This is a historic opportunity for ideas and entrepreneurs, but only if they get support and infrastructructure, says Sungevity entrepreneur
Australia stands at a crossroads after the Paris agreement and a week of talk about being an innovation nation. This has been coming for some time and, as a successful energy entrepreneur, I think the choices facing the country could not be starker.
A mate and I left Australia in 2007 to build a solar business in the United States called Sungevity, which is now selling solar systems to homes and businesses across America and Europe and holds a market value greater than that of Peabody Coal. As our business has continually strengthened, we’ve watched Australia’s solar industry lurch up and down, struggling under the curse of intermittent policy and a lack of commitment. It has affected investment (the policy seesaw was behind our decision to sell our interests in Australia to Roofjuice) and cost Australia its place as a world leader in renewable ingenuity.
Related: Small is beautiful: the community solar projects taking on big energy
Related: Innovation statement: startups ‘free to fail’ in bid to encourage risk-taking