My prediction is that houses in future will be designed and built with 100% solar power - completely off the grid. The transition to solar power is already happening at a far quicker rate than anyone expected. The next development will be long-life battery power capable of storing solar power for cloudy or rainy days. At present, excess solar power goes into the grid.

Cars will be electric. They’ll be plugged in at night, and service stations will offer recharged batteries instead of petrol. This will happen further down the track. It’s a fair way off, but the technology exists to do this now.

Manufacturing is different, but manufacturing in Australia is rapidly declining. Clive Palmer is right - "air moves around the world". China is now the main source of manufacturing, and there is a huge popular push to improve air quality there. In Beijing and Shanghai, it is the number one issue.

Renewable energy is the future. It’s only a matter of when. Governments can be either with it or against it. Given the economic importance of coal mining in Australia (and its political donations and lobbying),  it is in the interest of both major parties to support it.

Renewable energy like solar (and to a lesser extent, geothermal.and wind power), will eventually put coal out of business.

Enquiring mind wrote on Jul 2^nd, 2014 at 2:30pm:


Wouldn't it be nice, eh? Sounds great, but I can't see a situation where that could be feasible, given that clouds would just make it an impossibility in some places, as well as the fact that some regions in the extreme north and south face months of darkness on end. We will always rely on power stations to some degree. What powers them and how big they are in 100 years time is anyone's guess.

Armchair_Politician wrote on Jul 2^nd, 2014 at 2:34pm:


And what happens to coal powered electricity if we take away the over $5 BILLION a year from mining? 

Armchair_Politician wrote on Jul 2^nd, 2014 at 2:37pm:


Your reply appears to be focused on photovoltaics.

Very much the Coalition attitude in its attempts to protect the Coal burner businesses from competition. 

John Smith wrote on Jul 2^nd, 2014 at 3:00pm:


Did I mention Australia? Duh!

Armchair_Politician wrote on Jul 2^nd, 2014 at 2:34pm:


Correction. Only that renewable energy that does not pose a threat to Coal receives any form of subsidy.

Cheap renewable energy in Australia is still concealed by Greg Hunt, and Coalition banned for not requiring Coal back up.

Enquiring mind wrote on Jul 2^nd, 2014 at 2:30pm:


North Korea has just built the worlds biggest CO2 plant for energy purposes.

China now per year produces 100,000 10Kw CO2 turbine generators run at air temperature.

CO2 turbine generators commence working at -30*C so finding heat for operation is not overly difficult.

That the Coalition bans such cheap electricity to keep Coal happy leaves no doubt to why the Liberals and Nationals parades their Ition with Coal.

Attachment one form/type only of CO2 turbine.

Armchair_Politician wrote on Jul 2^nd, 2014 at 3:17pm:


sure, but what have they to do with the price of electricity in Australia?