The Hilton Cairns was transformed into a hub for solar energy from August 1 – 4, with delegates gathering from across Australia and around the world to see and hear about the latest technologies and developments propelling the growth of the industry around the country.
The event is gaining in recognition and popularity every year, and next year in Melbourne will be bigger and better than ever. August 2008 will see a year’s operation of the Australian Government’s new PV Rebate Program and the Renewable Remote Generation Programs, as well as many complementary state programs and targets.
ATRAA 08 should provide an ideal opportunity to review the subsequent increase and changes in the Australian solar PV market. In addition, there will be parallel sessions on business development, such as marketing and sales, accounting, and customer relations.
As in 2006, a Professional Development Day was held, and this was attended by over 60 installers from around the country. Sponsored by the Research Institute for Sustainable Energy (RISE), the day began with an overview of developments in relevant Australian Standards, while the afternoon included sessions on documenting systems, from quotation to commissioning.
Day One of the official conference program kicked off with an opening address from the Federal Environment Minister, Malcolm Turnbull.
Mr Turnbull highlighted the steps the Australian Government is taking to develop solar energy technologies, focusing on the $150 million extension to the Photovoltaic Rebate Program as part of the May Budget.
He also spoke about the Solar Cities program, which has now granted funding to five consortia for the development of solar energy technologies in designated areas, most recently consortia from Central Victoria. The Solar Cities Initiative was singled out as a key cornerstone of the Government’s strategy to improve demand and reduce the costs associated with PV supply and installation.
Following Mr Turnbull’s keynote presentation, delegates heard from a broad range of expert speakers on international policy developments and their impact on the roll-out of PV energy.
Highlights on Day One included:
- BCSE Executive Director Ric Brazzale providing an update on the PV market in Australia and its key drivers;
- Denis Smedley, Joe Wyder, Simon Troman and Bill Kearney from the Australian Greenhouse Office (AGO) outlining the various Australian Government incentive programs;
- BCSE Policy and Research Manager Tristan Edis discussing the place of PV in the broader policy context; and,
- Paul Hodgson of Sustainnovation presenting strategies to improve the chances of receiving industry grants.
After the presentation from the AGO, a robust open panel discussion was held between the AGO and the state representatives for the solar PV schemes, and the ATRAA delegates.
Day Two presentations included Greg Bruce from Townsville City Council on the developments to date for its Solar City roll-out; Sarah Morton of the BCSE on buy-back rates for PV; and Lyndon Frearson, Centre for Alternative Technology, detailing opportunities at the new Solar Technology Demonstration Facility for Desert Knowledge in Alice Springs.
Day Three saw the second of the two technical sessions, the first being on day one on battery technologies; the second session was on inverters and future trends and models.
Two regular features of the ATRAA conference – the ‘ATRAA Business’ sessions and Ian Dawson’s review of findings from the BCSE’s PV system inspections – again proved to be extremely popular with delegates.
The ATRAA Business sessions provide a unique open forum in which key issues affecting the solar PV industry are raised and debated. While the sessions may get somewhat fiery at times, there is no doubt that they continue to provide an invaluable means for informing and updating members of the industry about new developments, challenges and success stories from the past 12 months.
The technical sessions were complemented by the conference exhibition, which featured stands from an impressive 25 exhibitors. Exhibitions included inverters, DC refrigeration systems, stand-alone and grid-connected solar PV systems, and new module technologies.
Taking advantage of the warm weather – and sunshine! – the exhibition area extended from the main lobby of the Hilton to the outdoor courtyard.
And for the first time ever, the ATRAA Exhibition was opened to the general public on the final day of the conference so that people could ‘see, feel and touch’ the solar trade exhibits, and ask questions of solar installers and designers.
Dinner and Awards sold-out
The social functions billed in to the program were an invaluable opportunity for networking and sharing thoughts and ideas. The first day of official conference presentations closed with a well-attended Happy Hour in the main bar of the Hilton, while the official conference dinner the following night proved to be extremely popular, selling out well in advance of the event.
The conference dinner (sponsored this year by Ergon Energy) is always a special event, as shown by its sold-out capacity. This is due to the networking with industry friends new and old, the entertainment, and the ATRAA Awards for Excellence. The excitement of the night was heightened by the appearance of media ‘magnet’, Dr Karl Kruszelnicki. Dr Karl, in his well-known style, presented his view of Mars and solar energy, and presented the various Awards, starting with thanking the six voluntary members of the BCSE’s Standards, Training and Accreditation Committee for the work they have done over the years. The STA Committee comprises industry members Geoff Stapleton (Chair), Richard Potter (Solar Charge), Ian Dawson (ESC Perth), Jeff Hoy (JPE Technology), Fiona O’Hehir (Renewable Energy Systems) and Sandy Pulsford (Solaris).
Since 2005, the BCSE has been recognising the technical work of its solar PV installer members through its annual Awards for Excellence. There are a number of categories, and the Award nominations are submitted by members for the various categories. This year the BCSE congratulates the following winners:
- Ergon Energy – Award for a system of less than 5 kW - for its project at the Energy Centre, Thuringowa, Queensland.
- Going Solar – Award for a system of greater than 5 kW - for its solar PV glass wall at Ballarat University, Victoria, installed by Steve Cook
- Telstra - Special commendation for a system of less than 5 kW – installation at Pt Vincent Primary School, South Australia, installed by Paul McKeliff and Shane Mason.
Australia’s solar energy industry is set to boom on the back of strong growth in recent years. Last year, annual installations of solar PV systems rose by 20 per cent on previous years, and around 30,000 families now have a solar power system on their roof.
With the PVRP extension, the effective implementation of feed-in tariffs in Victoria, South Australia, Queensland and the ACT, renewable targets and emissions trading – the future for solar energy technologies is looking very bright indeed!
