The ABC has a report on progress towards building a solar thermal power plant in South Australia (covered previously here in We're Off To See The Wizard - Storing Energy Using Ammonia) - Work starts on Whyalla solar project.

The foundations are being laid for a $15 million solar plant at Whyalla. A demonstration plant of four big dishes will combine solar power with ammonia energy storage technology.

Whyalla's deputy mayor Eddie Hughes says it is great to see something tangible after nearly 13 years of planning. "The first pad is to form a working base for the construction of the dishes," he said.

Mr Hughes says the 500-square-metre dishes will be the largest in the world. "They're going to be quite spectacular, I think they will attract a lot of attention," he said. "These are the largest solar dishes in the world, capable of generating temperatures in excess of 2,000 degrees."

He denies the plant will create another industrial eyesore for Whyalla. "Oh, I think they're going to be exceptionally beautiful to look at," he said.

Mr Hughes says, if the demonstration plant can successfully provide base load power, a 600-dish plant will be considered, at a likely cost of $350 million. It would be able to provide power to 19,000 homes.

This is a guest post by kiashu, who also blogs at GWAG.

This article looks at domestic solar power in Australia, asking: is it worth it?

It does not talk about large-scale solar systems, but focuses on grid-connected solar photovoltaic cells on a home's rooftop. The article looks at it from the perspective of the one who actually decides whether or not to install it: the homeowner. It may or may not be worthwhile from the point of view of society as a whole, but at present the decision is up to the person who owns the house. This article came about from my own research as my household, here in Melbourne, considered getting a rooftop solar photovoltaic system. In the end we've decided not to.

There are several things to consider: vanity, society, systemic, security, environmental, and financial. But first some background.

Vinod Khosla (VK) recently did a lengthy interview at the Milken Institute 2009 Global Conference. The interview was conducted by Elizabeth Corcoran (EC) of Forbes. You can see the video of the interview here:

Milken: Khosla on the Shift to Renewable Energy

These are excerpts from a transcript I put together from the recording. You can read the entire transcript (in three segments) on my R-Squared Energy Blog. I have labeled my comments with RR.

EC (13:40): In the past 90 days we have seen something like a billion dollars being put into solar investments - whether in the form of equity or debt. Is that stupid money?

The Obama-Biden comprehensive a New Energy for America Plan is designed to:

1. Help create five million new jobs by strategically investing $150 billion over the next ten years to catalyze private efforts to build a clean energy future.
2. Within 10 years save more oil than we currently import from the Middle East and Venezuela combined.
3. Put 1 million Plug-In Hybrid cars -- cars that can get up to 150 miles per gallon -- on the road by 2015, cars that we will work to make sure are built here in America.
4. Ensure 10 percent of our electricity comes from renewable sources by 2012, and 25 percent by 2025.
5. Implement an economy-wide cap-and-trade program to reduce greenhouse gas emissions 80 percent by 2050

The Obama energy agenda focuses on - and these are not mutually exclusive - efficiency, electrification, and the promotion of alternative energy resources. Its five main goals are set up in a way so that success in any one of the five individual areas will reinforce the other 4, helping the overall agenda achieve success. For example, creating 25% of the U.S. electricity production from renewable resources (goal #4) will aid in decreasing the U.S. greenhouse gas emissions by 80% (goal #5).

The energy agenda is a welcomed change showing a future outlook that is based, at least to some [small] extent, on the physical realities of the natural resource world. However, from the perspective of net energy, some potential problems do exist. My goal here is to discuss some possible shortcomings of the new administrations energy agenda from the perspective of net energy.