In Australia, the Photovoltaic Association says the drop in price of producing power from solar power panels offers consumers solar energy that is price-competitive with normal grid power that's produced by burning coal.
Solar energy generated by photovoltaic cells on Australian rooftops is now thus inexpensive and effective they today make electricity for same cost which is charged by the electricity grid.
Australia is one of the first nations in the world where home solar energy has come down in price enough to attain what is called 'grid parity'.
In a time of increasing electricity costs, it means even without solar subsidies it makes great economic sense to install the panels on home.
Across Australia, state governments of all parties are abandoning schemes to compensate home owners for installing their own solar electric power systems.
Despite tilt over feed-in tariffs - been blamed for the country's quickly increasing electricity prices - rooftop solar photovoltaic (PV) panels have become generating electricity for same cost and occasionally cheaper than is purchased from the grid.
In effect, excellent solar competitive with coal, even without subsidies, according to Photovoltaic Association spokeswoman Dr Muriel Watt.
"It's competitive with coal for those who add what you should do to get the coal-fired electricity to where you should put," she mentioned.
"Therefore coal and the network. I believe it is a great investment and that's simply hunting at it from cost electricity today."
Mr Watt says the development within the marketplace may mean a continuing reduce in solar production prices.
He mentioned that Australians have seen fast reductions in prices of production nowadays that's becoming reflected in costs also, as we've seen a lot of fresh production come on stream.
The high value of the Aussie dollar against the US greenback has cut costs in Australia to where they're now cheaper than other parts of the world, and our electricity costs have gone up significantly within the last few years.
Australian sunshine is stronger than it's in other parts of the globe, creating PV panels here better.
Mr Watt says grid parity is solar's coming of age and governments today must rethink their entire power-pricing models. He said it has been the holy grail of the solar power industry to try and reach it.
Mr Watt believes home-generated power should be worth more than grid power, because it 'at the home already and doesn't need the gigantic overhead of running power poles and power lines.
Allegations of Fraud
Meanwhile, the Australian Federal Government says it isn't to blame for regulatory issues with the solar rebate scheme.
About 90 solar installers say they have lost virtually $5 million over the collapse of business inside alternative power certificates.
Queensland man Steve Fitch says he traded with what he thought was a government-regulated business last year, months after others had already complained to the Government.
He said the government should have let people know what was going on, and they should have told him something was amiss.
Energy Efficiency Minister Greg Combet says while it's up to companies to do the right checks, some concerns had already been raised with the authorities.
But the Federal Opposition says the Auditor-General should investigate all allegations of fraud and rorting in the scheme.
Environment spokesman Greg Look says he tipped off the government months ago, but nothing was done.