March 23rd, 2010
Have you ever imagined that your roof system that can read the climatic change and adjust itself to reflect or absorb heat during different seasons?
Well, American Scientists have just come up with the new “Smart” roof coating that’s made from the waste cooking oil from fast food chains. The coating automatically switches roles, reflecting or transmitting solar heat, when the outdoor temperature crosses a preset point that can be tuned to the local climate. The material is non-flammable and non toxic.
The new “intelligent” coating may sidestep this quandary. Tests on coated asphalt shingles showed that it could reduce roof temperatures by about 50 — 80 percent in warm weather. In cooler weather, the coating could increase roof temperatures up to 80 percent compared with the traditional cool roof. By changing the coating’s composition, the substance can be tuned so that it changes from reflective to transmitive at a specific environmental temperature.
Source: Science Blog
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March 10th, 2010
According to the source from Herald Sun, foil insulation will be torn from up to 50,000 homes under a plan by Greg Combet to fix the insulation rebate mess left by Peter Garrett. Also, up to 150,000 of household with insulation batts will need to go through the safety check.
Source: Herald Sun
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March 7th, 2010
Hobart City Council has recently launched a new programe to help Hobart residents to save on power bills by introducing the Home Energy Audit Toolkit (HEAT).
HEAT can be borrowed free of charge from the Hobart City Council. HEAT provides practical tools and information to help households conduct a simple home audit which will help to discover new ways of cutting the households energy cost.
Each HEAT kit will contain:
- Power-Mate Enables measurement of electricity consumption of all electrical appliances with a standard 3-pin plug. Useful for measuring the electricity consumption of appliances such as fridges; televisions, microwaves and computers and their standby consumption.
- Infrared radiometer Used to check for leaks around fridge doors as well as checking for adequate ventilation behind the fridge/freezer and the effectiveness of ceiling insulation.
- Stopwatch Assists in determining flow rate of hot water from showers & taps.
- Compass Assists in identifying: (i) the homes orientation for solar aspect considerations and (ii) suitably orientation of roof aspect for hot water and electricity solar panels.
- Thermometer with magnet Enables measurement of air temperature around houses, hot water system, fridges and freezers.
- Supporting instruction and information sheets Developed specifically for Tasmanian households they provide instructions on how to use the tools included in the kit and suggestions for doable energy efficient actions for various appliances and/or activities.
For further information, visit www.hobartcity.com.au Read the rest of this entry »
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February 19th, 2010
The Rudd Goverment has announced this morning that it will stop the $1200 subsidies on roof insulation following the death incidents and some poor worksmanship of certain installers. Installers now have just seven days to lodge their $1,200 claims for all finished work.
Environment Minister Peter Garrett said he was getting rid of the shonky operators by requiring tough new rules to force all installers to re-register, pay a cash bond of about $10,000 and prove they had proper training.
It is expected the subsidies to be replaced with a $1,000 rebate starting on 1st of Jun this year.
Mr Garrett also announced sweeping changes to other schemes, cutting the rebate for solar hot water systems to $1000. The interest-free green loans to carry out home improvements will also be axed next month.
Source: Herald Sun
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February 6th, 2010
Well it’s that time of the year again as the sustainable living festival gets underway today across plenty of local venues Australia-wide. The Festival raises awareness and provides tools for change by showcasing tangible solutions to the ecological and social challenges we face. In 2009 the Festival at Federation Square attracted over 124,000 visits and engaged more than 450 community volunteers.
In its eleventh year, the Festival is getting even bigger!
The 2010 Festival will include 2 programs, the Main Event at Federation Square (19-21 February 2010) and the Local Events Program (6-21 February 2010). The new 2-week format will enable individuals and communities across Australia to host and promote their own sustainability event, extending the reach of the sustainability message even further.
The Main Event at Federation Square in the heart of Melbourne will continue to celebrate the very best examples of ecological and social sustainability. The event will fuse interactive workshops, talks, demonstrations, artworks, exhibits, films and live performances. In recognition of the climate situation, the Main Event will be inspired by the theme: Get Ready for the Safe Climate Decade!
For more information on the festival check out the website at www.festival.slf.org.au and get along and be involved at your local venue!
Tags: sustainable living
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February 5th, 2010
The Australian Government is offering a rebate of $1,600 to install a solar hot water system or $1,000 to install a heat pump hot water system. This is to help eligible home-owners, landlords or tenants to replace their electric storage hot water systems with solar or heat pump hot water systems. This offer is part of the Government’s Energy Efficient Homes Package which came into effect on 3 February 2009.
The Solar Hot Water Rebate will help people save money on their power bills and reduce their household’s greenhouse gas emissions. Water heating is the largest single source of greenhouse gas emissions from the average Australian home, accounting for around 25 per cent of home energy use (excluding the family car).
Installing a climate friendly hot water system can save a family up to $700 off their energy bills each year.
For more information check out www.environment.gov.au.
This rebate can be used in combination with any Renewable Energy Certificates (RECs) that you may be eligible for, saving you even more on a new solar hot water system or heat pump for your home. For more information on RECs check out www.orer.gov.au.
Tags: heat pump, rebate, solar hot water
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February 5th, 2010
Water scarcity has always been a huge problem in Australia. However, there are ways to help ease this problem for many Australians. Rainwater tanks have been used for a long time to manage water use by preserving rainwater that can be stored and later used for drinking and other home use. In addition, new advancements in greywater systems mean that homes can potentially recycle just over half of their total household water use, which is usually hundreds of litres of water a day.
As part of the $12.9 billion Water for the Future plan, the Government is delivering the $250 million National Rainwater and Greywater Initiative to help people use water wisely in their everyday lives.
The Australian Government is providing:
- Rebates of up to $500 for households to install rainwater tanks or greywater systems.
- Grants to surf life saving clubs of up to $10,000 to install a rainwater tank or undertake a larger water saving project.
The National Rainwater and Greywater Initiative offers household rebates of up to $500 for new rainwater tanks or greywater systems purchased after 30 January 2009. Applications for rebates will only be accepted from 1 March 2009. For more information check out www.environment.gov.au.
Tags: greywater, rebate
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February 5th, 2010
With the impacts of climate change and global warming widely accepted as a reality, all levels of Australian governments have responded to the challenge by setting targets for the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions. To help meet these targets the Australian Building Codes Board have introduced energy efficiency measures for new houses into the Building Code of Australia (BCA). Check out www.environment.gov.au for more information about these changes.
All states currently impose a minimum energy rating requirement of 5 stars or a similar equivalent on all new homes being built. However, proposed amendments of the 2010 edition of the BCA will be raising the 5 star minimum, which is expected to take effect from May 1, 2010. The amendments hope to achieve greater energy efficiency in the residential building sector by upgrading the minimum energy standard to 6 stars or equivalent by 2011 and phasing in mandatory disclosure of residential building energy, greenhouse and water performance at the time of sale or lease. What does this mean for potential renters and leasees? Well, rent estimates and property values will now consider a building’s energy efficiency rating as a determining factor in what a building will fetch in the market. For more information about home energy efficiency ratings in Australia check out www.yourhome.gov.au
With the impacts of climate change and global warming widely accepted as a reality, all levels of Australian governments have responded to the challenge by setting targets for the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions. To help meet these targets the Australian Building Codes Board have introduced energy efficiency measures for new houses into the Building Code of Australia (BCA). All states currently impose a minimum energy rating requirement of 5 stars or a similar equivalent on all new homes being built. However, proposed amendments of the 2010 edition of the BCA will be raising the 5 star minimum, which is expected to take effect from May 1, 2010. The amendments hope to achieve greater energy efficiency in the residential building sector by upgrading the minimum energy standard to 6 stars or equivalent by 2011 and phasing in mandatory disclosure of residential building energy, greenhouse and water performance at the time of sale or lease.
Tags: energy efficiency rating
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