Innholdsfortegnelse for 166 / Jan-Mar 2024 i Renew Magazine

Jan-Mar 2024 Hi there, As we enter a new year, the urgency for innovation and action to steer Australia’s energy transition has never been greater. According to the Climate Council, parts of Australia have been experiencing temperatures more than 15 degrees above their average over the past six months. Worldwide, we’re seeing a marked increase in extremely hot days, as well as deadlier heatwaves and worsening fire conditions. This issue of Renew looks at the multi-pronged approaches being taken to drive down emissions and address rising temperatures. In our chat with Australian comedian and TV presenter, Craig Reucassel, we hear about the role of media in shifting public attitudes around climate issues, and the significance of making change, both socially and politically, from the ground up. Back from a two-month…

01 Modular energy storage with grunt There are many energy storage systems on the market, but most have various limitations, such as small capacity or limited AC output power, but the Bluetti EP760 has been designed to solve those issues. The system combines a single EP760 inverter with from two to four B500 batteries to provide a system with storage capacity from 9.9kWh to 19.8kWh. This is plenty of storage for most domestic systems, but where the EP760 really excels is the output power rating—it can provide up to 7600W of continuous output, making it well suited to all-electric homes that can have fairly high loads. The system also features solar input of up to 9000W (three separate MPPT inputs of 3000W each), is fully on-grid and off-grid capable (with a…

• Carbon neutral building in operation with 100% GreenPower • Rainwater harvesting for swimming pool and landscaping • Greywater use for toilet flushing • Double glazed windows • Electric heating, cooling and hot water systems using heat pumps • Airtight façades • Timber structure (FSC certified) to the pool hall • Heat recovery ventilation to reuse otherwise wasted heat • Solar panels to be installed on the roof, with battery storage • Predominantly native landscaping to reduce water use and improve biodiversity • Energy efficient fixtures, fittings and lighting • Approximately 65 bicycle parks • LEDs with daylight dimming…

It’s not exactly news that it gets hot in southern Spain: the region of Andalucía is famous for its sunny blue skies and whitewashed walls. But there is something new about what the region is facing today. Spain is particularly exposed to the impacts of climate change. 2023 has been confirmed as the hottest year ever recorded globally in human history, and Spain’s temperature increases are even higher than those experienced elsewhere in Europe. Projected climate scenarios suggest a serious threat of desertification across a significant part of the country. Heatwaves are increasing in severity and frequency, as well as extending further beyond peak summer months. 2022 smashed records for severe heatwave conditions, and the country again experienced four major heatwaves during the 2023 summer. One analysis finds that over…

Dumped in landfill, organic waste like coffee grounds can become a major source of greenhouse gases. Planted with care, those grounds have benefits for the environment and landscapers alike. The addition of coffee grounds to soil: • reduces the necessity of importing topsoil blends and can provide a saving of up to $60 per m3 • adds organic material to the soil which improves drainage, water retention, and aeration in the soil • contributes several essential nutrients such as nitrogen, potassium, and phosphorus, along with micronutrients • repels insects and pests • promotes plant growth • improves soil water infiltration, nutrient holding capacities and soil structure • increases buffering capacity against leaching of nitrates and changes in pH and • increases biological activity and resilience against pathogens. Based on research…

We have done quite a few greywater diversions over the years. Of the diversion systems we have used, my favourite would definitely be the Nylex Greywater Diverta (sadly no longer made, though it may be available on eBay; other simple diversion systems offer many of the same advantages), run on a downward gradient to subsurface dispersion trenches. The Nylex system has an easy-to-use handle that points to either the sewer or garden pipe, making it clear where the greywater is being diverted to. We run subsurface pipes on a 1:40 grade to the desired garden bed and set up a slotted or drilled-out pipe to distribute the water. These pipes are usually around 300mm below soil level, in a trench 300mm wide, and surrounded by crushed rock to allow the…

METHANE FROM COMPOSTING Q — It is well known that the potent greenhouse gas methane (CH4) is released during the anaerobic breakdown of organic matter. Methane is around 28 times more potent as a greenhouse gas than CO2. Anaerobic decomposition can occur when compost does not receive adequate oxygen, such as when it is compacted or too wet. This is why preventing food waste and organic matter from being sent to landfill is so important. Renew 163 included an article ‘Closing the food loop’ which included the suggestion of digging a trench compost. To my understanding, this method would almost certainly result in anaerobic decomposition and the release of the potent greenhouse gas methane, and in my view should not be a recommended practice. Home composting and worm farms (vermicomposting)…

Jan-Mar 2024 In November this year, Renew ran a series of events with the architects behind our Beyond BAL project, showcasing 12 of Australia’s most bushfire-resilient homes as part of our ongoing work to support communities rebuilding after bushfire. It was wonderful working with some of Australia’s best architects who share a passion for designing both sustainable and bushfire-resilient homes. Hearing their stories, it astounded me how they could take a seemingly impossible and complicated situation and produce such simple, effective solutions. Humans are perpetually innovative! For a while now, our global goal has been to limit average global temperature increases to 1.5°C above pre-industrial levels, but the last few years have seen some averages breaking that limit, if only briefly. These temperature increases are a bit like watching a…

There is increasing interest in evaluating how working from home and other recent trends impact on energy use and carbon emissions. The latest contribution to this is a very useful Energy Consumers Australia report from Monash University. A key challenge is how we balance the changes in terms of their impacts on increasing and decreasing overall energy use, household energy costs, carbon emissions, time and personal independence. This is far from straightforward. If working from home saves car travel of 100km per week, it cuts transport emissions by 25kg of emissions per week for an average car. If it leads to higher home heating energy use, and the person uses a fan heater powered by grid electricity for an extra 40 hours per week, it could add emissions of 25kg…

Most people in the design and construction industry are quick to point out that it’s an unpredictable time to build a home compared to two years ago, with building companies going bankrupt and higher costs due to inflation and price gouging. “It’s impossible to compare the cost of building earth-sheltered to anything else, but I’d say the cost is around the same price as a bespoke home, especially at the moment,” says Sean O’Bryan from Baldwin O’Bryan Architects. Architect Bridget Puszka says that extra costs associated with building an earth-sheltered home can be due to excavation, water proofing and roofing, as well as additional expense constructing to a BAL-rating, but that it’s a worthwhile investment for those living with bushfire risk. “The homes reflect the values of the owners and…

On a recent rainy Wednesday morning, I was flicking through an obscure, dusty old book called 150 Years of Photo Journalism in a local second-hand shop. On one of the pages, I was struck by a black and white picture of a bizarre, phallic looking ‘car’ called La Jamais Contente (which of course means ‘the never content’ in French) from 1899. Not only was this the first ever to break the 100km/hr barrier, it was also fully electric. As it turns out, we’ve had electric cars long before the combustion engine, even as far back as the 1830s, when Robert Anderson, a Scottish Engineer, built a one-way-trip-only, electric modification to his carriage. Fast forward to the early 1900s and about a third of all vehicles in the US were fully…

When we last looked at greywater systems in Renew 130, way back in early 2015, we had yet to really start feeling the effects of the warming climate. But that’s not the case now, with temperature records being set all across the country, and many areas experiencing drought or just dry conditions, even in the cooler months. As we all have to adapt to a warming world, resources are going to become scarcer, and one of the most critical resources is potable water. Yet vast amounts of potable water are used to water gardens and flush toilets—a massive waste of not only drinkingquality water when it isn’t needed, but also of the chemicals and energy required to provide that water. But the vast majority of households across the country have…

There are some basic commonsense rules that apply to minimise the risks associated with greywater reuse. They include: • Wash your hands after watering with greywater • Divert greywater to the sewer during wet periods • Use garden-friendly cleaning products that are biodegradable and low in sodium and phosphorus • Don’t use greywater that contains disinfectants and bleaches • Don’t store untreated greywater for more than 24 hours • Don’t use greywater on vegetables and herbs that are to be eaten raw • Don’t use greywater sourced from washing nappies, soiled clothes or pet bedding • Don’t use greywater from the kitchen, unless it has been treated • Don’t let greywater leave your property • Don’t use greywater that is still hot as it will kill beneficial organisms in…

If you installed a solar energy system some years ago, there’s a good chance that you secured a high feed-in tariff (FiT) for the energy you exported to the grid. For some people, this could be up to 66 cents/ kWh, making their solar energy systems good little money earners. Indeed, some people were able to eliminate energy bills for part of the year, and some did even better, pretty much eliminating them completely. But, all good things come to an end, and the same is true for high feed-in tariffs, which for many people are set to revert to market rates in October 2024. This means that the 66 cents/kWh they were previously earning will drop to a much more modest amount, considerably less than the retail cost of…

After packing our bags and leaving northern New South Wales, we found ourselves renting an old farmhouse in southern Tasmania for a couple of years. We dreamed of building a comfortable, energy-efficient home and decided to look for real estate in the Huon valley, as we were taken by its beauty. We researched sustainable design and went to several Sustainable House open days. It was fantastic to talk to the owners about their house designs—what worked and what they would do differently if they built again. What stood out was the challenge of keeping the house warm in the cooler months, without overheating in the warmer months due to window orientation or lack of shade. After 18 months of research, we bought a 30-year-old house with renovation potential. It was…

Renew Renew is a national, not-for-profit organisation that inspires, enables and advocates for people to live sustainably in their homes and communities. Established in 1980, Renew provides expert, independent advice on sustainable solutions for the home to households, government and industry. Renew engages with more than 250,000 people each year around Australia and beyond. We work with more than 10,000 members in a network of 14 active branches throughout the country, and have helped thousands of households save money and reduce their environmental footprint with information on energy efficiency, solar power, rainwater tanks, materials reuse and waste. Our community includes attendees at our Speed Date a Sustainability Expert and Sustainable House Day events, users of our online information and calculators, people contacting our advice service, and our research and advocacy…

With years of experience working at Victorian Trades Hall Council, Melbourne, and as founder and board member of Earthworker Cooperative, Power Australia (an energy retailer) and Hope Cooperative (for young asylum seekers), Colin Long is turning his vision and drive for working better together to the electrification space. In mid-2023, Colin helped bring together a formidable alliance of energy efficiency and electrification businesses, trades and organisations to help tackle the scale of the problem facing Victoria’s homes. Energy Efficiency and Electrification Alliance, or 3EA (as it is nicknamed), is aiming to be the one-stop-shop that households, government and NGO organisations need to help smooth the transition towards all-electric homes and businesses. The role of 3EA is to interface between larger organisations, and to provide some clarity and certainty for the…

Craig Reucassel has increasingly become a household name, and it’s not only because he played one part of the political satire phenomenon known as The Chaser, but more recently because of his ongoing work raising awareness of the impacts of waste, both in Australia and globally. In the wake of his multi awardwinning War on Waste series, Craig has focused his ‘Planet Activism’ on the crossover between democracy and climate change. He has also been feeling motivated to show how Australians can make small but significant changes to minimise their carbon footprint by understanding and engaging with solar and household energy efficiency. In this wide-ranging conversation, Craig, a Renew member, chats all things renewables, getting off gas, environmental activism and the current state of politics and policy shifts across the…

Consumer Energy Resources enable households to engage in sustainable, environmentally friendly and cost-effective energy practices. But the technologies can also create challenges for the decarbonised electricity grid. Even with energy storage, everyday activities will likely need to shift around the availability of renewable generation. This may involve changing the timing of some tasks such as laundry and dishwashing, charging EVs during periods of high solar or wind generation, or responding to price incentives and signals based on the availability of energy. Households can already actively manage their energy consumption using energy management apps to monitor real-time energy production and consumption for better understanding and control. Timers and automation can also help households with tasks without the energy system being at the forefront of every decision and action. To strike the…

If you’re unable to join the growing legion of earth-covered homeowners, then the next best thing is to apply the principles to an above-ground home, especially by insulating for thermal efficiency. The surrounding earth is a natural insulator that helps keep temperatures stable, making elements such as passive solar design and thermal mass even more effective for heating and cooling the home. “When you build underground the earth stays around 14°C, rather than plummeting to zero degrees, so you’re starting at 14°C to warm the house,” says Bridget. The design and construction principles can also be adapted to enhance the fire-resilience of homes in bushfire-prone areas, especially around roof design. “If I had an above-ground home, I would firstly try to create screening through landscaping, such as rocks, earth mounds…

Surge tanks are used to absorb a rapid flow, such as from a bath or washing machine, and allow it to be dispersed more slowly. They can be as simple as a bare tank, or they may include pumps and filters. The tank must be sized to suit the maximum surge, such as the total water use for a washing machine cycle or the typical bath volume. They can be positioned anywhere convenient that allows water from the sources to flow into them under gravity, but they must also be plumbed back into the sewer for overflow purposes. Most pumps used in surge tank and similar systems are submersible pumps— they are inside the tank and immersed in the greywater. Pumps can be controlled by float switches, which detect a…

We need contingency strategies in case ‘big transmission’ is delayed Apparently, we need to build 10,000 kilometres of new powerlines to support our renewable electricity revolution. But there are many technical and social license challenges. We need contingency strategies that can maintain reliable electricity supply if there are delays. What could we do? First, we could drive energy efficiency and demand management harder, to get more services while using less transmission capacity. That should be a ‘no-brainer’. Heating demand for inefficient buildings and loads on transmission lines peak when we are short of variable renewables. Second, we can drive local energy production, storage and smart management. Virtual power plants, community batteries and smart demand management, broadly described as distributed (or community) energy resources, are ramping up. But outdated energy market…