Renewable energy options for the home

 

Buy GreenPower

The quick, easy and accessible way for any household to go renewable, regardless of whether you rent or live in an apartment, is to buy 100% of your electricity as accredited GreenPower. 

Accredited renewable energy is energy assessed as a guaranteed and appropriate renewable energy source. In Australia, government accreditation to clean, renewable energy sourced from wind, water, waste and the sun is provided through GreenPower. GreenPower is the quality assurance brand given to approved renewable energy products. [Note: its spelling is quite specific; it is not Green Power or Greenpower.]

Purchasing accredited GreenPower is a great way to increase the percentage of new total electricity coming from approved renewable energy sources. Every household that chooses accredited GreenPower actually increases the real amount of electricity generated from new approved renewable energy sources. An added bonus is that this leads to the growth of decentralised power plants that can dramatically increase the efficiency of our electricity transmission lines (as up to 30% of all the electricity generated is lost during transmission) and reduce demand in high-use months.

 

Why does it have to be accredited GreenPower?

Many products marketed as green energy only have a small percentage of accredited GreenPower, when in fact these claims amount to little more than ‘green wash'. While some are marketed as ‘100% renewable', this does not mean that the product is 100% accredited GreenPower! It is only the accredited portion that makes the difference to reducing our current greenhouse emissions and contributing to the growth of new renewable energy. The remainder of this renewable energy either does not come from an approved source or is already in the current electricity system and may already be counted toward existing legislated targets such as the Federal Government's Mandatory Renewable Energy Target (MRET). Ask for disclosure of sources and accreditation on any GreenPower product you purchase and only purchase accredited GreenPower as your electricity source.

 

Top tips on buying GreenPower

  • Buy products with the highest star-rating, and up to 100% accredited GreenPower if possible.
  • Only buy products that contain accredited GreenPower
  • Ignore products claiming they are ‘renewable' unless it is accredited GreenPower.

Green Electricity Watch is a coalition of respected environmental groups that have surveyed and ranked most current GreenPower products on offer to homes. For an easy guide to choosing well-ranked GreenPower products, visit www.greenelectricitywatch.org.au.

For more information on the Government's GreenPower Scheme, visit www.greenpower.gov.au.

 

Install solar photovoltaic panels

If you have access to 10m2 or more of north-facing roof space and feel like generating your own electricity from the sun's rays then solar panels (photovoltaic panels) are for you. In Melbourne, you would choose a grid-connected system; this means that your solar array is connected to the main electricity grid so that you are not without electricity when the sun isn't shining, and may even be able to gain credit for additional power generated that is exported to the grid when you aren't at home.

Also consider the following:

  • Sun access to north-facing roof. Ensure the north face of your roof is not shaded by nearby buildings.
  • Roof angle. Installed solar panels are angled to match the correct latitude for your region. Pitched roofs with an angle of 30 degrees latitude are perfect for Melbourne (ensure no overshadowing from nearby buildings).  Installations on flat roofs or different angled roofs may be more costly.
  • Adequate and correct wiring. Most solar installations will require wiring and power converters additional to existing wiring and a change of electricity meter.
  • Quality-assured panels. Ensure that the panels you select meet approved Australian Standards and requirements of guarantee. Otherwise, you may end up having maintenance difficulties and costs further down the track.
  • Certified installer with a good reputation. Ask around and use a reputable installer.

The cost of solar panel installation has come down dramatically in recent years. Government rebates and the feed-in-tariffs (payment for unused power returned to the grid) have resulted in much shorter payback periods for solar installations, and could see your household enjoying cost-free power within two or three years! Solar panel installations will also provide you with Renewable Energy Certificates (RECS) which are a form of carbon credit.

Update: There are current ongoing issues with householders who have not received the full benefit of the feed-in-tariff. See the information provided as part of the Solar Panel Bulk Purchase Program that council brokered. 

 

Install a solar hot-water system

If your roof has a section that faces between north-west and north-east, you have the potential to install a solar hot-water system. For most of the year you will be able to generate all your hot-water needs from the sun's energy, but you will still need to have a back-up hot-water system (preferably gas) to heat water on days in winter when there is not enough sun. 

There are currently two types of commonly available solar hot water systems, both working on the prinicpiple of solar thermal energy:

  • Flat plate collectors consist of a series of water pipes sited on a black panel.
  • Evacuated tubes consist of an inner and outer tube with evacuated air in-between to stop captured heat from escaping. More sophisticated and costly, these work well in chilly areas with lots of sunshine.

As with solar panel installation, ensure that the system you consider meets Australian Standards and is installed by a certified and reputable installer. There is a sizeable rebate on solar hot water installation, making the payback period much shorter, and again, you will also receive Renewable Energy Certificates (RECS).