Sustainability

The Greens released their plan for Australia’s economic recovery from the Covid-19 crisis this week. The plan looks to invest heavily in renewable infrastructure, a cunningly rational ploy to solve a few crises at once.

The unique solar, wind, and battery project has been completed at Gold Fields’ Agnew Gold Mine, marking Australia’s largest hybrid microgrid of its kind.

The University of Queensland has released a performance report on the Tesla Powerpack it installed in December 2019. Across a range of revenue streams, the Powerpack is already earning the university some serious cash.

A new energy marketplace aims to help consumers compare renewable apples with non-renewable lemons; signalling certainty to developers of clean energy generation and also growing Australia’s rooftop resource.

Much has been made of the Covid-19 lockdown cutting global carbon emissions. Energy use has fallen over recent months as the pandemic keeps millions of people confined to their homes, and businesses closed in many countries. Projections suggest global emissions could be around 5% lower in 2020 than last year.

The new legislation will clear the way for a new carbon and capture storage project in Victoria and create new jobs and opportunities for coal in the region, undermining the efforts to create a green hydrogen economy in Australia.

Youth Verdict have lodged legal action against Waratah Coal’s Galilee Coal Project on the grounds that it infringes their human rights. The jurisprudence of climate change human rights is new to Australia, but Clive Palmer’s recent behaviour suggests he’s worried.

After tough years of drought and flood, The Gascoyne Junction Tourist Park in Gascoyne Junction, Western Australia, has been decimated by the impact of Covid-19 on the tourist industry. Struggling to pay its bills, the WA Govt is stepping in to help fund a solar upgrade, a saving grace.

Last week the Morrison Government launched the revamped version of its energy price comparison website, Energy Made Easy. The website carries new features installed by the Australian Energy Regulator (AER) designed to help Australians get a better deal on their energy bill.

Researchers at RMIT University have designed a solar chimney that both saves energy, and saves lives. The solar chimney, part of a range of sustainable features built into the new Mentone Reserve Pavilion in Melbourne’s Kingston.