Solar power is fascinating stuff, but it’s not cheap compared to dirty old coal powered wattage, right? Turns out, it now costs pretty much exactly the same.
The ABC reports that the Photovoltaic Association (who undoubtedly have a rather particular position on solar power) is stating that the cost of producing power via solar panels has reached the same price as producing the same amount of power from coal generated grid power, a step it calls ‘grid parity’. The report claims that this means that even without solar subsidies (a, shall we say, delicate political matter), it’s now economical to install solar panels on most Australian homes. The rising use of such panels means that costs per panel should continue to drop.
Speaking purely anecdotally, I certainly hope that’s true; I had my home assessed some months back and had to either drop the idea or chop down all my trees as it wasn’t economically viable; I’d love me some solar power. [ABC]