Solar Citizens hit the ground running in Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane and Adelaide as they established State Teams that will stand up for a fair deal for solar power in Australia.

Meetings in the four cities were abuzz as talented and passionate people joined forces to make sure that solar owners get a fair deal and that all Australians will get the benefits of solar power.

Solar owners said that they are annoyed when States remove Feed-in-Tariffs and leave them at the mercy of electricity retailers who can decide whether or not they pay for the electricity that rooftop solar feeds into the grid.

“They can charge me 48c/kWh for peak use while they pay me only 6.5c/kWh for the surplus I feed back into the grid. How is that fair? They’re lining the pockets of the electricity generators,” said Gillian.

Some people came along to the meetings because they want it to be easier to put rooftop solar on apartment blocks, for rental properties to have solar panels, or to remind the Abbott government of its promise of 1 million new solar homes in its first term.

Participants asked questions like,

“Why aren’t solar panels mandatory on all new homes?”

“What can be done about Body Corporates to make it easier to get solar panels on apartments?”

The first task the teams have taken on is to make sure the Renewable Energy Target (RET) is not watered down by the Abbott government. They know that the RET underpins the long term success of the solar industry that employs more than 18,000 people.

With energy and enthusiasm, Solar Citizens State Teams are already generating ideas and making plans to stand up for solar power. If the shared food tables were anything to go by, Solar Citizens State Teams are sure of success!