Prime Minister Howard announced some good news for renewable energy for remote area applications in August. An additional 123,5 million AUD (73 million EUR) has been earmarked for the four years from July 2007 for the Renewable Remote Power Generation Programme (RRPGP).

Initiated in 2000, the RRPGP encourages the replacement of fossil-fuel (predominately diesel) consumption for power generation and water pumping with renewable sources of energy. The programme has been an important stimulus for off-grid residential and agricultural PV applications accounting for approximately 25 % of Australia’s remote-area PV market over the past five years. This has sustained numerous small installation businesses that constitute much of Australia’s PV industry. The new funding boosts the original 200 million AUD budget by 60 % and will enable the programme to be extended across the country.

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