Archive for November, 2008

Heat pumps are a great alternative to solar hot water systems with panels on the roof. The electricity savings are substantial (about 70% compared to 90% for a solar hot water system in Queensland). All solar rebates are available for a heat pump and the installation costs are substantially lower.

In addition, the innovative Dux Airoheat Sub-Zero Heat Pump works even when there is frost without adding anything to the costs. This is a huge advantage over solar panels, especially in areas where it is hot all year and then there are a couple of frosty nights in winter. Solar panels needs to be protected against that. With our heat pump, you don’t have to worry about frost.

Heat Pump Advantages

The Dux Airoheat Sub-Zero Heat Pump has range of advantages over other systems:

• It is the most efficient heat pump in its class in Australia, ensuring maximum energy savings and minimum greenhouse gas production
• It is the quietest product available so that you will not be disturbed
• It is the shortest heat pump available so that it fits under every eave (1.8m high)
• Two sacrificial anodes ensure long tank life in all water conditions
• High impact polymer louvers and lid improve durability
• It works at temperatures below zero making it suitable throughout Australia

Innovative Product

The Dux Airoheat Sub-Zero heat pump is the latest development from Dux in their commitment to offer innovative products. It includes an automatic de-icing function which switches back to normal heat pump operation as soon as the ice is gone. That ensures maximum efficiency without wasting the heat that is generated to de-ice.

No backup booster element is necessary, which would reduce efficiency. Instead the Dux heat pump uses fans to defrost the evaporator coil, therefore optimising comfort and efficiency in any climate.

The new lid & louver section is moulded from high impact, highly UV stabilised European automotive polymer. It adds to the heat pump’s durability, prevents colour loss and reduces the weight of the system.

How do Heat Pumps Work?

The basic operation is based on the same principle as a fridge. Except, the other way around. A fan draws in air which is compressed. The temperature increases and is then transferred to a liquid which heats the water.

For details you can have a look at the wikipedia article on heat pumps.

Heat Pumps or Solar Hot Water Panels?

We used to recommend heat pumps only for situations where a solar hot water system was not feasible (e.g. too little sun or a roof that was too steep). However, the simpler installation reduces costs by up to $1,000. That makes it a very interesting alternative, not only to solar hot water systems with panels, but especially to the old electric systems.

If you have a plumber, we can just ship the heat pump to you. We still look after all the rebate forms to make sure that you get the maximum you are entitled to. Or you can leave it all to us and we organise the installation of the heat pump for you.

The free online quote will give you an instant comparison between the heat pump and solar hot water system with all costs and the possible savings.

Find Out Whether You Can Benefit From Solar Hot Water.

You can get an instant quote right now. There are 23 simple questions that lets our online calculator work out the best solution for your situation. That way you know exactly whether you can benefit from solar hot water.

Start with 1. Find System.

Nega-Watts (energy conservation) is overlooked in favour of “mega-watts” (energy generation).  So says Dr Morgan Williams, previously New Zealand’s Parliamentary Commissioner for the Environment for the last 10 years says.

“Get Smart, Think Small” concludes that local energy systems are cost effective, resilient, provide good market returns on investment, and should be emphasis right now.  Since Thomas Edison over 80 years ago, the whole regulatory environment has been focused on unlimited, large-scale, centralised energy supply.  It’s time to change the paradigm.

Mega-Watts Take the Media and Money Headlines

The smart money is hot on the trail of the next industrial revolution.  A riptide of capital is mainstreaming biomimicry and clean tech, now the third largest domain of venture capital investment. In Silicon Valley, the “watt.com” era has dawned. Compared with $100 billion for the entire Internet market, the worldwide energy market is $6 trillion.

Google just put forth a $4.4 trillion Clean Energy plan. By 2030, it proposes to slash fossil fuel use by 88% and CO2 emissions by 95%. Quercus Trust , a Californian VC has over 34 companies funded.  Quercus runs second to Khosla Ventures for VC money.

There’s mounting pressure on Uncle Sam because government policies make or break markets; and for the past 8 years Bush has not provided direction except for more oil wells!

Astoundingly the US has no national energy policy. That’s hopefully about to change. David Orr, the nation’s leading environmental educator, helped assemble a national network to deliver PCAP — the Presidential Climate Action Plan. It’s a pragmatic 100-day action plan for the incoming Obama 2009 administration, and it’s in play.

But for now, in the US the real action is happening at local and regional levels and has a way to go to catch up with the rest of the world.

California, the world’s sixth largest economy, passed AB 32, the world’s first comprehensive climate change legislation, and is gearing up to install 12.5 square miles of Photo Voltaic solar panels (PV);  12 times the previous largest. Massachusetts just passed the nation’s most far-reaching package of renewables and green jobs legislation. Texas is about to build the biggest wind installation ever, surpassing Germany as the world leader.

Other Countries

The number one use of solar energy is Germany. It invested nearly US$5 billion and captures almost 50% of the world market of PV cells. The “solar park” in Arnstein, Bavaria is one of the biggest PV plants in the world at 12 MW. It became operational in 2006 with more than 1,400 PV solar panels.  Germany legislated with Renewable Energies Laws (EEG) in 2000.

Germany’s solar industry is not limited to the production of PV for electricity. Other notable usage includes solar panels for home water heating system. The solar hot water market is over US$1.5 billion per year.

The next biggest country in terms of usage of solar energy is Spain. Their PV solar energy usage has a world market share of 27%. Their latest is a 60 MW solar field in Olmedilla de Alarcón, near Cuenca. Opening in 2007, a solar park 12 miles outside of Salamanca, has 70,000 PV panels divided into three 36-hectare arrays of 13.8 MW and powers 5,000 homes.

Spain in 2006 mandated all buildings supply 30 to 70% of hot water by solar, and if over 4000m2 use PV as well.

Japan and the US have an 8% market share in the PV world market.

Israel required all residential buildings to install solar water heating systems in the early 90s.

China is the single largest solar hot water producer, partly due to energy shortage. The Evacuated Tube was an Australian invention, taken back to China because the economic and legislative framework is Australia was not supportive of solar energy.

Conclusions:

Get Smart, think Local is the smart way to address climate change initiatives cost effectively. Dreaming the Future Can Create the Future is an article about how to achieve these local solutions.

There needs to be the right legislative environment and it is clear that Australia has only partially addressed some of these issues with initiatives such as RECs and ETS.  Australia, state and Federal, needs to mandate energy efficiency, to make the process happen now.  Initiatives could be similar to Spain, to mandate solar hot water, and mandate PV for larger buildings.
Lobby politicians.  Without informed politicians, the focus will be on big schemes not small schemes and established mega-watt producers will continue to get air-time.

Leave the high tech solutions to the money men. Go with the local energy supply and install a solar hot water system to reduce your residential energy footprint by 30%.  No fancy technology required; get an immediate return on your investment; and it is safer than money in a bank (or in market led securities!)

When we talked about climate change, a friend of mine once said: People only change for one of three reasons:

1. they make money,
2. they lose money or
3. it is the law.

(money in this context is a general human reward such as ego and/or emotion). Climate change, and our approach to making changes raises some interesting questions.

A Strong Global Climate Pact

“We are entering territory here that humanity has not been in before” Professor Ross Garnaut said to reporters upon his handover of his 620-page report to the Rudd government 30 September 2008. “Failure to deal with climate change now will haunt humanity until the end of time.”

Professor Garnaut then went on to hinge his recommendations on a ’strong global climate pact’, which, if you could pull it off, would enable Australia to make “a 25 per cent cut in emissions by 2020, keeping atmospheric carbon concentration to 450 parts per million (ppm)”.

But he wasn’t hopeful of the world agreeing to this ’strong mitigation deal’: If that proved impossible, Professor Garnaut said, he wanted Australia “to push for a deal for global atmospheric carbon concentration of 550 ppm, which means Australia cutting emissions by 10 per cent by 2020″. And, if no climate deal is forged out of the United Nations process, Australia should “cut emissions by 5 per cent”, Professor Garnaut said.

Consumers Will Wear the Cost

Professor Garnaut then went on to tell us that “Consumers will wear the majority of the cost of an emissions trading scheme, paying more for a range of goods and services as businesses pass on the emissions price.” ‘We (the taxpayers)’ cannot be expected to pay, but ‘We (the consumers)’ are going to have to pay for everything anyway.

Rather than have the government (representing the taxpayers) regulate directly and force the polluters to clean up their act, we have to rely on the market (without any involvement of the consumers, except through their ability to pay) to bring about the required changes. The Treasury modelling, released a couple of weeks ago, says consumers will pay about anther $5 per week electricity, and $2 for gas.

So do you feel happy about this. We, the consumers, pay extra. Why is the government not prepared to implement a raft of measures to complement or speed up this process?

Climate Change Solutions?

The Mckinsey Global Institute has published a detailed review of some simple measures that provide high returns, use existing technology and do not cost the consumer more. It is estimated that 50% of global energy demand from now to 2020 can be met from better energy efficiency using existing technology and will pay for themselves.

Examples include energy efficient appliances, heating, cooling, lighting, and transportation. These really simple measures combine savings to consumers and savings to the environment, but the government appears loath to legislate. McKinsey wrote a paper on The Case for Investing on Energy Productivity (Feb 2008).

There are 4 areas that Mckinsey say governments should intervene to give immediate returns:

1. Set energy efficiency standards for appliances and equipment
2. Finance energy upgrades in new buildings and renovations
3. Raise corporate standards for energy efficiencies
4. Invest in energy intermediaries

Maybe these will implemented as part of the Emissions Trading Scheme, or maybe the Government will only do a mediocre job and not act on climate change decisive enough.