QUEENSLAND solar businesses fear a dramatic boom and bust after the state government slashed the solar feed-in tariff.
More than 180,000 Queenslanders are in the solar bonus scheme.
Those who provide power back to the grid will keep the 44 cents per kilowatt hour payment from July 9, but anyone who joins after that date will get an eight cent rate.
Stuart Stratton of Green Initiatives says the future is now uncertain for his 100-plus employees.
He's "extremely disappointed" the government drastically changed the main drawcard for households.
"Where it drops over time and it's predictable, the market can shift and your business can plan for staffing levels and training," Mr Stratton told AAP.
"When something like this happens out of the blue and you've got two weeks to adjust, it has potentially a massive downward impact on the business."
He imagines the next two weeks will be like "Christmas in July" - followed by silence.
Energy Minister Mark McArdle says Queensland households are subsidising the solar sector to the tune of $54 a year and it's unsustainable.
The Clean Energy Council says 4500 jobs could go as a result of the move but Mr McArdle has told ABC Radio he hasn't been briefed on possible job losses.
The Australian Solar Energy Society's John Grimes says his group had called for a graduated withdrawal down to about 20 cents per kilowatt hour.
"It would have allowed solar to compete and wouldn't have resulted in, sort of, this mini boom and bust," he told ABC Radio.
Source: http://www.theaustralian.com.au/news/breaking-news/solar-business-fears-boom-and-bust/story-fn3dxiwe-1226408722085
More than 180,000 Queenslanders are in the solar bonus scheme.
Those who provide power back to the grid will keep the 44 cents per kilowatt hour payment from July 9, but anyone who joins after that date will get an eight cent rate.
Stuart Stratton of Green Initiatives says the future is now uncertain for his 100-plus employees.
He's "extremely disappointed" the government drastically changed the main drawcard for households.
"Where it drops over time and it's predictable, the market can shift and your business can plan for staffing levels and training," Mr Stratton told AAP.
"When something like this happens out of the blue and you've got two weeks to adjust, it has potentially a massive downward impact on the business."
He imagines the next two weeks will be like "Christmas in July" - followed by silence.
Energy Minister Mark McArdle says Queensland households are subsidising the solar sector to the tune of $54 a year and it's unsustainable.
The Clean Energy Council says 4500 jobs could go as a result of the move but Mr McArdle has told ABC Radio he hasn't been briefed on possible job losses.
The Australian Solar Energy Society's John Grimes says his group had called for a graduated withdrawal down to about 20 cents per kilowatt hour.
"It would have allowed solar to compete and wouldn't have resulted in, sort of, this mini boom and bust," he told ABC Radio.
Source: http://www.theaustralian.com.au/news/breaking-news/solar-business-fears-boom-and-bust/story-fn3dxiwe-1226408722085
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