Australian Households Chase Sun to Lead World on Solar Adoption

Australian Households Chase Sun to Lead World on Solar Adoption

Australian households are world leaders in solar power installation, according to new figures from Australia's peak industry body representing the fossil fuel and renewable energy sector.

The Energy Supply Association of Australia, representing the fossil fuel and renewable energy sector, has sourced data from around the world revealing household solar photovoltaic (PV) penetration in Australia is way out in front of any other nation.

The report shows almost 15 per cent of Australian households have adopted the technology to power their homes.

This is more than triple that of Germans, who are second on the world stage and typically thought of as the most prolific solar adopters.

The report breaks the data down to countries and jurisdictions illustrating where the world's most enthusiastic installers of small-scale solar energy are located.

"Germany, the US, Spain and others are held up as being at the forefront of solar power, but it is Australia, where households have taken it upon themselves to install solar PV, that easily lead the world when it comes to solar penetration," the ESAA report states.

The ACT had 15,637 household installations as of September last year, according to ActewAGL figures. Based on 2011 census data this put the ACT at about 10 per cent of households connected to solar – South Australia leads the way with almost 25 per cent of households connected to solar PV.

Although Australia leads the charge on small-scale installations, Germany is out front with utility-scale solar installations.

In terms of total solar energy produced per million people, Germany's capacity is about triple that of Australia's.

Australian Solar Council chief executive John Grimes said that was due to policies that had focused on domestic solar systems.

"The economics are compelling," Mr Grimes said. "The cost of the technology continues to fall at such a rate that it is already much cheaper to install solar than it is to buy electricity from the grid. And with the advent of cheap energy storage technology – battery technology – that really closes the loop.

"People like the Energy Supply Association and others should rightly be thinking about this. If they don't start to embrace the technology as opposed to resist it, their members companies – the big utilities – are set to become the Kodaks of the future." 



See more at: http://australiasolar.blogspot.com.au/2015/05/australian-households-chase-sun-to-lead.html#sthash.248JT0Dp.dpuf

Farmers Own Milk A Huge Success With Customers!

Woolworths has today announced that the trial of Farmers’ Own milk produced in the Manning Valley has been an enormous success and that this great product will now be available in 105 stores across New South Wales.

This means that Woolworths is directly linking more than 2.5 million Woolworths customers with committed and innovative dairy farmers from the Manning Valley of New South Wales and milk straight from their farms.

In a first for Woolworths milk, the supermarket is working directly with the farmers. After a highly successful trial period, the Manning Valley farmers will now have greater access to this huge customer base for their product.

The milk is permeate free and is available in three varieties; full cream and reduced fat homogenised milk and full cream unhomogenised milk with the cream on top. It truly is the farmers’ own milk, just how they like it.

The trial has run for since October 2013 and Woolworths has seen strong sales, particularly in the Manning Valley stores.


Woolworths Head of Trade, Tony De Thomasis, said the experience has proven to be great for the farmers, great for Woolworths, but most importantly great for customers.

“We are extremely pleased about how well our customers have received Farmers’ Own milk. We know they appreciate a great local product.

“The three varieties have sold very strongly and the return of unhomogenised milk with the cream on top has been a hit. They love the great tasting, fresh milk with a richer, fuller flavour.

Manning Valley dairy farmer, Tim Bale, said: “We’re delighted that this trial has gone so well and that now we’ll be able to deliver our fresh, great tasting milk into a huge market through 105 Woolworths stores.

“We know that customers want farmers to get a fair price for their produce and our direct relationship with Woolworths is delivering that,” said Mr Bale.

The relationship gives the farmers end-to-end transparency from shed to shelf, a longer term contract and a closer relationship with their customers.

http://www.woolworths.com.au/wps/wcm/connect/webSite/Woolworths/about+us/woolworths-news/farmers+own+milk+a+hit+with+customers


My Say On Farmers Own Milk:

Farmers Own unhomoginised Full Cream Milk Won the Consumer Innovation Product of the year award.. congratulations for bringing high quality inexpensive ($2.70 for a 2ltr) milk to the market..excellent product!

Rolling out all over Australia.. a Woolworths near you.

Now that the NZ$ is close to parity.. a very real opportunity exists to import to NZ and attack the #Monopsony and relieve the consumer nightmare that is NZ milk

http://www.farmweekly.com.au/news/agriculture/cattle/dairy/farmers-own-milk-hits-woolies-shelves/2714940.aspx