Top 12 RenewEconomy articles of the year

It’s THAT time of year, when media outlets get all self-indulgent and are absolutely convinced that their readers want nothing better than to be reminded of what was important, and popular, over the last 12 months.

So here we go, too. Here’s a list of the top 12 – the most popular stories that appeared on RenewEconomy since its launch in January, 2012. Some of them you may have missed.

We hope you enjoy, and we thank all of the 227,000 people that have visited this site this year for your interest, your readership, and your continuing support.

1. Why generators are terrified of solar 

This story “went off”, as the saying goes. Notable for this graph below, showing the massive bite taken out of energy market revenues in Germany in the middle of the day by rooftop solar. Nothing demonstrated quite so graphically how solar PV in such high penetration changes the game of the energy market. The German government and industry are now reviewing the way the market is structured, considering new incentives to ensure that dispatchable generation remains on-line.

2. More wind energy myths debunked: Madigan claims put to the test

We have been very fortunate to be able to share with you Mike Barnard’s forensic demolition of the outlandish claims of the anti-wind lobby. DLP Senator John Madigan managed to get a Senate inquiry into wind noise. Barnard looked at Madigan’s position on wind energy and found 10 whoppers in 364 words – a better strike rate than even Max Rheese.

3. Zero cost solar: Will this be Gillard’s secret election weapon?

The first sign that solar leasing products would be introduced into Australia, and the potential for rooftop solar – available to even wider demographic – could influence the political narrative in an Australia obsessed with the price of electricity. This has been borne out by Campbell Newman’s solar tap-dance, and huge interest on where solar will be felt in federal electorates.

4. Solar PV – it’s cheaper than you think

Bloomberg New Energy Finance produced a report that focused on “socket parity” – the fact that solar power can still cost more to generate at a grid level than coal, but can deliver electricity inside the home at a lower cost. “The perception persists that PV is prohibitively expensive, and still has not reached “competitiveness,” BNEF said. “Yet, awareness of the current economics of solar power lags among many commentators, policy makers, energy users and even utilities.”

5. Solar Insights: Why solar will win the energy wars

A follow-up to our most popular article. This drew on a presentation made by UNSW’s Dr Martin Green on the continuing impact of solar on the German market, and how the continuing fall in costs would impact this and other markets around the world. And another fascinating graph about the growing influence of solar.

6. The end of base load. It may come sooner than you think

Hans-Josef Fell, one of the principal architects of Germany’s push into renewable energy technologies, believes that the country could achieve 100 per cent renewables in its electricity sector by 2030 – and may do it quicker.

7. Newman takes aim at climate and renewables

There is a continuing horror and fascination at the axe that Queensland Premier Campbell Newman took to the state’s support of climate change policies and renewable energy incentives. This article correctly predicted that the government would pull its support for the $1.2 billion Solar Dawn concentrated solar power project planned under the now defunct Solar Flagships program.

8. Rooftop solar to be energy game changer in Australia

The Australian Energy Market Operator delivered a landmark report, detailing for the first time the arrival of solar PV as a major factor in the National Electricity Market, and recognising the potential for rooftop solar to account for up to 10 per cent of total electricity needs by 2030. Developments since then suggest that could be a conservative estimate.

9. Iceland: A 100 per cent renewables example in the modern era

Paul Gipe’s analysis of how Iceland achieves 100 per cent renewable hit a sweet spot with readers. If it can be done in one country taking advantage of its natural resources, why can’t it be done in other countries?

10. Brave new world as solar PV heads to 50c/watt

US Energy Secretary Stephen Chu’s Sunshot program aims to lower the cost of solar PV modules to 50c/watt by 2020. GTM Research released its latest five year cost estimates and said that could occur as early as 2016. GTM admitted that it even was struggling to keep up with the pace of cost reductions. Truth be told, we are not a long way farther along in developing an understanding of the PV market than we were back in 2008,” it wrote.

11. Australia’s first utility-scale solar farm opened in WA

Finally, a solar farm in Australia. The 10MW solar PV plant was built by First Solar with funding from GE, Verve Energy and the state government. The country that led the world in solar PV research, however, trails the world in its deployment at large scale. Will this be the start of rapid deployment? Don’t hold your breath.

12. Want to save 70 million birds a year? Build more wind farms

Another in Mike Barnard’s excellent series on wind energy myths. This focused on the myth that wind farms are destructive of bird life. Barnard says the opposite holds true. See also his popular Fourteen wind energy myths debunked (No 17 on the annual list of most popular stories).

And the rest?

Two articles that didn’t quite make it into the top 12 were Hybrid solar, how to kiss the grid goodbye, and Energy storage systems signal arrival of baseload renewables – both focusing on emerging battery storage technologies, and the possibility that consumers can reduce their reliance on the grid, or even divorce themselves entirely. We suspect that these themes will have no trouble making it into the top ten (or twelve), in 2013.

Postscript: Mike Barnard’s forensic analysis of Madigan’s wind energy myths is still rating extremely well, and has jumped five places in a tight field since this list was first published – so we’ve adjusted the list accordingly.