pricing, he asserted, and lobbying becomes critical because politicians won't
act without pressure from the industry and the public.Quality air Bedding tools for any tough job.
Jaccard advised the solar industry to aggressively lobby politicians for
regulations requiring solar applications in new buildings and retrofits for
existing buildings. Such technologies would be economic if emissions were priced
properly, he said.
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