If I had a blank cheque ...

As Australia struggles to come to terms with the ever-present threat of climate change, calls for greater uptake of renewable energies are coming loud and clear, Professor Maria Forsyth has written on The Conversation website.

Such calls make the offer of a blank cheque – thank you very much – even more appealing.

Unfortunately, power generated from renewable sources – such as solar, wind and wave energy – is often variable and only intermittently reliable.

Consequently, the extensive use of these renewable energy sources becomes challenging, both in isolated installations where no other source of power supply is available, and also when connected to the grid.

So what can be done? How can we make renewable energy a more viable long-term, widespread prospect?

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