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New energy tender could provide new avenue for solar towers with storage as South Australia seeks new entrants into electricity market to reduce the stranglehold of a small group of gas-fired generators. But the government may favour a "mothballed" gas generator.

Connecting renewable energy across Australia will help generate reliable electricity. Wind farm image from www.shutterstock.com

The stars are aligning for Australia to transition to 100% renewable electricity. Our fossil fuel infrastructure is ageing, which means we will soon need to invest in new power generators. New technologies such as battery storage could revolutionise long-standing business models. With care, the transitions away from fossil fuels could offer greater job opportunities.

Our latest research, which corroborates previous work, shows the technology already exists to solve many of the remaining questions around technological capability. For instance, the fact that wind and solar don’t generate electricity when the wind isn’t blowing and the sun isn’t shining can be dealt with by installing a network of diverse generators across a wide area, or by increasing our use of energy storage.

One of the biggest remaining barriers to transition is cost. But this is also rapidly changing. Much work is going into reducing the cost of renewable energy, including the latest funding announcement from the Australian Renewable Energy Agency (ARENA) of A$92 million for 12 solar projects.

The cost of building renewable energy

The cost of renewable energy is highly variable across the world and even within Australia. The picture is not simple, but it does help to start by looking at the big picture.

Average capital costs of constructing new wind, solar PV and ocean/tidal generators are already lower than equivalent coal generation infrastructure.

Research suggests that, overall, the cost of moving to 100% renewable energy is not significantly higher than the cost of hitting a lower target.

The capital cost of investment in renewable energy generation technologies is also falling rapidly. In its 2014 report on global renewable power generation costs, the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA) showed that the total cost of installation and operation over a lifetime of small-scale residential PV systems in Australia has fallen from US$0.35 to US$0.17 per kilowatt-hour between 2010 and 2014.

In part this has been because of reduced installation costs, together with our exceptional abundance of sunshine.

As a result, Australian new residential solar installation has soared to the fifth highest in the world. Installed capacity accounts for 9% of national electricity generation capacity and 2.8% of electrical energy generation.

The historical reductions in installation costs for wind energy are similar globally and in Australia. Recent 2016 reverse auctions in the Australian Capital Territory have received Australia’s lowest known contract price for renewables with bids at A$77 per megawatt-hour.

Beyond building

But the capital cost of building generation infrastructure is not the whole story. Once the generator is built, operations and maintenance costs also become important. For most renewables (biomass excluded) the fuel costs are zero because nature itself provides the fuel for free.

Other costs that we must consider are variable and fixed costs. Fixed costs, such as annual preventative maintenance or insurance, don’t change with the amount of electricity produced. Variable costs, such as casual labour or generator repairs, may increase when more electricity is produced.

The variable costs for some renewables (biomass, hydropower and large-scale solar PV) are lower than coal. For other renewable technologies they are only slightly higher. Fixed costs for almost all renewable technologies are lower than for coal.

We also need to think about costs beyond individual generators. The vastness of our Australian continent is a bonus and a challenge for building 100% renewable energy.

It can be used strategically to give a 100% renewables supply reliability by using an interconnected network of generators. For instance, it may be very sunny or windy in one region. Excess electricity produced in this region can fill a gap in electricity demand in less sunny or windy places elsewhere.

But this also poses challenges. To take advantage of the reliability that a highly distributed renewable electricity system can provide, we must also consider the costs associated with expanding the transmission network.

For example, in our research we investigated one possible 100% renewables electricity scenario. This was conservatively based on current technology and demand (conservative because technology is likely to change, and electricity demand has been unexpectedly falling). The scenario required a transmission grid two-and-a-half times larger than our current grid, including new cross-continental linkages between Western Australia and the Northern Territory, which currently stand alone from the well-integrated eastern Australian networks.

The challenges of transitioning to a renewable electricity sector are no doubt great, but our ageing generator infrastructure means that an overhaul will soon be due. Even though the price of electricity from old coal power plants is currently cheaper than that from many new renewable plants (because the former are already paid off), cost reductions mean a strong business case now exists for renewable technologies investment.

In a recent article on The Conversation, John Hewson wrote that “renewable energy is one of our most ‘shovel ready’ business opportunities”.

Now is the time to pre-empt the looming deadline for infrastructure overhaul to ensure future economic resilience for Australia.

Bonnie McBain does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond the academic appointment above.

8 September 1924: Short, fierce campaign between two colonies of ants

Two colonies of ants at the Zoological Gardens, London, last week attracted some attention by the announcement that a decisive war was about to take place between them. The colony referred to as the Left had recently been deposited in the insect-house, and there were indications that the older colony, called the Right, would attempt to wipe it out, as they had wiped out other intruders.

On inquiry at the Zoological Gardens on, Saturday, the “Sunday Times” learned that most of the decisive fighting had now taken place and the Left Army would certainly be the victors.

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Madingley, Cambridge The hall’s owners desired an estate with a view, and that did not include a village street, so the people were evicted

A time-travelling Tudor peasant might return to the place of their birth and find reassurance in the sight of Madingley’s medieval church. They could stand before its sturdy tower and run their fingers over stones embedded in mortar, as I did, then step inside to rediscover the font where they were baptised, and look up for re-acquaintance with exquisitely detailed medieval figures floating in stained glass.

But a hard stare into the nettled field beside the churchyard would make them wonder where their village had gone. The 18th century owners of Madingley Hall, which is about four miles from the centre of Cambridge, desired an estate with a view, and that view did not include a village street. So by the middle of the century the people had been evicted from their homes, their houses razed to the ground. I came to search for evidence of this lost community and found it.

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Greens urge Labor to oppose $1bn cut to Australian Renewable Energy Agency, removing its future capacity for grants

A giant surge of investment in renewable energy has been sparked by what might be the last grants made by the Australian Renewable Energy Agency, as the parliament is poised to cut most of its funding.

Large-scale solar will triple in size, with Arena today announcing the 12 winners of its $92m in grants, which together leverage more than $1bn investment from private companies.

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The author’s new book on climate change questions why the arts have been largely silent on the issue and says India must do more reduce its emissions

Speaking at a literary festival in Bhutan, the Indian novelist Amitav Ghosh recently predicted that Himalayan regions, for no fault of their own, will face a catastrophe as climate change takes hold. So chilling was Ghosh that the local paper reported – only half in jest – that a disturbed audience had to be soothed by a subsequent talk by Buddhist monks.

Ghosh, best known for his historical novels, has been travelling the world talking about his new book, The Great Derangement: Climate Change and the Unthinkable, born out of a series of lectures at the University of Chicago.

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Wangan and Jagalingou people say judge should have found company ‘misled’ tribunal over jobs and economic impact of mine

A traditional owner of the site of Adani’s proposed Carmichael mine has vowed to keep fighting the project as he lodged an appeal from a federal court ruling that endorsed the state government’s approval of the mining leases.

Adrian Burragubba, who speaks on behalf of members of the Wangan and Jagalingou people, who oppose the mine, lodged an appeal to the full bench of the court on Thursday.

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CSIRO says new Centre for Hybrid Energy Systems will be a hub for research into cutting edge renewable and hybrid energy technologies, including battery storage, hydrogen, fuel cell technology, smart grids.

Australian social enterprise Pollinate Energy gets capital injection from Pangaea Impact Investments to continue work bringing solar power to slums of India.

Origin Energy plans major portfolio of large scale solar plants after winning government funds for 103MW solar farm next to its Darling Downs gas-fired generator.

Tilt Renewables, the new entity created by a split in assets of NZ utility Trustpower, will be based in Melbourne, with "significant" development plans for Australia.

With all the rave about how much everyone love's the experience of driving their electric cars, no one is saying what EV drivers miss most about petrol cars.

The Australian Renewable Energy Agency today announced the 12 large scale projects that won grants in what could be the agency's last major funding round if most of its remaining monies are stripped by the Coalition and Labor parties.

Energy industry industry big hitters including Tesla, ABB, AGL Energy, FRV and Enphase Energy call on Parliament to protect ARENA funding.

Is hayfever an allergy to hay? Or even a fever? We take a look at some common misconceptions held about allergies, as well as a few natural remedies

Hayfever is, in fact, a seasonal form of ‘allergic rhinitis’ or allergic reaction in the nasal passage, which becomes inflamed on contact with allergens such as pollens, dander and moulds. The cause may vary, but the symptoms are similar, ranging from runny nose, itchy eyes and sneezing to headaches, lack of concentration and sleepless nights.

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Lyon Solar plans world's two biggest solar plus storage plants in South Australia and Queensland, despite not receiving money in ARENA large scale funding round.

Yosemite National Park in California is to gain a 400-acre addition, its largest expansion in nearly 70 years.

DEVELOPING DOG SMARTS: Bandicoots on the island state of Tasmania fail to recognise dogs as a threat, despite co-existing with the domesticated predator for 200 years, a new study shows.

India and Nepal are concerned about flash floods due to a lack of information from China about the state of glacial lakes and rivers in Tibet.

If leaves can do it, why can't we? Leaf image from www.shutterstock.com

When we burn a fossil fuel – coal, oil or gas – it produces energy that we use, and byproducts such as water and carbon dioxide. It’s the CO₂ that’s proving to be a problem – humans have increased the amount of it in the atmosphere by about 40%, causing the planet to warm by around 1℃ so far. This means we must act quickly, given that the Paris Agreement aims to limit temperature increases to 1.5℃.

The desire for sustainable, low-carbon energy is driving a global boom in renewable energy. But alternative energy sources – particularly wind and solar – come with their own challenges.

What if, instead of burning ancient fossils fuels, we could put the ingredients back together to reassemble the fuel? If we could do so using sustainably sourced energy, we would have a clean, and potentially infinite, fuel supply.

It sounds mad, but actually scientists have made significant advances in recent years. And surprisingly, they are doing so by imitating plants.

Mimicking nature

The amount of solar energy striking the Earth is 5,000 times greater than human demand (around 100,000 terawatts versus 20 terawatts). One problem with solar energy is its reliability. Solar cells don’t produce energy at night or when the sun isn’t shining. This can be fixed by storing solar energy, with the help of several emerging storage technologies.

But we could also use the energy to produce other fuels, which we can burn later to provide a predictable and constant power supply. If we are using solar energy, this process forms a closed, sustainable cycle.

A large amount of research is being carried out in this area, known as artificial photosynthesis. Photosynthesis is the process carried out by plants to store solar energy, indirectly creating fossil fuels, so the name reflects humanity’s attempts to mimic nature.

The electrical energy provided by solar cells can be used to split water and produce a fuel, hydrogen. When hydrogen is burned, water is formed and energy is released. Water is the only byproduct.

Researchers across the globe are working on this process, and recent developments have shown how to make it more efficient. My recent work has reached 22% efficiency, which is double the predicted values for the process to become viable.

The next step

But a gaseous fuel does present practical handling problems. So hydrogen is easier to store than electrical energy, but it’s not our ideal fuel.

Liquid fuels are preferable, because existing fuel pumps, cars and coal power stations would need only minor changes in order to use these carbon-based non-fossil fuels.

Taking inspiration from photosynthesis again, the next step is clear: combine hydrogen with carbon to produce artificial fossil fuels. Work to make this process efficient is already under way across the globe, with impressive results.

The efficiency isn’t as high as for hydrogen yet, but progress is impressive. Liquid fuels are being produced with the systems working more efficiently than plants.

This concept provides a supply of fuel that is limited only by the Sun. It does use carbon-based fuels, but is overall carbon-neutral. All of the carbon dioxide produced when burning the fuel will be used to produce fuel again, by collecting the carbon dioxide from the atmosphere to react with hydrogen.

All of the water being split to make the hydrogen will be released as water vapour when the fuel is burned, and will eventually become rain.

Replacing fossil fuels

Existing technology cannot replace fossil fuels. This is an important point when considering necessary investment in solar panels or wind turbines. Replacement of existing energy supplies with an intermittent power source requires storage.

Humanity must be ready for fossil fuels to run out, and because the move away from fossil fuels must happen eventually, it would be wise to focus on researching the necessary technology to allow for a smooth transition so that society is ready.

Fossil fuels are finite, but solar energy is almost infinite, and typically things that are very abundant end up being very cheap.

So can this really work? Well, this process has been carried out for more than 3 billion years. There is literally nothing more extensively tested!

Shannon A. Bonke receives funding from the ARC Centre of Excellence for Electromaterials Science (ACES).