NSW is just the tip for this on again off again industry.
In March,confronted by the very dead body of the NSW ALP Barry OFarrell won an all time historic Victory.
He then tried to make retrospective legislation to remove subsidy's for power produced by solar panels.
Largely those panels,sometimes near energy farms, are the property of those who installed him in office.
Three times the rate charged for power is to be returned for power produced this way.
Joe and Jean average are to pay for this with increased power costs.
While never wanting retrospective legislation,that breaks election promises,Barry has backed down,should he have done so.
Solar power if we cut cost to install but pay only realistic amounts for power produced may just replace two power stations.
But right now,some are proffiteering from fellow users.

Belly the only details I know are what I've heard on the radio but as I understand it there was a contractural agreement which he'd propose breaking.

Possibly a silly contract driven by ideology rather than real worth.

I don't think it's a good habit for governments to breach contracts (even if the have the tools to do so). If the government had a contract it should be honored within the terms of that contract and more reasonable terms set up when a legitimate opportunity arives.

As traditionally happens for non-labor governments, they spend the first term (or two) in office cleaning up the financial mess left behind by labor. This will be just one of many problems left behind to deal with.

R0bert

That backflip is good news for me- thankyou Barry for finally seeing the light (even though it was only because fellow party members insisted).
As far as I'm concerned, getting a proper Solar rebate (Aside from being allowed to generate your own power directly) are the ONLY ways to justify that scammy "Carbon Tax".

With these options we have a clear alternative to convert to AWAY from these so-called very-bad-fuel-sources and into something green.

without these, then it becomes too obvious that the carbon tax is nothing more than an excuse to rip off consumers for what they do use.
And it seems there was a lot of grief among the government of too many people using Solar panels, as if that was a bad thing and NOT what the carbon tax was supposed to be about.

i would like to know if any who got the subsidised solar sells on their roofs have reduced consumption...[or wether they cheaper power[for them]..has actualy increased their abuse..

daytime solar is useless at night..so these leches are sukking doubly ooff the basic ignorant power user..[paying for* their excess...who helped them buy the cells..then supply them with nighttime power and infastructure so they got power at night]

these leeches get 3 times normal rate
how blatent they are...[how affective their guiltfree lobby]
instaling tax upon those who are doing the right thing..and giving imput subasidy..3 times real worth]..

its insane

but guilt makes their minds numb

i would suggest that those..in on the scam
pay the one set rate...
*fixed price..for all their power

[not take advantage of differential rates for input or output]
that sees a dollar value
in bias of those paying for input..against what they putout]

my buill comes in peak and off peak
anything different..is a scam

to wit things like ambulance levies or input rates

its noticable that one cannot make a contract
without the others informed concent..or without having the others power of attourney

as the housing industry is finding out contracts cant hold their binding power..beyond those who signed a contract

thus barry you need to think smarter
who holds what contract.,.with whom?

then get those
who havnt got a valid..con-tract
pay for whjat they uswe and when..PLUS line maintance/acces fees

or bring in
a unit usage wastage/rate
for the big users..ab/users
who run the bigger scams

odious* debt is a crime

I see that the money will have to be made up by increasing electricity prices again.

I feel the dead hand of Labor NSW in my wallet.

The 60 cent gross scheme was flawed from the start.
I could see it immediately that it was a trap waiting to be sprung.
It was such a good deal that everyone should have taken it up.
We could have sent the state broke in the first month if the cells
could have been installed fast enough.

I have read of unfair contracts being set aside by the courts, but
that might not have worked because the writer and seller of the
contracts is the party that wanted to rewrite them.
New contracts should be for the current supply charge plus a return on
capital invested but not for gross but net supplied into the grid.
People would then install enough cells to give them a small income
and free electricity for themselves.
This would save the grid supplying a lot of daytime electricity.
With a push to gas generation, they could ramp up and down to match easily.

If I remember correctly the government was warned what would happen
if they went ahead with 60 cent gross. But as usual the pollies know
best and the common mug wouldn't have a clue.

Another problem is that they are designing these energy systems for
the wrong problem. We need to put our efforts in replaceable energy
for liquid fuels. We urgently need a study into whether the amount
of natural gas we have could replace oil fuels for say the next 30 yrs.
If NatGas is to be used for transport, a mass conversion of cars and
trucks could mean the forever supply could be very short term.
The companies who are selling natural gas tell us we have enough
gas to last for nearly forever. However other studies suggest that
is pie in the sky stuff. It turns out that the ERoEI just cannot
support the claims being made.

To highlight that all views are being heard here let us look at OUG,s contribution.
If the power is generated on site,and without costs from the Sun, why not use it?
I disagree King Hazza.
Yes Shadow Minister it was an ALP contract,
I know a bit about this.
First subsidy's went to those who could afford $5.000 them selves, for a time it was a middle income only thing.
Both state and federal gave more subsidy's , paid for in extra cost to? consumers without the panels.
I intend to install them ,once the market settles, want no stolen money from those who can not afford them.
If I had that contract, now no longer possible, I would get three times the retail price for my unused electricity.
60 cents, but as I am not I will get 20 cents still retail price for My extra.
In my view we should subsidies installations, letting us have no bills,but the governments state and federal should OWN OUR excess to pay for the costs of installation.
IT is not fair, that some houses put subsidized small factory's on their roof, to profit, from others pain at rising costs.
Happiness, sorry Shadow Minister tell me what is wrong with my view and smile it will not crack your face.
I have self installed and maintained solar to run my lighting and radios, it runs a TV in blackouts.
Not deep cycle battery's normal truck ones but will put a big enought system on my roof to run today and future loads.
Not rich. even well of but any return is going to Charity's.

belly quote...""..views are being heard here
let us look at OUG,s..contribution.
If the power is generated on site,
and without costs from the Sun, why not use it?""

thats not what im saying belly
im saying the solar cells..are a scam allround

first those who got them for less than their cost
second for those 'selling it for 60 cents'..[mate that isnt reasonable]

i resent their claims...building/transporting..
errecting the darn things..all cost co2...

the stuff they are made from
had to be mined/refined and built from industry using co2

they connect to the other infastructure
they arnt supporting...they are leeches
greedy/loud opinionated organised lobby group..enjoying their freelunch

im not refering to you belly
i resisted getting in on the scam
just as you have...if it isnt fair for all its a rort or a tort[scam]

i can agree with other issues you raise
i feel roofs that have the moast efficient use
and conveniant to the networks should get it put is for free
[with the option of bying..or paying back all the costs..if they want to claim the benifits]

if not they the govt should pay the rent on the cells
or give them a discount/share

can you just imagine
when the hail stones fall on their solar?
talk about bill shock

I haven't even seen the circuits of the solar inverters and controllers
so I am guessing here, but the electricity supply company should be
able to restrict the amount of power being fed in by notching up the
supply voltage and so back off the solar cell output.
This way they could cut back on what they would have to pay the solar
cell owner.
They can remotely make the tap changer adjust the line voltage to
prevent the solar controllers being unable to exceed the line voltage.
If the line voltage is higher than the cells can produce then no
current could be fed into the mains.

Has anyone here ever adjusted solar cell controllers ?

Bazz mate no! we share a hobby,and in my area the battery back up I spoke about has been driven by one bloke in that hobby.
A few are now running it, quite a few.
Give me your views on this.
See my comments here, understand even today those making money from the scheme, are charging those gains to?
Those who could not afford to install them.
IF WE think with me, install them as cheap as we can.
But all over supply.
Gos FREE back in to the system.
We can reduce electricity costs.
Reduce our carbon footprint.
Reduce the need for new power stations,
A system Bazz that improves not rewards those who could /can afford them but every one.
what do you think?
OUG not every solar panel is subsidized mine are not, they work are much cheaper now.
Mate I can never share your view both major party's /the world is bent.
That every thing in the world is a rip off.
My idea rewards every one,yours blacken every one.
Each home could first get no bill for power and at a cost,current prices, return half its over all usual used power free to the grid for a total outlay of less than $7.000
Then? who knows other can build on the idea maybe give that power free to pensioners in homes without panels?
My idea is discount all homes with it.

No tears out of me I'm afraid;
I'm quite happy that the government has stopped worming out of its own signed contract and done the right thing; My only other points are:
1- I am not "taking" money- I'm selling you MY electricity using a panel *I* paid for;
2- If the government is put out by this rebate, then it is more than welcome to stop giving a few thousand dollar handouts to bribe swinging voters, retirees, etc, and welcome to shut down the desalination plant, or cut down on the harbour bridge fireworks and various other useless rubbish each year to make up the difference- and that is ignoring the parliamentary perks and retirement bonuses.
3- If the government decides to rat out of its part of the deal, it should compensate me for my losses and kindly pay to have my solar panel electricity feed internalized into my own house.
4- Again- without some alternative to convert to (and that should also include electric cars), the government has no justification for introducing a carbon tax or carbon trading scheme (putting aside many of you would agree anyway with this point).
The choice is really quite simple.

If your selling it I hope your paying TAX on your income? You pay a fee for using the line to draw power to your house, are you paying us a line usage fee for transporting your goods on OUR wire system? I bet your not so it seems you are taking us for a ride!

King Hazza be very careful, can you asure me those panels did not come to you with a subsidized price.
Did you receive and swap as part of the deal certificates.
You from your arrival here often talk of rip offs and unfairness.
Are you content * your good luck* is raising the price of electricity for every one else?
A country village home, like mine, can with ease product twice what it takes to run.
Subsidizing the installation, but paying for it by transferring ownership of the extra to government.
Should reduce prices.
And why politicians have not thought about it stuns me.
No offense KH but I doubt your panels cost you full price I doubt the gear used to link it did and sorry, but that you consider the best out comes for the community.

By the way, I am ALP to the boot straps.
Do not like retrospective legislation.
And will need to go to war with Barry OFarrell.
He in fact is acting without the full information on public service wages and quite wrong.
My party will cringe.
But Barry ,you should not have backed down here,the scheme was wrong, it rewarded those who could pay.
ALP please note, at the expense of some whom sit in the cold afraid to turn a heater on.
Fead back in real life is telling me to shut up!
NEVER! the pain of being flogged lives in my chest my party sold its sole to grubs now gone,todays pain must be lived felt and taken as the humble pie it is.
So never again will the few so badly miss use my party.
I will just bet some of the grubs who sank Labor are getting checks from this slanted system that increases bills for the poor.

Belly,

I think you said your cells were not connected to the mains.
If they are mains connected without a smart meter, when you generate
excess to your needs power, the meter runs backwards.
So in effect they pay you the same rate as they charge you.
However with a smallish installation it will never end up with them
paying you.
The problem with the gross system was they pay you for the power you
use yourself as well as what you feed back in.
On top of that they pay you about five times the standard rate for
everything you generate.
It was never sustainable and the idiots just couldn't see that.

The government could not have won a court case thats probably why they
backed down and will collect an extra $7 per bill from the rest of us.

What should have been done was to pay the cell owner a rate above
the wholesale rate the distributer pays for the electricity.
The whole purpose of the exercise is to save investment costs of
the generators having to build new generation coal fired plant.

That is what I meant by the system has been designed for the wrong problem.
World peak coal is about 20 years away and we need alternative
energy generation for when that starts to happen.
Peak coal in Australia is more than 20 years away, so we could stop
exports and not worry about new generation plant for some time.
However other countries will offer good prices for coal and we
could use that money to build whatever comes next.

I am quite certain they are not subsidized Belly- and memory serves me correctly it was Labor that wanted to go back on the deal first.
And seeing that it is Labor imposing the Carbon tax- they are free to cancel that very Carbon tax any time they want to save the money (and actually get an environmental outcome too).

And for that matter, could you explain WHY my purchase of solar panels is even increasing taxes at all? As the system could very much imply that when a home is using my sold excess they would only be paying me (my company) its rates instead of its regular company?

But again- if the government wants to stop the rebate, it can pay for someone to come to my house and convert the circuits to an internal feed (After giving me the money it owes me when the rebate was on, of course).

To be perfectly honest. BOF's handling of the solar feed in was not handled with sensitivity.

The scheme was a financial bomb left by NSW labor, and had to be dealt with. But as the owners of the solar panels had contracted in good faith, there would need to be some compensation.

I would have proposed reducing the tariff to 40c, but would have increased the time period to 2020. This would have given them the same payment, but over a longer period, and reduced the need for electricity increases.

The clamp on wages, however, is long overdue, and the bloated public service could do with a trim.

all true sm
i agree with belly too

but would like to add to this topic re line degrading
just because your putting in a watt..dont mean others are getting that watt/amp or jule or whatever

take today for egsample..its cloudy/overcast
not enough amps to run a heater/toster or a fridge
those with solar...now are suckking it direct off the system

just as they all suck it off the system at night
[at night..*WE are all using coal]...even you lot ripping off the 60 cent tarrif]

and there is the point
[fixing the wrong problem with the wrong solution]

you got day time power

EVEN IF WE ALL GOT..'day time cells,..BELLY
at night..*we would still need every bit of coal fired power
as the cells stop generating EVERY night..or cloudy day]

add in the line voltage drop over distance

your solution
need's a global line/linking us 24/7

[and thats not going to happen..here...maybe in europe..BUT not here]

as well as being close enough
to negate line droppage

solar [with battery]..is fine for a farmer/fisher
or others nowhere near a major line

but thats about it
cause it only works half the time
yet in time will still cost us the earth

all the increased c02..is mainly from building solar/wind coal seam gas..and bio gas emmiosions

YOUR CURE is making things worse
and costying us to much money

money going to greedy
people..who know how to blackmail govt into BAD actions
via bad taxes..via nanny state oppressions..police courts jails

when its them
the real criminals..selling fictions for three times their cost
[GROSS proffitering..and loading tax payers up with odious debt*]

as well as a solution that only makes power
whenever the sun shines..out of their iffs and butts

Bazz sorry but my information is well researched and you have got much of it wrong.
First in my area our Radio club has one very active operator, you would know him.
He has become the center of a group, of mostly young, operators, I an old bloke am part of that group and a former but not very active club office holder.
He first installed a stand alone battery storing solar system, for him it grew, he is black out proof no intention ever to feed back in.
We number about twenty now, I run lighting radios and TV that last only in black out.
The power to the mains system was first installed, in our group by that bloke, he is an ex electrician.
The standard installation now costs less than $3.000.
It will not stop your bills.
He has nearly but not quite twice that.
Only in winter is he even likely to get a bill.
He is an aged pensioner, and has built up a credit of near $300 as he is on holidays he will make on his daily average, about $3 a day while away.
Bazz this feedback system is made cheaper by the installer keeping your credits, they will be of real value.
The meters are changed as part of this, but my mate heart of ham radio here takes Daily readings and he is making more than he uses.
continued.

Be careful please!
Solar is not unlike pink bats and other building industry shams.
A criminal group went next door, not knowing those folk are my Friends they after seeing my panels [ cost $1200] wanted the full Monty.
The quote was $30.000!
Such an installation would run the 4 homes in this street.
I am waiting, not having a go at you KH but think it was part paid for as is every installation I know of other than the very well of.
I will put two sets,under $6.000. on my roof.
Truly will, go without extra income give any profit to charity, we all every one should not except cash from the true poor.
Now SM in this matter I am nearer your thoughts Labor was so dreadfully lost it imposed this tax in NSW on its own people, the poor.
The SMs of this state prospered by our mistake, we tried to wriggle out Barry did too.
Both should have, tell me what is fair about this scheme,we say we want to impact on climate change here is our chance put my scheme in place .
But know
Some will be receiving profits forever equal to three times the costs others pay.
No guts no Glory.

It is clear my passion is not shared by every one.
But I have had another thought.
30 panels would fit on my roof, maybe more.
Now that is more than twice my needs,for sure.
How about co ops getting together and putting it back into the grid.
My preferred way is no bills for home owners,some assurances use would not grow above an average.
Cost of every installation reduced and as above excess is used to reduce over all prices.

I have one 30 year old 'walk on' deck solar panel that I had for a boat. Use it now to charge a couple of old car batteries that power the 12 volt lights through-out the house that we use when moving about the house at night; also powers the lights outside the back and front doors and in the toilet. Probably doesn't save all that much power but it costs nought to run as the panel has more than paid for itself over the years and I get the batteries for nothing.

Yes most who use that system,me too use second hand battery's.
I Also but new truck ones.
My panels are 3 new last year, 8oo watts.
Some of our group run fridges TV and washing machines.
I like the fact I am black out proof.
Just switch the inverter on plug in the TV and radios lighting is there.
My power bill not gone down, as my over all use is constantly shrinking my bills seem to stay well above what the once cost.
We hear power is to rise by 30%
My council has been given permission to get 24% rate rises.
And for that? my community is convinced we get a garbage collection only.
I am concerned just how will I live?? fixed income well below half the average.
Just maybe room exists to run my whole power in this way if governments continue to pay only lip service to cleaner power.

As far as I know (because I've never bothered to find out0, if one opts out of using Government/privately generated power, must one still pay for the power to run past one's house?

Belly, I am a bit confused, what was it that I got wrong ?
Was it the meter going backwards ?
Was it the gross system where they pay you for the power you use ?
Was it the $7 per quarter that the rest of us will pay ?
Was it peak coal that you referred to ?

Your friend, is he from the Port ?
Trying to remember his name, I knew him well quite some while back.
I will think of it in a minute, he had an electrical business in Port Mac.

There is an organisation, a non incorporated association I believe, that
has a large area in which they install solar panels and invite members
to pay for solar panels and they get their share of the profits of the club.
From memory they are somewhere near Bega.
Seems like a good idea, they get the financial output and don't have the
bother of having the panels on your house.
However you would then not get paid for using your own power.

Bazz not that bloke, lets say KKZ John in north QLD till next weekend.
No the commercial system goggle home solar power, brings new metering.
It measures your use, from amps used the whole thing.
It tells you your use and what you return to the system.
Every morning some get on air to brag about yesterday, or lament the sunless day.
You would understand my system and, is mise one as described.
Every country home should have it.
You could, in a days long black out use the power to save fridge or freezers contents.
Mate the commercial home system, check it out , will not get rid of the bill , but twice its offered panels will.
I can not think of a better way to reduce costs and already in Australia we have the output of nearly one power station being generated this way.
You also would know many remote radio repeater sites are powered by solar
regards

Belly, no I did not know KKZ.
OK the net, time & freq ?
mycall@wia.org.au

7100 any day from Friday next 4.30 pm.
I would like some who are thinking about solar but unsure to understand a few important things.
The stand alone full power battery storage system is not cheap, my helper one,not mine you have to do it, is relatively cheap.
Goggle solar panels and follow links to extras needed.
The home one? first step about 3 grand but get a bill about half, twice that and you with self control, get rid of the bill.
30% price rises my investment will not be paid for in my life but no bill maybe a small check for charity, good investment.

"under one god" might just like to know that we have reduced our electricity consumption by, wait for it, drum roll..... NINETY PERCENT!

We don't live in a cave, and we have all the comforts of home, hot water on demand (all solar), two laptops, a [small] digital TV, a stereo, lights in every room (some come on automatically) a fridge and two freezers (which in total use LESS power than a conventional fridge/freezer), and we even pump our own tank water which most household don't have to do.. AND it's ALL solar powered too. In fact we make, on average about five times as much energy as we need/consume........

Why did we do this? It was OBVIOUS to anybody half awake that as we approach Limits to Growth the cost of power was going to skyrocket.

I just got a cheque, today, for $535. Is it at your expense? Only if you are too stupid to do likewise.

I see the Feed in Tariff as a transition period to when everybody will be paying the 52c/kWh we are paid for our solar energy. Then, we will simply get a credit for what we export, and YOU will be able to buy clean green energy for the same price as the dirty coal stuff. What a BARGAIN.....

If you think for one second we are not in for some really major change, you're dreamin'.....

"If your selling it I hope your paying TAX on your income? You pay a fee for using the line to draw power to your house, are you paying us a line usage fee for transporting your goods on OUR wire system? I bet your not so it seems you are taking us for a ride!"

As a matter of fact.... YES!

Welcome to our new contributor, think OUG may not have the resources to install those panels,a great number will not have.
Wanted to post a link, went back looking for it this morning in a site in Canada, it was not their.
It spoke of Goggle and a partner investing about 28 million US.
The scheme installs home solar power,at no up front cost, and charges rental, at 10 percent less than your normal bill.
Not being a Green, but favoring true conservation, I favor stealing some of that scheme.
Federal or state government installs on your home as many panels as will fit,current average use not to be exceeded.
You pay no bills and extra power is property of provider used to reduce over all costs of power, for every one including business.

Belly I'd have serious concerns about any recent government (party irrelevant) owning assets installed on my roof. Too much history of not acting in good faith and too much power when it goes wrong.

If it's a financially viable scheme there might be opportunity for private companies to do something similar.

R0bert

greenies quote...""we have reduced our electricity consumption"""

NO YOU DIDNT
you reduced the cost/price
of..ya bill ya dill..your CONsuming as much as ever
you havnt cut down the ammount YOU USED

and thats my point
belly has batteries

[meaning he isnt USING
ab-using COAL power at night

YOU ARE..!

your selling credits
but using the same power
you use coal..YOUR POLUTING TOO

yes you get a check...wow
but you*...*HAVNT REDUCED THAT YOU CONSUME
your consumption...plus your gumption...mate
your as guilty as the rst of us

oh belly my last bill was 50 bucks..TOTAL
fully on the grid..i even had to pay in that price
the FIXED ..'other charges'..[aserrvice to priopwerty..of 24 bucks

half my bill...just to acces..the line
those solar merchants of guilt neatly avoid by selling their total solar for 52 cents...while only paying for the coal power they consume too..!

even at 25 bucks a ton
i use less than one ton a year
you solar mugs ned read the rules CAREFULLY
your total energy use will earn a tax due...then on your petrol

i dont mind the price going up
as long as we are all paying..FOR ALL WE USE...*

watt for watt
how much c02,,,gas..does a ton of carbon[coal]...'emmit'
a heck of a lot of c02...i rekon it should be priced at 50 or a 100 bucks

and the only certainty re price
is every year it will go up

so the scam is get the deal in
then in time sneak up the price

others are being scammed greenie
live with that...

[your 500 bucks is equal to 30 pieces of silver]

its not the money
its the criminality of the lies

Robert I understand in truth expect a change in government, maybe in each of the next two federal elections and my concerns are about both.
However I did give it thought, my worry is simple funding the installation up front.
And that as more power was returned this way it decrease if possible costs.
As you know I worked both for and with government run things.
please NEVER EXPECT OTHER THAN FAILURE FROM THEM, management level NOT front line workers
Under contract and insured I care not who own sit on my roof just that it be used to cut costs

http://www.smh.com.au/money/disputes-over-solar-energy-heat-up-20110614-1g0sm.html
This link, depending on you point of view casts a dark shadow over some things about the subject.
I Think however I have highlighted some even here in this thread.
In anything related to door to door salesmen be aware, criminals get involved too.
If a product or service is so good why knock on doors to sell it.
My neighbors could very well have paid that $30.000, I could have got change from $15.000 for the same.
Solar, researched and under stood will play an increasing roll in cheaper energy, if we police and remove shonks from the industry.

There were reports of electrical problems with solar installations in
Melbourne amongst other places. My son in Melbourne has had panels
installed. Does anyone know just what were the problems ?
When next in Melbourne I would like to check it.

Bazz links in my post above can help.
Remember some of the faults are small,some complaints put in by competitors, such is life in a competitive world.
Nothing beats expert advice.
Buy only from well known and documented folk.
Make very sure to contact other customers for opinions.
Get all warranty's in writing, have you legal man/woman look at it.
My installed panels, are great and fool proof.
INSTALLATION! here is the big one be aware skills are needed on your roof not dills.

http://news.smh.com.au/breaking-news-national/worlds-largest-solar-plants-for-nsw-qld-20110618-1g8my.html
I found this link while searching for some thing else in Goggle USA.
It confirms the future of solar power.
Many may know, I did, its major problem is you can not store it, put it back in the grid yes but storage is a problem
However my battery system while very effective is primitive in terms of what the future holds.
Battery and Capacitor technology is fast catching up and very cheap and effective storage is almost here.
Stand alone home and business Solar is in our future.

Storage I think will always be a problem. It will always be costly.
Battery voltage of course does not fall until almost discharged.
Super capacitors look useful, but they have the disadvantage that as
they discharge the voltage falls.
That increases the cost of the invertor.
Towards the end of their discharge cycle they will be outputting
very high current levels, probably in the order of a 100 amps or so.

If you have mains available you will save a lot of money over stand
alone installation as you can consider the mains as a perfect battery.
What you put in you get back.

However, if you want no break power then batteries are essential.
You might need a backup generator as well.
The whole activity makes for a good hobby.

All true Bazz but boy are we moving, great leaps and bounds are being made.
Battery technology for this very purpose ,is marching away.
And like a lot of things ham radio is playing its part long ago we had remote battery driven sites and emergency generators too.
With goggle and others investing billions in to big solar generation the problems,and profits, in over night storage and stand alone ability is sure to be solved.

Widespread viability of solar is amongst other things contingent on a lack of cloud/dust cover. If we get too reliant on Solar (with short to medium term storage) we would be in really big trouble in the event of significant changes to the amount of sunlight reaching the solar collectors.

Impacts of climate change are one thing that could cause massive changes to the amount of cloud cover.
Significant volcanic activity or a largish meteor strike could cloud the earth's atmosphere for years (and have a massive impact on access to biomass fuels as well).

Energy alternatives which rely on a particular climate model continuing should never be allowed to become a big portion of the base supply.

R0bert

RObert that too would bar wind and some water generation.
In part it could be true but the very use of such may help reduce such changes.
I get gale force winds,dust storm like spooky whistling winds, for days.
My panels are near the chimney, this is the first year I have not used it 24/7, gone gas.
I have never had to clean my panels.
We will,within ten years see big out back or near sea panel banks with wind water and gas fired power we will cut but not do away with coal fired power generation.
The future looks interesting.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-13977038
Stunning, but I think it backs up my belief humanity will find new and better ways in the next 100 years.