A recent article in the Melbourne paper “The Age” has a man removing part of his solar PV installation off his house!
The reason? His system is too large for the government rebate! He is planning to take the removed panels to the steps of parliament and crush them as a protest to the insanity of solar panels not being taken seriously in Australia.
This echo’s the experience I had when installing a solar hot water system for the Eco-stay. The only government scheme was an interest free loan for part of the system. The amount of effort to apply for the loan and jump through the red tape required was not worth saving the measly amount of interest. Thus I didn’t apply for any rebates for our hot water or Solar PV systems.
Unfortunately it seems it is up to “enthusiasts” to lead the way on renewable energy, however as power blackouts occur more frequently and energy prices rise, maybe more people will see the logic and immediate cash flow advantages of going off grid.
It’s been interesting having guests and visitors to our Eco Stay. Over the weekend we had a couple who are currently in the process of building a house. When quoted with the cost for putting on the electricity they started looking into alternatives. Alas they did not find much help locally and stumbled across our site and thus visited the Eco Stay.
What was great for them is that got to see first hand how the different elements of an Off Grid house operate together. Something that a brochure from a supplier just doesn’t do! They have gone off armed with more questions for their suppliers and a better understanding of what they can do.
This example was the reason I wrote a chapter in an upcoming book called “Would I Follow Me?”, all about accidental leadership. This is being launched this week via a virtual book launch. A live online event by phone or web-cast. Come along and find out more!
One of the biggest challenge with living off the grid is still dealing with the issue of transport. Unless riding a bicycle serves your needs then a combustion engine powered vehicle is pretty much the only choice available today. Being 100% off grid would imply that we could refuel and power our own transport as well. This video from TED has one of the GM executives talking about hydrogen fuel cell powered vehicles and also the intriguing idea of using the “idle” power of parked vehicles to feed into the grid! Very interesting!
One of the great things about generating your own power on site is the lower amount wasted of electrical energy as you are not transmitting it miles over the national grid. Some conservative estimates are that greater than 7% of the energy is lost in transmission!
Off Grid systems are not necessarily perfect either, storage of electrical energy in batteries is also inefficient. However if your energy sources closely match your energy use, your storage requirements are reduced and thus the system can be overall more efficient.
Watch the short video on creating a smarter grid…
A power grid 5% more efficient could equate to taking 50 million cars off the road! Wow!
The opportunity to change the way our countries harness energy is huge.
New Zealand has amazing amounts of renewable resources right on its doorstep.
If the USA can have bold plans to create a new green energy economy there is
no excuse for New Zealand not acting.
Why is it that the majority of “Eco accommodation” seems to be in remote far flung places of the world. Either in a jungle in Costa Rica or a beach on a Pacific island. How come more large hotels are not more environmentally responsible?
It is refreshing to see one of the world’s largest hotel companies announce that it is to participate in the Net-Zero Energy Commercial Building program in the USA. Where estimates of cost savings alone of up to 50% I do wonder why more companies are not embracing the renewable energy and sustainability technology that is available now.
It always amazes me when I have conversations with people who believe Renewable Energy is too expensive or just not viable. New Zealand has so much renewable energy resource I find it almost criminal to not see it being utilised whilst the country relies on fossil fuels. As Dr Louis Arnoux from Indranet points out in his book “Peak oil, climate change & all that jazz”:
“There is no scarcity at all. It is our inefficient infrastructures and
modes of social organisation that create scarcity and high costs.”
There is no lack of energy, only a lake of willingness for people to ask questions and look at the alternatives. What if the solution was shining down on us?
The Repower America Plan, backed by Al Gore and now Barack Obama
is pretty bold. It is great to see such bold plans.
However what can we as individuals do right now? Apart from supporting
organisations promoting large scale change, we can effect a change right
now through our individual choices.
The products we purchase, where & how we travel, or how we modify
our own homes to be more energy efficient or totally self sufficient are all
ways in which we can make a difference.
We are can “vote” for change with every choice and purchase we make.
A joy of living off grid is to read about the spiralling increases in costs of energy and knowing that my power bill will still be the same – zero!
The recent announcement here in New Zealand of a large electricity retailer Genesis Energy planning to hike its prices by 9 percent is great news for renewable resources! Why great news? Just like oil prices going up, electricity prices increasing eventually cause people to look at the alternatives. Or at the very least ask some questions about what alternatives there are!
For some strange reason nearly every renewable energy product or solution advertised has a “payback period” attached to it. Why cars, fridges, flat screen tv’s or airconditioners do not have “payback periods” baffles me. However in this insane world a price hike in retail electiricity just shortened the payback period for a bunch of renewable technology – thank you Genesis Energy!
At some point in our evolution (spiritual, moral, financial, etc.), we must become more responsible, conscious, directed Hu-man beings. We must consciously take direction and control of our lives.
We must consciously watch what we put in our mouths. We must consciously monitor the words that come out of our mouths.
We must consciously watch what we think about and the energy that we put into our thoughts. We must consciously watch the things that we allow to cycle and recycle through our minds.
~ John-Roger
Fulfilling Your Spiritual Promise, p. 1219
"I for one thank you and respect you for being the ones who have indeed done a wonderful, fantastic and creative form of embrasing mother nature & giving due respect to all that was, is and will be."
Why is it that the majority of “Eco accommodation” seems to be in remote far flung places of the world. Either in a jungle in Costa Rica or a beach on a Pacific island. How come more large hotels are not more environmentally responsible?
