AUSTRALIA must invest far more heavily in solar power, including it as a mainstream energy source in the national grid, Opposition environment spokesman Greg Hunt has said.

In a speech to be delivered to a climate change conference today, Mr Hunt will spell out the Coalition’s vision for a "solar continent", in which the energy source could be stored and sold on the market like coal-generated, baseload power.

"In short, we want to set Australia on a path to being a country where everyone willing to invest is within reach of running a solar home," Mr Hunt will tell the two-day Climate Action Network Australia Conference in Sydney.

This would include a national feed-in tariff – a guaranteed rate of pay for solar electricity fed back into the grid by small solar generators, including private households.

To date, South Australia and Queensland have approved solar feed-in tariffs that guarantee 44c per KWH of solar energy, but the Coalition wants a truly national scheme.

Mr Hunt said the Coalition’s solar strategy had two broad components – increased use of solar photovoltaic power to boost short-term peaking capacity and solar baseload power generated by solar concentrators.

He argues solar energy using photovoltaic panels offers the best and most efficient means of providing zero-emissions energy during periods of peak power use.

"In this context, we want to set a clear policy direction of substantially increasing the take-up of Solar PV throughout Australia," he says. And more should be done to encourage the use of solar hot water heaters in both homes and schools. Currently solar heaters are used by only one in 20 Australian homes.

Realising the solar vision would mean the development of baseload power providing storage and conversion capabilities, Mr Hunt told The Australian.

"I think that the technology has moved in the last two years. The big move is that globally you are beginning to see storage. There’s now no doubt in my mind that it will be a technically viable baseload energy form over time."

If Australia can do it, why can’t the US.  The United States can’t even pass simple tax credits to keep the solar industry alive.  The reason, tax breaks for big oil.  The US would rather provide tax breaks to Oil companies rather than investing in our future. 

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