- ACCESS THE COMPLETE STORY by Charli Shield ON 'LIVING PLANET' [22/11/2024] (dw.com}
- CONTEXT: Energy analysts noticed anomalies in the records of electricity energy use in a number of Asian countries - notably Pakistan, and also other developing countries in the world [Saudia Arabia, UAE, Oman,Phillipines, Thailand, South Africa, Zimbabwe, Namibia and Madagascar]where the constant provision of fossil-fueled grid electricity cannot be guaranteed and where there are regular long interruptions to supply.
- SOLUTION: Installation of rooftop solar! EXAMPLE: Pakistan in 2024 is the sixth largest installer of solar panels in the world! - and most of these are installed on individual rooftops!
- EVIDENCE: Independent agency tracking of Chinese export data of solar panels. The export records demonstrate the export of very significant numbers of solar panels to all of the countries [in brackets] above.
- THERE IS A QUIET UNNOTICED AND UNREPORTED SIGNIFICANT INSTALLATION OF ROOFTOP SOLAR ENERGY IN MANY OF THE LESS DEVELOPED AND LESS RICH COUNTRIES OF THE WORLD!
- HOW & WHY: 1) Because many residents become increasingly unhappy and distressed when essential appliances (like fans/air conditioners/life-saving medical machinery/essential services) relying on electrical energy are not available because of old/inadequate/broken central fossil-fuel driven electricity grids and infrastructure.
- 2) Because of the significant decreases in the cost of solar panels: 1975 = $US 100.00+/ Watt:
- 2018 less than US 50 cents/Watt.
- 'Over four decades, solar power has gone from being one of the most expensive electricity sources .. to about the cheapest in most places in the world' [Shield]
- ONLY DOWNSIDES:
- Increased grid electricity prices from existing fossil-fuelled electricity generators who know their days of generating are coming to an end - and are trying to squeeze as much profit as they can before that happens. AND
- A complete incapacity for the operators of the central electricity grids to cope with the significant increase in solar generated electricity!
- Sounds a little like some of the problems we have in Australia? - not enough transmission lines/not enough capacity in storage etc etc!
- SOLUTION IN PAKISTAN - and AUSTRALIA: Rooftop Solar on every roof and Storage batteries in every home! Quickest way to reduce costs-of-living in Australia - and cheaper ['Rewiring Australia'] than the A$14 billion subsidy to the miners and fossil-fuel generators - many internationally owned and operated - paying little tax- 'greenwashing' through false Carbon Credits- and mining for international export and profits - and generating significant emissions in the burning of their offshore exports - that they and Australia don't have to count or admit to! - and employing a very very very small proportion of workers!
As Garnaut (2024) argues very forcibly - 'LET'S TAX CARBON' - let's make the big emitters pay the 'real' environmental costs of their actions.
[David Smith for Electrifying Bradfield Inc.]