Parents for Climate has welcomed the announcement by federal Climate Change and Energy Minister Chris Bowen expanding the Small-scale Renewable Energy Scheme to cover solar installations up to one megawatt in size, cutting installation costs for large commercial, industrial and agricultural buildings by around 20 per cent.
The policy will bring a significant wave of new solar generation online, reducing carbon pollution and putting downward pressure on wholesale electricity prices. Parents for Climate says that is exactly what Australia needs, but warns that new generation alone is not enough if the savings don't make it to families' power bills.
"More solar means cheaper, cleaner power, and that is great news for families now and our kids' future," said Nic Seton, CEO of Parents for Climate. "But we've already seen greedy energy companies fail to pass on the savings from new clean energy coming online. It’s like if a bank refused to pass on a rate cut to people paying their mortgage. The government needs to make sure that when this new solar brings wholesale prices down, those savings flow through to every family and energy user in the country, not just to energy company profits."
Australia's energy market has a well-documented transmission problem. Wholesale electricity prices have fallen significantly at times of high solar generation, but retail prices for households and small businesses have not followed. Energy retailers have pocketed the difference. As the expanded SRES drives a new wave of mid-scale solar onto commercial and industrial rooftops, with the potential to add tens of gigawatts of generation capacity to the system, the stakes of getting this right are higher than ever.
Parents for Climate is calling on the federal government to pair today's announcement with stronger measures to ensure price reductions flow through to consumers, including greater scrutiny of retail energy pricing, stronger powers for the Australian Energy Regulator, and transparency requirements that make it impossible for retailers to obscure the gap between wholesale and retail prices.
The expanded scheme also explicitly includes schools, and Parents for Climate says that schools and early learning centres can be central to this clean energy push. Australia has more than 9,000 schools and 15,000 early learning centres, with large rooftops sitting largely empty in the heart of every community in the country. A coordinated national program to put solar, batteries and energy upgrades on every school and early learning centre would generate clean power for surrounding neighbourhoods, drive down local energy costs, and ensure every student learns in a classroom that is comfortable, resilient and fit for a warming climate.
"Schools are not just buildings, they are community energy assets waiting to be activated," said Seton. "Solar on every school roof, backed by batteries, could power the whole neighbourhood and keep the lights on when disasters hit. We are calling on the federal government to commit to making that happen."
Large schools could save around $114,000 per year on energy bills with solar and batteries, money that goes back into classrooms rather than electricity retailers. Early learning centres could save up to $14,600 annually, easing pressure on fees for families. Beyond Zero Emissions has estimated the total cost of solar and batteries for every Australian school at $3.78 billion, an investment that pays for itself through savings and grid revenue.
"Minister Bowen is helping build the clean energy future Australia needs," said Seton. "Now let's make sure the benefits of that future reach every family, not just the ones who can pay for panels on their own roof."