What 2021 might have in store, and what we can learn from ants
New year, new beginnings. In 2021, sustainability expert Alan Pears expects progress in embodied emissions, Scope 3 emissions, circular economies and economic transformation.
Energy
Post-Brexit UK – like other gas-producing nations – betting on uncommercial, unproven carbon capture and hydrogen
The United Kingdom, the originator of the Industrial Revolution that kicked off climate change, is forging ahead with R&D projects to reduce the carbon impacts of dirty industries, with the central focus on carbon capture and hydrogen generation, ignoring energy efficiency.
Cutting UK emissions by 78 per cent in 14 years “affordable” say official advisors
The UK Climate Change Committee (CCC) has published its recommended pathway to a 78 per cent reduction in UK territorial emissions between 1990 and 2035 leading to net zero by 2050. This brings forward the UK’s previous 80 per cent target by nearly 15 years. The CCC’s chairman, Lord Deben, said: “As we emerge from […]
On the rise of net zero pledges that aren’t quite good enough
News from the front desk, Issue 507: So, Australia is on an economic tear so that means there is nothing stopping sustainability, right? Out of our recent Building Circularity came some gems of insights into the urgent tasks to hand to reduce the carbon in our structures. And the immense ambition and possibilities opening up to […]
Covid-19 is making more companies declare net zero ambitions – but few have set concrete targets
The pandemic has led more companies to take action on climate change, but so far there is a major disconnect between ambition and action, a survey of sustainability leaders has found.
San Francisco just banned gas in all new buildings. Could it ever happen in Australia?
Last week San Francisco became the latest city to ban natural gas in new buildings. The legislation will see all new construction, other than restaurants, use electric power only from June 2021, to cut greenhouse gas emissions
Australian solar systems cheaper but more fire prone than US, report warns
Solar systems in the US are about the double the price of Australia’s but several aspects compromise the safety of Australian systems, including the mandating of DC isolators.
Jobs, jobs and jobs – lots of clean energy jobs + our pick of the jobs
There’s been several attempts to quantify the job-creating potential of a renewably powered Australia. There’s Beyond Zero Emissions’ Million Jobs Plan, the Climate Council’s Clean Leaders and Laggards report for clean energy jobs in Queensland and the Clean Energy Council’s A Clean Recovery that includes the job-creating potential of a clean energy recovery. Now the likelihood of these […]
The case for green hydrogen in existing gas-connected homes
Last week’s article on The Fifth Estate arguing that hydrogen for homes is a terrible idea needs correcting. Green hydrogen has a firm place in a zero carbon future. Its author, Gabriel Levy, is confining his argument against hydrogen to its domestic use. It will still be widely used by 2050 in industry and transport. […]
Hydrogen for homes is a terrible idea. We should fight it
Here’s an article that puts paid to the notion that hydrogen in homes can work, sustainably. It’s focused on the UK but the lessons are widespread. We heard similar warnings at Flick the Switch.
South Australia’s new solar connectivity rules and what the rest of us can learn
FEATURE: It’s been about a month since South Australia’s new “smarter homes” rules for rooftop solar were ushered in to help stabilise the grid. So how are they doing?
Sunbank Solar to improve solar trading with new plan
Here’s a plan to put the profit back into solar energy for consumers. Rising energy prices have continued to put pressure on everyday Australians, and Sunbank Solar has established a new program in a bid to improve the trading power of solar owners across the east coast, South Australia and Tasmania. While many consumers jumped […]
How Green is Europe’s Green Deal?
“Europe’s man on the moon moment” is how Ursula von der Leyen, President of the European Commission, describes the European Green Deal.
Financing a net zero world
Around the world the impetus is growing for post Covid economic recovery strategies to focus on projects that reduce carbon emissions.
The collective power of investors has the potential to fast track the process.
So much potential still to come on solar property and distributed assets says Le Gay Brereton
Australia’s love affair with rooftop solar has only just begun, according to Fabian Le Gay Brereton who has just launched a new clean energy start up company on the back of that optimism. Le Gay Brereton says that we can expected fossil fuel demand to peak in the next decade which will trigger more than […]
Real Utilities’ green power for the price of brown is hard to resist
Frasers Property Australia’s energy retail business Real Utilities has its sights set on the industrial sector to turn its expansive rooftop space into renewable powerhouses.
IKEA embarks on mega grid-firming clean energy project in Adelaide
To power its Adelaide store and support the South Australian power grid, IKEA, in partnership with Planet Ark Power, has launched its Australian-first clean energy storage initiative, with construction now underway on the grid-connected commercial microgrid.
How the UK’s secret defence policy is driving energy policy – with the public kept in the dark
The UK government has for 15 years persistently backed the need for new nuclear power. Given its many problems, most informed observers can’t understand why. The answer lies in its commitment to being a nuclear military force. Here’s how, and why, anyone opposing nuclear power also needs to oppose its military use. “All of Britain’s […]
FLICK THE SWITCH – event wrap
Government policy and regulation is vital for the creation of all electric buildings and a net zero future but there is plenty of room for the private sector to innovate and lead change, say the experts.
FLICK THE SWITCH – Why you should future proof apartments with electric instantaneous hot water units
Hot water can be a pain point in the pursuit of low carbon apartment buildings but with modern electric instantaneous hot water systems, there’s really no need for fossil fuel-intensive alternatives.
Flick the Switch! – the ebook
Flick the Switch is a guide to achieving Net Zero and all-electric buildings. It’s a wrap of our 2020 symposium on this topic plus deep-dive additional interviews and features on the people and topics that are driving change and helping the property industry head in the right direction. Nearly two dozen panellists and speakers generously […]
Audrey Zibelman leaves AEMO for something even bigger
CLEAN ENERGY: Delegates at the Global Smart Energy Summit this week got a chance to hear some of the final words and thoughts from departing chief executive of the Australian Energy Market Operator Audrey Zibelman who announced this week she was heading to a leadership role at Google in its X “moonshot division”. A key […]
ACT’s all-electric revolution is shaking up the system
FLICK THE SWITCH: In the Australian Capital Territory, developers are paying new home owners $10,000 not to connect to the gas grid that’s in the street. Why? Read the sneak peek to Flick the Switch ebook, coming very soon. A big change in thinking and a small change to legislation have paved the way for […]
Energy Action launches commercial solar auction model as boom heats up
SOLAR PROCUREMENT: Energy Action has launched an auction-based commercial solar procurement platform to meet growing demand from businesses including clients who feel they need to do more to meet their obligations on climate.
A “Frydenberg slip”, then another furphy that leaves everyone flabber-gas-ted
“You cannot be serious!” As an irate John McEnroe protested in that now-famous 1981 line call at Wimbledon in a heated exchange with umpire Edward James. And with just as much passion and utter bewilderment, it about sums up the PM’s call to implement a Grand Gas Plan that will save us from two sets […]
Australia’s post-virus recovery, and the need for seasonal storage
Sustainability expert Alan Pears sets out key recovery priorities for a post-Covid economy. Also: the need (or lack thereof) for seasonal storage, and the problem of our ageing data resources. There is a widening gulf between the Australian government’s economic recovery plan and an ever increasing number of studies. Internationally, the International Energy Agency, United […]
Hydrogen in the gas grid is a great idea – if you own the gas grid
Some of us learned in chemistry class that hydrogen molecules can spin. But our teachers never told us how much spin we’d see, and how much energy it would take not to fall for it.
Hobsons Bay rolls out first virtual power plant
Hobsons Bay City Council has taken a big step towards its net zero carbon ambitions with a large-scale roll out of its Virtual Power Plant (VPP) and the installation of new solar panels across more than 40 council-owned buildings.
The thermal energy brick that promises to end our grid stability woes
Storage remains the pain point in the renewables transition so it’s no surprise a cheap, clean and scalable energy storage technology invented by Australian scientists is attracting attention. Researchers from the University of Newcastle have been developing the energy storage technology called “miscibility gap alloy” for nine years and are now scaling it up for […]
Haystack solar garden could spur a solar gardening revolution in Australia
Community solar group Pingala has teamed up with the Community Power Agency and Komo Energy on Australia’s first major offsite solar garden project. And there could be more if we can overcome the financial hurdles such as lumping solar co-operatives in with corporate investment schemes. Common in the US and parts of Europe, solar gardens […]