Architectural Design Making a Positive Impact on Sustainability in your Liveable City

If you are faced with the question; “Are you part of a liveable city”, would you know how to answer? Many would consider any city that they live in as a liveable city, but what does that really mean? The answer revolves around a few simple words that some of us are well versed with, while others are not. – sustainability, conservation, environmentally friendly, eco-friendly and carbon friendly (to name a few). Creating a more liveable city comes down to several factors, beginning with residential and commercial designs that offer sustainable features. Modern technology is now proving that there are …

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Wood pellets proposed to replace coal used by thermal power stations

A renewable replacement for black coal burned in thermal power stations could be made by converting Tasmanian plantation wood into a pelletised biomass fuel. Private equity firm New Forests has started a $5 million feasibility study into a $130 million wood pellet plant for Tasmania’s Tamar Valley. If approved, New Forests’ hardwood plantation subsidiary, Forico, would supply 100 per cent FSC-certified plantation hardwood and softwood to the bioenergy pellet plant, according to Forico chief executive Bryan Hayes. “These pellets are able to go into an existing power plant without any modifications whatsoever,” Mr Hayes said. “These black pellets will directly …

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Rushing to renewable energy targets puts sector’s reputation at risk

The last time an entire state blacked out was on the night the Beatles arrived in Sydney in 1964. So what happened in South Australia last week was rare and the repercussions could be vast. The key question is whether that state’s heavy reliance on wind turbines might have increased the risk of a state-wide blackout. More broadly, the event will supercharge concerns over how renewable energy is being integrated into a national grid that was not designed to cope with it. Wind presents two problems. First, it is intermittent, so all of it has to be backed up by …

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Pig poo power plant set to boost jobs and energy in northern Victoria

An ambitious plan to turn pig poo and food scraps into power is being developed in northern Victoria. The power plant, glasshouse and piggery expansion, called Waranga Green Energy, will be built at Stanhope, west of Shepparton. For over five years, it has been the dream of piggery owner John Bourke. The project is set to transform the quiet town of Stanhope, providing an additional 30 jobs and estimated $10 million per year for the local economy. The aim of the property is to develop a closed system for power and waste on the farm. Pig poo and straw from …

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