The Solar Bonus Scheme was to be reviewed when it reached 50 megawatts (MW) or 2012, whichever came first. NSW reached 52 MW by mid-2010. The review shows that the take-up rate of the scheme has been faster than expected, and demonstrates that, to date, the scheme has created more than 100MW of renewable energy capacity. More than 50,000 customers have joined the scheme. Due to the rate subscription in the first 10 months of the Solar Bonus Scheme, NSW Government have closed the current program and introduced a ‘more sustainable’ tariff rate of 20 cents/kWH (from 27 October 2010). However, this will not affect customers already participating in the scheme.

The review of the scheme showed that a range of factors, including the strong Australian dollar and renewable energy policies overseas, has seen prices of solar panels more than halve since the program first commenced. Since 2009, there has been a flood of cheaper panels from China and Spain.
The new program with the 20c tariff rate will be subject to review on 1 July 2012 and at the end of the program (31 December 2016).

With electricity prices set to rise by up to 64% over the next three years in NSW, lets hope the feed-in-tariff follows suit.

It all sounds very idealistic, but research recently conducted by Ikea has found that householders in UK and Ireland (where the research was done) not only ‘want a kitchen with built in energy efficiency, but they are looking for an inherently green space in which the garden and kitchen merge, allowing food to be grown in both areas’.

I love the idea of having a green kitchen, with fresh herbs, maybe even the odd strawberry or tomato on tap. But the reality for me is that I can’t keep plants alive. It seems I am not alone. Rigging up a system of hydroponics could be the answer, with inventions like the nano-garden taking low maintenance to a new level. However, I get the feeling the low tech option will require much less energy and material and will also do positive things for our internal air quality. So to incorporate living features into our green kitchen we need to consider a few things:

• close to the sink so that water used to wash vegetables can be reused to water plants

• easy access to a surface or outside for potting activities/or to put them outside to enjoy the sunshine/rain

• over an easy wipe area to mop up overenthusiastic watering

• may need to place the pots in a plate of water to prevent ants

• direct access to sunlight

• in an area that is easy to get to, but out of reach of toddlers

With the kitchen capable of generating up to a quarter of domestic greenhouse gases through cooking and refrigeration, I’ve already got the energy efficient appliances. I’ve got my waste separation area in my future kitchen all I’ve got to do now is persuade the bank manager, oh and get someone to design it for me.

The small vertical access turbine ‘eddy’ which has been created for home or office use, starts turning in 8 mile per hour winds. It is 4′6” wide by 5′3” tall. Unlike horizontal axis wind turbines no mechanism is needed to turn the wind turbine towards the wind meaning better performance in areas where a tall tower isn’t feasible, obstacles are nearby or the wind is more turbulent. Therefore they are better suited for harvesting air flow found around buildings and other obstacles, situations more common in areas where people live. They are also quiet.

Urban Green Energy are expanding into Australia and will be installing vertical axis wind turbines in Australia in the coming months. We’ll be heading over to check them out when they are up and running.

For more information check out the Urban Green Energy website.

Instead of a short‐term, throwaway attitude to ‘stuff’, Salvos Stores Buy Nothing New Month extends the life cycle of goods, maximises the embedded cost and resources in the stuff we buy and gives an introduction to the re‐cycled, free‐ cycled, upcycled , secondhand, ‘swishing’ and sustainable alternatives that are better for you, your wallet and the planet.

Salvos Stores Sustainability Manager, Donald Munro says, “Buy Nothing New is about seeing the value in existing stuff and reflects a growing movement of people switching off from shopping and tuning into life.”

But Buying Nothing New doesn’t mean going without. Make a Buy Nothing New pledge and you can beg, buy, barter and swap for whatever you need, as long as it is pre‐loved, but with the exceptions of necessities (including food, drink, medications and hygiene products) you can’t buy anything new.

Salvos Stores Buy Nothing New Month also shows going green doesn’t have to be expensive, but that by adapting our attitudes and approach, can be a money saving path to socially responsible consumption.

According to Affluenza author and Buy Nothing New Month supporter Clive Hamilton, “Consumption today often involves buying things we don’t need, with money we don’t have, to impress people we don’t like! Buy Nothing New Month is about spending our time and money more thoughtfully.”

In October, selected Salvos Stores featuring plasma screens sponsored by Radio Rentals/Rentlo will show the viral phenomenon ‘The Story of Stuff’, an animation on the lifecycle and impact of the goods we buy.

Shane Wakelin, Clive Hamilton (Affluenza, Requiem for A Species) Sarah Wilson (Sunday Life columnist & LifeStyle YOU presenter), Chrissie Swan, Gorgi Coghlan (The Circle), James Tobin (Cleo Batchelor of the Year, Ch 7 Sunrise), Monique Wright(Ch7 Sunrise), Damian Walshe Howling and Caroline Craig (Underbelly) are on board. Are you?

This October, think about where stuff comes from, where it’s going, its embedded costs and what are the alternatives. Get into Salvos Stores, markets, swap parties and online second‐hand selling sites to experience the joys of a life less wasteful. Plus there’s a prize for the most creative Buy Nothing New pledge. Logon to www.nothingnew.com.au when the site goes live on September 1^st for entry details.

Glossary

Top Tips to Buying Nothing New

Buyers Checklist

Before handing over your hard earned cash, ask yourself:

• Is the product really necessary?

• What is its lifecycle and embodied energy?

• What are the alternatives?

• Where did it come from? How did it get here?

• What is its environmental and social impact?

• Who benefits from the purchase? What will it do for me?

• What is in it? Who made it?

Top Tips for Salvos Stores Shopping

• Best buys are gifts, clothes, homewares, kitchenware, books, toys and furniture.

• Don’t shop Mondays. Stock gets wiped out over the weekend. Those in the know go Tuesday or Thursday

• Watch your gift budget dive!Buy homewares like vases and frames, and store them for when you need a last minute gift.

• Keep an open mind. Imagine the item out of the store and in a different setting.

• Get over ‘second hand phobia’. Restaurants and hotels serve you from secondhand cutlery and secondhand sheets!

• ‘Up the hip ante’ of dresses by cutting short and sewing on mismatched patches and buttons.

• Look out for jeans; you’ll get great brands, dirt cheap. Cut them into shorts or remake into skirts. It’s easy, cheap and they’re already worn in for you!

• A quick test if jeans fit: Wrap the waist around your neck and the ends should touch. If you can’t fit the length of your fist to your elbow inside the waistband, the jeans are too small.

• Every store differs if you don’t find what you need, try another. And new stock comes in everyday.

• Ignore sizes. Second‐hand clothes may have shrunk, or designers may have changed their sizings so your frame of reference could be off. Try before you buy.

]]> http://greenbeings.com.au/greenroom/index.php/2010/07/15/want-free-time-and-money-this-october-buy-nothing-new/feed/ 2 http://greenbeings.com.au/greenroom/index.php/2010/06/03/eco-baskets-take-the-test/ http://greenbeings.com.au/greenroom/index.php/2010/06/03/eco-baskets-take-the-test/#comments Thu, 03 Jun 2010 10:52:51 +0000 admin http://greenbeings.com.au/greenroom/?p=589 Seriously chic, these genuine French-style market baskets are perfect for shopping, picnics, beach bags, you name it. They are hardwearing, with strong handles, and made using traditional techniques. We've got a selection, in all sizes, handle shapes and even colours for the Green Beings panel to test out.]]>

Ten years ago, Lindy McLeod was living abroad and while visiting France, admired the women of Paris rushing home in the evenings and on weekends with their fresh produce – fruit, breads, meats and cheeses – brimming in their seriously chic shopping baskets. She bought some for herself which rapidly became an indispensable part of her life because, as well as looking great, they proved to be extremely hardwearing and the handles were very strong and did not break.

After returning to Australia and realising how many plastic bags we use as a nation (at its peak over 7 billion annually!), Lindy began investigating the possibility of bringing a classic French-style shopping basket to Australia.

These baskets are genuine French-style market baskets imported from Morocco. Each one is handmade using traditional methods and techniques and so is unique. The baskets are made of strips of woven palm leaves from a species of date palm. These strips are then sewn together and the basket built up in “rounds” into the traditional triangle shape, variations of which can be found in countries all around the Mediterranean. The more rounds the bigger the basket! The handles are of genuine Moroccan leather and firmly fixed to the baskets so they never pull off. Handles are either short so the baskets can be carried in the hand or on the elbow, or longer to go over the shoulder.

Great for shopping, picnics, beach bags, gift hampers, use them for weekends away or they also make great presents.

For more information visit The Market Basket Co.

A key concern is the cost of going green. Everyone knows that creating a sustainable home will lead to long term cost savings (we are talking pocket here as well as environment). But this has to be weighed up against how long you will live in the house and how much the bank manager will lend you. I’ve been doodling some ideas for weeks now, and its time to get serious. So I took myself off to the Sydney Home Show for some eco-renovation inspiration.

Skipping past the spas and saunas I headed for the Green Building section. I’ve got a vague idea of what I need to be thinking about so after an initial sweep I honed in on the double glazing, solar hot water, photovoltaics, water tanks and heating.

I had been keen to find out more about eco-friendly flooring. There were a few stalls with bamboo and jute carpets, but no cork tiles. Everything you read says cork tiles are a very eco friendly flooring option, but I wanted to see them first hand, not least to see whether they have moved on from the shiny 80s style bathroom floors I remember from my childhood.

The home show was certainly a good way to see lots of different green building ideas in one place. I had a chat to someone about insulated awnings. I worked out the size of the water tank I need and got some great advice in relation to energy efficiency in the home. It also got me thinking about ‘future proofing’ the home by incorporating ’smart wiring’, particularly as I will be working a fair bit from home.

However, one of the most important things that wasn’t covered a great deal in the home show was passive design to make the most of the environment for heating, cooling and shading. The Australian government’s passive design technical manual provides an excellent resource, but as we are going to be extending an existing building we are going to be a bit constrained by what’s already there.

So, the next stage is to take my ideas to an architect who knows a thing or two about environmental design, and thats what we’ll be doing in the coming months.

If you have any advice, you know of some eco friendly products/services you just can’t do without or if you have tales of your own eco renovation efforts we’d love to hear them. We found a great blog http://greentasreno.wordpress.com/ written by a couple doing an eco renovation in Tasmania, and there are a few case studies on the government site listed above that we’ll be studying for ideas.

It looks like its going to be an interesting journey. Any advice welcomed!!

We’ll keep you posted.

]]> http://greenbeings.com.au/greenroom/index.php/2010/05/21/eco-renovation-tentative-first-steps/feed/ 0 http://greenbeings.com.au/greenroom/index.php/2010/05/01/eco-friendly-heating/ http://greenbeings.com.au/greenroom/index.php/2010/05/01/eco-friendly-heating/#comments Sat, 01 May 2010 10:11:49 +0000 admin http://greenbeings.com.au/greenroom/?p=562 As winter sets in, the topic of eco-friendly heating comes up again. Gas is the most efficient of the conventional heating methods, but there are new heaters and new fuels to choose from. We've summarised the different ways to warm up your house this winter without warming up the globe.]]>

Heating options, like installing reverse cycle air conditioning and underfloor heating require significant investment and might not be appropriate if you are renting or strapped for cash. We have researched  your heating options to help you keep warm and maximize the efficiency of your heater.

Air conditioning

Reverse cycle air conditioning (or heat pumps) are electric heating systems that can also provide cooling. To heat these systems extract heat from the outside air, which is then released into the home. The cost of running reverse cycle air conditioning for heating can be as low as a third of the cost of direct element heaters. This is considered a medium efficiency system.

Ceiling fans can improve the efficiency of your heating system by recirculating warm air. Fans use as much power as a 10 watt light bulb. Energy Star ceiling fans are the best as they can circulate an average of 15% more air than other fans.

Portable  heaters.

There are two types of portable heater:

• Radiant which emits heat from a hot surface (e.g. glowing red bars in a radiator), most appropriate in rooms with large open spaces, high ceilings or draughty areas, or;
• Convection heaters which best heat small to medium draught free rooms by filling them with warm air.

Portable heaters range in size from about 1KW up to 2.4KW and gas heaters up to the equivalent of 6KW.

Electric heaters are cheap buy (compared to permanent fixed heaters) but expensive to run. Gas heaters are available with much larger heat outputs, are more expensive to buy but the running costs are lower.

Electric heaters emit 3-4 times more greenhouse gases than gas (although the impacts are less if you are using Green Power). Compare the energy ratings of gas heaters here.

The efficiency of all portable electric heaters is about the same. The impacts and costs of operating portable heaters can be reduced if only used for short periods of time

In bar heaters the in-built surface reflects the heat towards you, ensuring this is kept clean maximizes the efficiency.

Oil heaters

Oil filled columns use electricity to heat oil within an upright radiator. These take a while to heat up, but they emit heat for some time after they are turned off. LPG heaters area also available and the running costs are similar to that of portable electric heaters.

Fireplace

Wood fired heaters and stove are considered to be carbon neutral as they release the carbon dioxide absorbed by the tree when burnt.

The most eco-friendly and energy efficient type of wood heaters used pellets made from waste materials. Check out our article for more info.

Hot water radiators

Not used much here, but a regular feature of homes in the UK and Europe are wall mounted hot water radiators. Water is heated with gas (most efficient) or electric boilers and piped around the house. Using solar hot water heating for these would increase the efficiency further, however, hot water from a standard solar hot water tank will not be enough to heat the whole house.

Ground source heat pumps

Again not used much in Australia these systems pump air or water from underground where temperatures remain pretty constant, either into your home or into a heat pump to heat it further.

Increase your heating efficiency

Reduce the amount of time you need to keep the heater running by:

• Insulating the roof, walls and using double glazing to reduce overall heat loss.
• Passive design to maximise heat from winter sun.
• Close internal doors and only heat a room or two at a time
• Seal draughts. Put snakes under doors.
• Heavy curtains can be closed to keep in the warmth.
• Consider the materials used. Cork floor tiles feel warmer under foot than ceramic.
• Only heat the rooms you are using.
• Invest in a hot water bottle or an electric blanket and switch on just before you go to bed.
• Buy a heater that best suits the conditions of your home/room. If immediate heat is required a bar heater may be a better choice, or if you are using for long periods a thermostatically controlled heater would have lower emissions overall.
• Choose a heater with a range of heat settings.

Choosing the right heater

The following table outlines the advantages and disadvantages of the different heaters discussed.

Adapted from information provided by Sustainable Energy Authority Victoria 2004

The fuel pellets can be created from various biomass sources, including compacted sawdust, agricultural waste, in particular sugar cane, but also wood chips, waste paper and other organic materials.  The pelletising process involves breaking up the source material, drying it so the final product has a moisture content below 10%, then applying pressure to force it through a screen. This produces uniform pellets with a much higher density than the original materials. The final pellets have a density four times greater than traditional wood products and due to their small uniform size, can be more efficiently transported in bulk.

According to the Water, Materials, Energy, Strategy magazine (February 2010) there is a rapidly growing customer base. The president of Global NRG, a private company specialising in waste to energy projects, has even considered the use of the Northern Territory’s woody weeds as a fuel source. The government spends millions trying to eradicate and control these, and harvesting them for commercial purposes would reduce the environmental damage and fire risks they pose, and the pellets could be exported or used to fire power plants for remote mine sites.

You can buy pellet heaters for the home. Although these look the same as wood stoves, pellet stoves have a hopper full of extra fuel that sits above the flames.  The pellets are gravity fed into the stove at a constant rate. Most have a feeding mechanism that ensures the right amount of fuels is added to the fire. Pellets burn more efficiently than wood and pellet stoves are credited with providing even heat that spreads from the stove. You can apparently burn pellets in a traditional wood stove by getting a wood stove insert.

So this is another thing to think about when planning the eco renovation.

I have tried out a few eco-friendly cleaners, to varying degrees of success, so I thought I’d document my eco-cleaning efforts and try out a few more on the way. The main hurdle I found early on is that a lot of green cleaners don’t have the highly perfumed ‘pine/lemon/lavender fresh’ smell that is added to a lot of the mainstream versions. I now try and ignore the smell element when comparing cleaners as it is irrelevant when it comes to whether the product gets the floor, sink or whatever clean.

So here it is. Feel free to let me know if you have tried any others and at the end of the day if you really can’t face doing it, there is a new breed of Green Cleaning Companies who will come around your house to do it for you. Check out GreenClean

Surface cleaners (kitchen and bathroom)

Safe Care Clean bathroom cleaner. Initially I wasn’t sure about this product, probably as I was used to using cleaning products with a strong scent. But the more I used it the more I liked it. It cleaned the bath, sink and loo a treat and really made the tiles shine. A bit expensive but well worth it.

The High Performance Surface Cleaner also did a great job. The best part is that it is safe to clean children’s toys and play equipment.

Natures organics Earth Choice multi-purpose cleaner (available from Coles). This did a good job and was affordable. The bottle is made of recycled plastic and the ingredients are biodegradable and it had a fresh scent.

Bicarbonate of soda to clean the sink and tiles. Make a paste of the bicarbonate of soda, scrub into sink, leave for a bit and rinse. This did work well providing the gritty bicarbonate of soda was rinsed off thoroughly.

Toilet

Vinegar – two cups of white vinegar in the toilet bowl at night. Leave over night and give a quick scrub with the loo brush in the morning to remove water marks, germs, mould and stains. This worked OK but I wasn’t keen on the vinegar smell.

Greenworks toilet bowl cleaner. This worked pretty well and smelt pleasant which is kind of what you want when cleaning the loo.

Dishwashing liquid and dishwasher powder

Natures organics Earth Choice Dishwash Concentrate (available in Coles). This is priced around the same as the standard supermarket brands and does a great job. A plant based formula, it is grey water safe, biodegradable and the bottle is made of 100% recycled material. Again pretty happy with the results.

Squeek Dishwasher powder. Its difficult to find eco friendly dishwasher powder. Squeek contains no phosphates and is safe in biosystems. This works every bit as well as standard supermarket brands, but its not easy to get hold of so you have to buy online.

Soapnuts. These worked quite well in the dishwasher and are by far the most natural option.

Bicarbonate soda paste to clean grills and barbecues. Make a paste with water, apply and leave for half an hour or so, then scrub off. This worked well on the BBQ. I used an old scrunched up piece of foil to scrub off the old food.  I was pretty happy with the results.

Window cleaner

Coles greenchoice window cleaner was pretty cheap and did an okay job cleaning windows and glass tables.

Vinegar, water and old newspaper. For windows and mirrors mix two tablespoons with a gallon of water, dispense through spray bottle and scrub with old newspaper. This worked remarkably well on dirt, greasy finger prints and smears.  Neat vinegar works well on bird poo. I’d recommend to everyone to try this.

Deodorising

Carpets. Sprinkle on bicarbonate of soda, wait half an hour then vacuum up. This worked well on the bit of carpet that the baby had vomited on.

Bins or fridge. Sprinkle bicarbonate of soda at the bottom of bins or place a cup of bicarbonate of soda at the back of the fridge to neutralise nasty niffs. This worked pretty well and definitely reduced residual odours.

Floors

Vinegar and water used to clean wooden floors. Mix ¼ cup of white vinegar and 1 litre of warm water. This worked well and cleaned the marks off the floor without removing the varnish.

Earth Choice hard surface cleaner and Green Works natural floor cleaner. Neither are recommended for wooden floors but worked ok in the bathroom giving clean shiny tiles.

I’m looking for a natural mould removal recipe now….

Overall verdict. The old fashioned recipes worked far better than I expected and I’ve always got bicarbonate of soda and white vinegar in the cupboard now. A bit of essential oil goes a long way too to make the house smell fresh.

Of course increasing energy efficiency and reducing energy demands in the home through solar hot water and insulation and investing in energy efficient appliances are the first steps to take, but here’s what you can do to generate power:

Photovoltaics

There are several different types of panel available and photovoltaic panels can either be grid connected or off-grid. Most connect into the grid as you get credited for any excess electricity produced, and when not producing electricity, for example, at night, the electricity is supplied by the usual mains power grid.

As there are no moving parts the solar panel modules can be expected to last several decades. As well as the solar panel, other components of a household solar power system include an inverter, which converts the direct current from the cells to alternating current used in homes. Also a two way electricity meter is required to allow surplus power from the solar cells to be directed to the electricity grid. Solar panels should face north in Australia to take full advantage of the sun. The systems come in various sizes. We found the Energy Matters site extremely useful. It suggests a 4kW system will cover 100% of the energy consumption of a medium energy use household. A 1kW system is currently the ‘entry point’ for grid connect and attracts the most rebate per watt, and will cover up to 25% of the energy consumption of a medium household.

The time it takes to pay back the costs of the PV system depends on the size of system installed. Many countries have a feed-in tariff (premium rate paid for electricity fed back into the electricity grid from designated renewable electricity generation source). Unfortunately Australia currently has no nationalised feed in tariff and the rates paid vary from state to state (click here for more info).

Wind

To find out if installing a wind turbine is going to be worthwhile you need to know whether your average wind speed is above 5m/s.  Ideal places are in the country, on farms or on the coast and away from built up areas. So this is not as suitable for urban areas as solar. If you want to find out more, again Energy Matters has some great information on their site to help work out if windpower is suitable for you.  

Natural gas

Australia homeowners will shortly be able to product their own electricity on site from natural gas. BlueGen is a gas to electric generation unit about the size of a small dishwasher, which contains a stack of ceramic fuel cells. It is currently being trialled at a sustainable home in the Melbourne suburb of Epping. According to the literature producing electricity on site through this means can reduce a home’s carbon footprint by five times as much as is possible from a solar PV system. In the home the BlueGen unit connects to the existing gas inlet and the hot water system. Air and gas is fed into the unit and a chemical reaction takes place, producing both electricity and heat, which can produce 200 litres of hot water each day. Over the course of a year each BlueGen unit can produce about 17,000 kilowatt hours of electricity, more than twice the power needed for an average Australian home. Surplus electricity can be sold back to the power grid. It is claimed electricity created through BlueGen can save more than $1,000 off the annual energy bill of the average Australian home. Through the combined production of electricity and heat gives an efficiency of 85% making it the most efficient power generation system of its kind in the world. In contrast electricity derived from brown coal is about 25% efficient, with 75% of the energy produced is lost as heat at the power station or in the transmission and distribution of electricity.

BlueGen units will be available to Australian consumers in the next few months, via green retailer Neco.

1. Get a compactable recyclable bag and make a habit of keeping it with you at all times. That little gem at the bottom of a handbag (or manbag) can save over 120 carrier bags per year. If you find a good design, get some spares to give to your friends.
2. Plant a tree. Commemorate the end of the noughties by growing a native tree that will take up some carbon dioxide and encourages wildlife.
3. Get used to fragrance free. Non toxic or ‘eco friendly’ cleaning products have less fragrance than mainstream brands. Just because you can’t smell the strong lemony fresh fragrance does not mean its not clean. Alternatively, just add natural fragrances like lavender oil.
4. Make your lunch and take it to work (in reusable containers). You get a better idea of the fat and calories you are eating and can help reduce food wastage at home. It can also save you well over $100  every month.
5. Get into vegetables and try to eat vegetarian for one meal a day (breakfast is cheating!). If you are buying meat, buy organic and free range.
6. Avoid unnecessary purchases – only buy if you are sure you need and will use an item. Consider swapping, borrowing and lending. Shop around for pre-loved items from charity shops or through online auctions like eBay and Gumtree.
7. One day a week use public transport, bike to work or work from home.
8. Get obsessive about standby. Don’t leave TVs, monitors, or even phone chargers on standby. Turn them off….and anyone else’s you see.
9. If you haven’t already, learn to love worms. Cultivating a worm farm can reduce your household waste by a third or more.
10. Get green fingered. There is nothing better than eating the fruits of your labour. Zucchini, pumpkin and tomatoes are particularly easy to grow and they all benefit from a bit of diluted worm-juice from the worm farm (see item above).
11. Save up for an eco treat for your home.  Install a water tank, replace an appliance with an eco friendly update, look into solar hot water, solar voltaic panels or a dual flush toilet.

The Newspoll survey of 1,062 home-owners aged 18 to 64¹, commissioned by Solahart, showed that 55% of home owners were likely to consider installing solar water heating over the next two years, which is a significant increase on the 8% of households currently enjoying hot water free from the sun.

Environmental expert Tim Flannery said the results were exciting.

“Australians are among the highest greenhouse polluters on a per capita basis in the developed world, caused largely by the burning of fossil fuels for energy. All Australians have a role to play in reducing carbon emissions and it’s promising to see that people are keen to take action,” said Mr Flannery.

“Electric water heaters are a major contributor to the problem, accounting for roughly a quarter of household energy consumption. By comparison, using a solar water heater saves about 3 tonnes of greenhouse gas emissions every year,” he added.

Solahart’s National Manager, Stephen Cranch agrees that solar water heating will increase significantly over the next two years.

“We expect the uptake will rival the huge spike in growth experienced by both the internet and mobile phones, with solar water heating becoming a part of everyday life for most Australian households,” said Mr Cranch. “It’s also good news for Australian workers as it will create hundreds of new jobs in the industry,” said Mr Cranch.

“Generous Government rebates are enticing droves of people to choose solar hot water systems, with most of the home-owners looking to change living in states that offer higher incentives, such as News South Wales and Victoria,” said Mr Cranch.

“The combination of State and Federal rebates provides eligible home-owners with between $1,600 and $2,800 back on solar hot water systems when replacing an electric water heater. These rebates are on top of Renewable Energy Certificates (RECs) worth around $1,000 (depending on system selected and the market price of the RECs) and in some cases a fully installed solar hot water system is around the same price as an electric water heater,” he added.

Electricity and gas price hikes are also driving the shift and this is only set to escalate.

“Seventy five per cent of homeowners believe electricity prices will rise by 20% or less over the next two years, but as we know many states have already been given the green light for increases above this,” said Mr Cranch.

“Choosing solar water heating is the best answer for consumers looking to reduce their energy consumption and there has never been a better or more affordable time to make the change.”

¹Newspoll Omnibus Survey, 30 April-3 May and 14-17 May 2009, 1,062 Australian home owners aged 18-64