In the Media – Zero Emissions Byron https://zerobyron.org Working towards a carbon-zero future Wed, 10 May 2023 06:41:21 +0000 en-AU hourly 1 https://zerobyron.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/05/l80RfDm7_400x400-150x150.jpg In the Media – Zero Emissions Byron https://zerobyron.org 32 32 Huge news for home energy efficiency in 2023-2024 federal budget https://zerobyron.org/2023/05/10/huge-news-for-home-energy-efficiency-in-2023-2024-federal-budget/ Wed, 10 May 2023 06:41:21 +0000 https://zerobyron.org/?p=7560 solar roof

The announcement of a $1.6 billion Energy Savings Package in the 2023-2024 federal budget on Tuesday is a big win for those wanting to save money on running homes and businesses. But, the devil is in the detail. Board Secretary Seb Crangle had this to say on LinkedIn earlier today: “Huge news for home energy...]]> solar roof

The announcement of a $1.6 billion Energy Savings Package in the 2023-2024 federal budget on Tuesday is a big win for those wanting to save money on running homes and businesses.

But, the devil is in the detail. Board Secretary Seb Crangle had this to say on LinkedIn earlier today:

“Huge news for home energy efficiency in the Federal Budget, with “more than $1.6 billion for energy saving upgrades for homes, businesses and social housing”. The majority ($1.3b) is for low cost finance for households to upgrade their homes (ie solar, electrification, insulation, heat pumps).

“I believe much of the credit for these developments comes from the lobbying of groups like Rewiring Australia (Saul Griffith), as well as the Climate Council, Renew and Energy Efficiency Council. Books like The Big Switch have gone deep in the pysche of the nation.

“On a sceptical note, I suspect that most or all of the $36 million allocated to rate existing houses will go to the CSIRO’s “RapidRate”, AI technology. Let’s hope there’s a place for real live home assessors like me and my Residential Efficiency Scorecard colleagues.”

On this, the press release says:

“$36.7 million to expand and upgrade the Nationwide House Energy Rating Scheme to apply to existing homes. Many older homes don’t meet modern energy efficiency standards, and at the moment, Australians have access to more information on the energy efficiency of their washing machines, than they do their homes. This investment means people will be able to seek a home energy rating, so Australians can make the best choices for their hip pocket when it comes to energy upgrades and renting and purchasing homes.”

“With any luck households will still seek the advice of energy efficiency advisors to identify their priority actions when improving the energy performance of their home.”

]]> Electric utes are here and the Climate Council is the place to find infographics! https://zerobyron.org/2023/04/14/electric-utes-are-here-and-the-climate-council-is-the-place-to-find-infographics/ Fri, 14 Apr 2023 01:10:22 +0000 https://zerobyron.org/?p=7391

Electric utes have arrived in Australia and more brands are set to start delivering their electric models over the next two years. Check out the Climate Council's article about it here and while you're checking out their site make sure you have a look at their infographics they are excellent!  Like this one:]]>

Electric utes have arrived in Australia and more brands are set to start delivering their electric models over the next two years.

Check out the Climate Council's article about it here and while you're checking out their site make sure you have a look at their infographics they are excellent!  Like this one:

]]> Saul Griffith’s story will inspire you to get rid of your fossil fuel bills one machine at a time https://zerobyron.org/2023/03/21/saul-griffiths-story-will-inspire-you-to-get-rid-of-your-fossil-fuel-bills-one-machine-at-a-time/ Mon, 20 Mar 2023 22:36:10 +0000 https://zerobyron.org/?p=7354

If you haven't heard of Saul Griffith we assume it's because you have been having a break from climate news.  We don't blame you it's often draining and we must all manage our energy to keep us in the ring and succeed in transitioning our planet to a safe future for future generations.  But now...]]>

Rewire Australia is starting with Saul's home postcode 2515 to work with the community to plan the replacement of every non electric machine with an electric alternative by 2030

If you haven't heard of Saul Griffith we assume it's because you have been having a break from climate news.  We don't blame you it's often draining and we must all manage our energy to keep us in the ring and succeed in transitioning our planet to a safe future for future generations.  But now you're back you will want to read all about him and his blueprint for achieving our carbon reduction goals by 2030 and we urge you to share this strategy with your family, friends and neighbours.  This is about Australian residents taking control of the solution and working together to make it happen and get financial assistance from governments who are charged with spending our tax money in our best interest.

The featured image of this post is from the Rewiring Australia website here.

This excerpt from Australian StoryBy Matt Henry and Olivia Rousset

Posted , updated 

Saul argues that for the drastic emission reductions the world needs to make within the decade, the only viable solution is to work with "technologies that we have now that you can buy off the shelf".

"We have to get 50 per cent reductions by 2030 for a climate target we want," he says. "It's 'go' time for the stuff that works."

The (pilot) plan is known as "Electrify 2515". It aims for all household machines in the postcode area running on fossil fuels — from gas cooktops to petrol cars — to be converted to electric equivalents and powered by renewable energy.

So stop waiting for policy makers and product innovators to solve the climate crisis.  Read more about Soul's plan, it's actually really simple but not cheap so working out what your household needs to change and talking to your friends, family and neighbours about the task at hand is your first step.

 

30 min – Australian Story 27 Feb 2023 – The Transformer | Saul Griffith

15 min – 101 million machines away from a zero emission Australia | Saul Griffith | TEDxSydney

Rewire Australia is starting with Soul's home postcode 2515 to work with the community to plan the replacement of every non electric machine with an electric alternative by 2030

It's not just residents though that are making big commitments to reach the needed reduction targets by 2030.  Renew Economy wrote in early Dec '22:

Never have so many governments, utilities, corporates and investors promised so much in such a short period of time for such an important outcome.

Read the full article below

]]> National Energy Performance Strategy https://zerobyron.org/2022/12/22/national-energy-performance-strategy/ Wed, 21 Dec 2022 23:56:11 +0000 https://zerobyron.org/?p=7114

Maybe you know a little, maybe a lot about energy.  How it's generated in Australia and how well it gets used it in our homes and the broader built environment.  ZEB Board Member, Seb Crangle, knows heaps and had this to say about the National Energy Performance Strategy (NEPS)."It it so heartening to see the...]]>

There are two sides to the story when it comes to our energy bills - the supply side and the demand side.

Maybe you know a little, maybe a lot about energy.  How it's generated in Australia and how well it gets used it in our homes and the broader built environment.  ZEB Board Member, Seb Crangle, knows heaps and had this to say about the National Energy Performance Strategy (NEPS)."It it so heartening to see the Government talking seriously about the DEMAND side of energy management, rather than the usual emphasis on supply."  Here's an excerpt from the Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water 's website that explains the NEPS.

 

The Australian Government has legislated emissions reductions targets of 43% by 2030 (on 2005 levels) and net zero by 2050. Australia’s energy sector is undergoing a rapid transformation, changing the way electricity is generated and consumed in Australia to achieve these targets.

A forward plan for demand-side action will help deliver a least-cost path through Australia’s energy transition while reducing emissions and improving energy affordability.

The National Energy Performance Strategy (NEPS) will improve energy performance across the economy. It will lower costs for households and businesses, reduce pressure on the energy system and help meet our emission reduction goals.

The first step for the strategy is the release of a discussion paper for your comment. The paper can be accessed via the Consultation hub. Comments will close on 3 February 2023.

Seb points out that there are a lot of questions but you don't have to comment on any you don't want to.  Below are a few of Sebastian's contributions to a couple of the questions.

The fact that this community consultation is taking place and that we are talking about it helps remind us all to keep energy efficiency improvements and their importance front of mind.   What's the next energy efficiency improvement you have planned in your life - at home or in your workplace?  If you're looking for specific recommendations contact Sebastian - here's a link to his website.

Question 19:

What are the key opportunities to improve the energy performance of new and existing residential buildings?

* Engage and educate homeowners so they are more aware of the contributors and impact of energy performance in the home. Without their buy-in, improving the performance of residential buildings they own will be much more difficult.

* Identify the low hanging fruit in terms of energy performance improvements that will make the most difference to the performance of residential buildings, and run programs to incentive upgrades, particularly to existing buildings. Examples include heat pump hot water systems, highly rated RCAC, lighting upgrades, insulation. This process needn't exclude activities that have small to medium impact but are easier or less costly to implement, e.g. draught proofing, external awnings and thermal curtains.

* monitoring and evaluation: assess individual homes for what improvements would make the most difference, measure the before and after performance in terms of modelled energy costs, or star ratings.

Question 20:

What opportunities are there to improve or streamline existing policies aimed at empowering consumers to undertake energy performance improvements in their homes?

*Adopt State government policies that have proven successful at empowering consumers, in particular in Victoria and ACT e.g. the ACT's Actsmart Household Energy Efficiency Program for low income earners, as well at mandatory disclosure of energy ratings at point of sale.

]]> Tracking solar uptake in the Shire – Oct 22. https://zerobyron.org/2022/10/17/tracking-solar-uptake-in-the-shire-oct-22/ Mon, 17 Oct 2022 04:32:29 +0000 https://zerobyron.org/?p=6880

ZEB Board member, Dr Muriel Watt, updates the uptake of solar PV in Byron Shire. Almost 6 MW of solar PV were installed in the year 2021-22. Total installed capacity is now over 41 MW.  When Zero Emissions Byron began in 2015, the installed capacity of solar PV in Byron Shire was less than 10MW....]]>

ZEB Board member, Dr Muriel Watt, updates the uptake of solar PV in Byron Shire.

Almost 6 MW of solar PV were installed in the year 2021-22. Total installed capacity is now over 41 MW.  When Zero Emissions Byron began in 2015, the installed capacity of solar PV in Byron Shire was less than 10MW.

One third of Byron systems are now sized 6.5 – 9.5 kW, although systems of 14-25 kW are increasing rapidly.

About 47% of houses in Byron Shire now have solar, which is higher than the NSW average of 28% and even higher than the QLD average of 42%.

The graph below has been compiled from data on the APVI Solar Map for the four Byron postcodes covering Bangalow, Byron Bay, Mullumbimby and Ocean Shores (2479, 2481, 2482, 2483).

]]> This Friday: School Strike 4 Climate https://zerobyron.org/2022/03/23/this-friday-school-strike-4-climate/ Wed, 23 Mar 2022 08:57:36 +0000 https://zerobyron.org/?p=6305

From the School Strike 4 Climate website:  The next few months have some exciting action in store for strikers all across the continent! On March 25, we will be joining hundreds of thousands of students across the world in the Global #ClimateStrike to demand world leaders fight for #PeopleNotProfit! Many of our Local groups are planning...]]>

March 25 Strike & Election Actions!

From the School Strike 4 Climate website: 
The next few months have some exciting action in store for strikers all across the continent!

On March 25, we will be joining hundreds of thousands of students across the world in the Global #ClimateStrike to demand world leaders fight for #PeopleNotProfit! Many of our Local groups are planning huge strikes for March 25 to show that young people are standing for their futures and to send our politicians a clear message demanding Climate Action!

Our Election Actions, are a range of diverse climate actions that local groups across the country will be hosting such as climate forums, artistic expressions of climate protest, activities which help students register to vote, fossil fool fiestas and much more! We will be sending a clear message to voters as this election, we are asking people to stand up to our politicians and #VoteForOurFutures.

]]> Award Winning Mullum Care’s Library of Stuff https://zerobyron.org/2022/02/23/reduce-consumption-reduce-emissions/ Wed, 23 Feb 2022 04:47:24 +0000 https://zerobyron.org/?p=6208

Among Byron Shire Council’s Australia Day Awards, the Library of Stuff was awarded ‘Community Initiative of the Year’. (Pictured above: Sasha Mainsbridge at left, with Library of Stuff co-founder, Celine Massa, with their Community Initiative Award.) As Council describes it: “The Library of Stuff is a community operation that shares infrequently needed items with its members who are...]]>

Byron Shire's Community Initiative of the Year

Among Byron Shire Council’s Australia Day Awards, the Library of Stuff was awarded ‘Community Initiative of the Year’. (Pictured above: Sasha Mainsbridge at left, with Library of Stuff co-founder, Celine Massa, with their Community Initiative Award.)

As Council describes it: “The Library of Stuff is a community operation that shares infrequently needed items with its members who are mainly households and local not-for-profit groups. Its aim is to reduce consumption and waste and help create a sharing culture in the community. It does this by encouraging people to ‘borrow’ not ‘buy’ and advocates for good maintenance and repair of items rather than throwing them out. This is a keystone of lower carbon living.

Photo courtesy of Jeff Dawson and the Echo

The Library of Stuff's first Impact Report

The benefits to our community of the Library of Stuff are very hard to measure but an impressive attempt has been made with their first report recently published.

Click through to read

The unmeasurable benefits

Mullum Cares has demonstrated an amazing propensity for collaboration since its inception in 2015.  Founder Sasha Mainsbridge has secured the home of the Library, the Mullum Community Hall (formerly the Scout Hall) for Enova's Good Car Company Workshops in Mullumbimby to conduct its Electric Vehicle Bulk Buy campaign (register to attend here).

The Library assets are set to support Clean Up Mullum on Sunday March 6 and the Mullum2Bruns paddle on May 29 and the image below lists some of the events and organisations they have supported in the past.

Tomorrow the Byron Shire Council will decide on the appointment of the new leaseholders of the Mullum Community Hall and ZEB has provided a strong letter of support for Mullum Cares proposal.  We wish them all the best.

Partnership page

]]> Byron Shire Council Achieves 100% RENEWABLE ENERGY target https://zerobyron.org/2022/02/22/byron-shire-council-achieves-100-renewable-energy-target/ Tue, 22 Feb 2022 06:14:58 +0000 https://zerobyron.org/?p=6197

Since 1 January, Byron Shire Council is sourcing 60% of its total electricity needs from one wind farm in the NSW Southern Tablelands (pictured above).  The remaining 40% is being sourced from certified GreenPower projects.  This means Council has now achieved its 100% renewable energy target five years ahead of its 2027 goal. “Achieving 100 percent of our...]]>

Since 1 January, Byron Shire Council is sourcing 60% of its total electricity needs from one wind farm in the NSW Southern Tablelands (pictured above).  The remaining 40% is being sourced from certified GreenPower projects.  This means Council has now achieved its 100% renewable energy target five years ahead of its 2027 goal.

“Achieving 100 percent of our energy needs from renewable sources also means we are making good progress towards our objectives in the Net Zero Emissions Action Plan for Council Operations 2025,” said Byron Shire Mayor, Michael Lyon.  “It certainly gives me hope that when we put our minds to it, we can make real changes to address climate change and reduce our carbon footprint.

“Demand-management is very important too, and to that end, we are reducing our energy usage across Council this year by implementing new energy efficiency measures at the Mullumbimby Administration Building, continuing our innovative pump station renewal program and progressing the bulk lighting upgrade for Byron’s street lights,” he added.

]]> Northern Rivers EV Survey Results 2021 https://zerobyron.org/2021/11/22/northern-rivers-ev-survey-results-2021/ Mon, 22 Nov 2021 02:23:04 +0000 https://zerobyron.org/?p=5868

Christobel Munson, ZEB Chair & EV Working Group We have been promoting the uptake of Electric Vehicles as part of our strategy to reduce local emissions. In 2019, we held a successful EV Expo which was attended by over 500 people. Over the Covid lockdowns we organised a series of 8 Webinars on different Electric Vehicle...]]>

Christobel Munson, ZEB Chair & EV Working Group

We have been promoting the uptake of Electric Vehicles as part of our strategy to reduce local emissions. In 2019, we held a successful EV Expo which was attended by over 500 people. Over the Covid lockdowns we organised a series of 8 Webinars on different Electric Vehicle topics and over September and October surveyed residents and visitors of the Northern Rivers region of NSW to ascertain their knowledge of, interest in and concerns about Electric Vehicles. The key survey findings are summarised below.

Key findings

  • 274 respondents from 5 LGAs: Tweed, Byron, Ballina, Lismore and Richmond River.
  • (49% respondents from Lismore)
  • 85% of respondents would like to own an electric vehicle
  • 64% want one because of climate change benefits
  • 25% liked the prospect of using their own solar power to charge their EV
  • The top barrier to buying an EV is price, with range concerns (17%) following.
    Of the 25% of respondents who already own an EV, 27% had bought secondhand – so already a market
  • Of those who already owned an EV, 85% charge at home, of which 52% use solar of green power.
  • EV owners bought the car on price (37%) or environmental benefits (26%)

Results of the survey

Demographics

In total 274 responses were received.

Car ownership and use

Nearly half the respondents (46.5%) had 2 cars in their household, while another third (32%) had only one car.  The remainder had 3 or more cars and or a variety of bikes, motorbikes and scooters.

More than half the respondents (57%) drove less than 40 km on weekdays and only 4% drove more than 300km. However, on weekends driving patterns changed and the highest number of people (37%) drove between 40 and 80km. Again, only 3% drove more than 300km.

10% of respondents already own an EV – significantly higher than the Australian average of 1%, but 85% say they would like to own one! Interestingly, 27% of those who own an EV bought it second hand, indicating the existence of a second-hand market already.

The most common EV brands were Tesla (26%), Nissan Leaf (22%) and Hyundai (19%), with 7% of respondents owning e-bikes or e-scooters. Cars were chosen primarily on the basis of price (37%), environmental benefits (26%) and driving range (22%). 30% of EVs had a driving range of more than 400km, while 22% had a range of less than 100km.

Most charging is done at home (85% - of which 52% use solar or GreenPower), with 11% being done at free public charge points, indicating that the roll-out of commercial charge points has not yet had a significant impact in our region.

Attitudes to and concerns about EVs

EV Owners particularly enjoy the benefits of emissions free / fossil fuel free driving, which some referred to as “Guilt Free” driving! They also love the quiet, responsive and smooth drive experience. Some are hoping to upgrade to SUVs to cope with local roads, or cars with longer range, when they can afford to do so.

For those interested in becoming EV Owners, the majority (64%) want to do so because of the climate change benefits, while another 25% like the prospect of using their own solar power. Price remains a key barrier, with 46% of those interested only able to spend up to $30,000 and 82% only able to spend up to $40,000.  After price, the key concerns are range (17%) and suitability of EVs currently available (13%).

Although 18% of respondents had no concerns at all about EVs, others had concerns about the sources of electricity used to charge EVs (33%) and about the batteries: how long they would last (45%), whether they would be recycled (41%), whether they could be replaced (32%), the energy used to make them (28%), whether they would catch fire (8%) and the environmental and labour conditions associated with input materials (2%).  There were also concerns around servicing availability (37%) and cost (30%), insurance, towing, depreciation and resale value, as well as the potential for governments to introduce new taxes after purchase.

While governments are focussed on charge stations, only 12% of respondents do not have easy access to charge points.  This of course may not apply to people driving through or holidaying in the region.  Nevertheless, 50% of survey respondents would only be willing to drive up to 5 km from home or work to access a charge point and a third were unaware of existing charge points.  More signage or other publicity around existing charging sites is obviously needed, although perhaps mainly for non-EV owners, as maps of charging stations accompany EV GPS systems as well as charging company registrations.

The best-known charging station is the NRMA one at the Farm, Ewingsdale (42% of people were aware of it),

The featured picture is courtesy of Bridie Schmidt and The Driven and was taken at the opening of The Farm's charging station.  After this location, the other charging places respondents were are of were the two Byron Shire Council owned charge stations at Byron Bay library (37% awareness) and Mullumbimby (31%), and the Southern Cross University site (24%).

The majority of respondents thought that Federal (69%) and State Governments (64%) should be responsible for charging stations, although significant numbers also think Local Governments (44%), and EV charging companies (41%) should provide them. Other entities listed were car companies (29%), the NRMA (27%), and local businesses (25%).

In terms of convenience, most people would like to see charge points in public car parks (81%), shopping centres (79%), service stations (60%) and sporting facilities (51%). Other suggestions included Council facilities, highway rest stops and hospitals.

The Wish List

Respondents were particularly keen to see future EVs having batteries that could be swapped out (66%) and that could be used as power supplies in the home or while camping (65%). Self-driving features were of interest to 23% of respondents, while a range of other features were also mentioned, including self-charging via solar panels on the car, 4WD and towing capability and 3rd party servicing.

With regards to government incentives for EVs, the majority of respondents favoured reduced sales tax (87%) and registration costs (79%), as well as exemption from luxury car import taxes (74%). Government grants were supported by 44% of respondents, while charging time (43%), parking (37%) and driving lane benefits (22%) were also supported.

There was wide interest in all types of Electric Vehicles, including compact cars, SUVs, utes, buses, taxis, bikes and boats, as well as in conversion of existing vehicles.

In summary, there is widespread interest in EVs in the Northern Rivers, with the market likely to increase rapidly once prices drop and a wider range of vehicles is made available.

Survey respondent, Donna Hunter, the lucky winner out of 274 entries with ZEB Chair Christobel Munson (right)

Our survey was sponsored by evee - Australia's only electric car sharing

Donna won a day in a Tesla courtesy of evee.  Next time you or your visitor's need a hire car, why not take the opportunity to test drive an EV by hiring one!  Enter their monthly draw to win a day in your dream car just for subscribing to receive their latest news in your inbox each month.

 

]]> Net Zero by 2050 – how the transport sector can be managed to contribute https://zerobyron.org/2021/10/25/net-zero-by-2050-how-the-transport-sector-can-be-managed-to-contribute/ Mon, 25 Oct 2021 01:10:56 +0000 https://zerobyron.org/?p=5529

The Grattan car plan: practical policies for cleaner transport and better cities calls on the Federal Government to impose a cap, or ceiling, on the emissions allowed from new cars sold in Australia each year, and to ratchet the ceiling down to zero by 2035. This would help Australia hit a national target of net zero...]]>

The Grattan Institute car plan: practical policies for cleaner transport and better cities

Report by Marion Terrill, Ingrid Burfurd, Lachlan Fox

The Grattan car plan: practical policies for cleaner transport and better cities calls on the Federal Government to impose a cap, or ceiling, on the emissions allowed from new cars sold in Australia each year, and to ratchet the ceiling down to zero by 2035.

This would help Australia hit a national target of net zero by 2050 and save drivers money – because zero-emissions electric cars are much cheaper to run than high-emitting petrol and diesel cars.

But cheaper driving could mean more driving, so state and local governments should act to discourage driving and make public transport and cycling safer and more attractive.

They should impose congestion and per-kilometre charges on cars, make trains and buses as COVID-safe as possible, and do more to separate cars and trucks from cyclists and pedestrians.

Grattan Institute modelling for this report shows that an emissions ceiling for new light vehicles could achieve at least 40 per cent of Australia's emissions reduction task between now and 2030, at virtually no cost to taxpayers.

Contrary to popular opinion, it will be easy for most Australians to charge electric cars, at home, at work, and on the road. Nearly two-thirds of Australian households with a car live in a detached or semi-detached home, and 95 per cent of those homes have off-street parking. Most of these drivers will find it easy and inexpensive to install electric-vehicle chargers.

Electric vehicles cost more to buy than similar-sized petrol and diesel vehicles in Australia, but they cost less to run. Under a carefully designed emissions ceiling, drivers who bought a zero- or low-emissions car would save at least $900 over the first five years of ownership, through reduced running costs.

Switching to cheap-to-run vehicles will be great in one way, but cheaper driving will also mean more driving, and more driving means more accidents and more congestion.

Governments need to stifle this in advance, to limit the downsides of driving and prevent our cities becoming clogged.

Australian governments should consider lowering urban speed limits to 30km/h, as Paris and other global cities are doing, to reduce pollution and accidents.

Australians should have safe alternatives to driving – and when we do drive, we should use the best technology to do it with as little harm as possible.

This report identifies the policies that make that possible.

]]>