Seeking leaders in Business Sustainability

The Association for Sustainability in Business Inc is seeking leaders in sustainable business development to speak at our National Conference in March 2017. To be held at the Hotel Grand Chancellor in Brisbane, the Conference Program will involve presentations by Keynote Speakers in addition to oral presentations, panels and interactive forums. The Association invites thought leaders and commentators to speak by registering at http://conference.sustainability.asn.au/submit-abstract/

Seeking speakers for 2017 National Sustainability in Business Conference

Seeking speakers 2017 National Sustainability in Business Conference

Topics for the 30 minute oral presentations include renewable energy systems and sources; think local first; innovative business opportunities; the energy market; and trends, policies and strategies. Discussion at the conference is broad, including not only innovation in wind power plus solar, wave and tidal energy but also the future challenges and opportunities in the wholesale and supply chain, consumer demand, emerging trends, technologies and research. In addition, the conference will focus on the development of the local economy and community, urban agriculture and buying local as well as incubators, start ups and entrepreneurs that promote and engage sustainable business practice.

Keynote Speakers

Keynote speakers include Professor Stuart White, Director, Institute for Sustainable Futures; Peter Castellas, CEO, Carbon Market Institute; Peta Ellis, CEO, River City Labs; Dr Jennifer Alden, Chair, Bendigo Regional Food Alliance; Dr Paul Bannister, Projects and Advisory Services Director, Energy Action; Parrys Raines, Board Member, Future Business Council and Anne-Marie Birkill, Executive Director, One Ventures.

Industry leaders will also hold a series of Forums focusing on Renewables; Innovation; and Opportunities, Markets and Capital. Specialists within these areas are also invited to speak within the 90 minute forums that conclude with a Q and A from the delegates. Key outcomes derived from the conference will be provided in a report presentation back to attendees.

 

Sydney community solar project: “solar beer”

A City of Sydney-backed community solar project that will put a 30kW PV system on the roof of a craft brewery in the city’s inner west will be opened to local investors this weekend.

The project, which will install 120 solar panels at Young henry’s brewery in Newtown, won $40,000 in funding from the City of Sydney in November. The PV system will supply around 25 per cent of the brewery’s total electricity use, with no up-front capital costs.

Oscar McMahon (l) of Young Henry’s and members of a communtiy solar project pose for a photograph with a solar panel inside the Young Henry’s brewery. (photo by Jamie Williams/City of Sydney)

Oscar McMahon (l) of Young Henry’s and members of a communtiy solar project pose for a photograph with a solar panel inside the Young Henry’s brewery. (photo by Jamie Williams/City of Sydney)

NSW-based community solar group Pingala, which is leading the project, said on Wednesday that it would launch the community investment round at the brewery on Sunday, with 76 share allocations of $250 each up for grabs.

Winning expressions-of-interest will be selected by ballot on the day and winners will need to complete paperwork and transfer the funds within a two-week period.

“We’re really excited by this project,” said Young Henry’s director and co-founder, Oscar McMahon. “Generating solar energy is a really simple way of building on our commitment to low impact brewing and giving back to the community.

For Pingala, the project has significance as the group’s first to be completed – and the first community-funded solar-leasing project in Australia.

Sydney Lord Mayor Clover Moore said the City was “thrilled” to get behind the community-based project.

“Three quarters of our residents live in apartments with limited roof space, often jointly owned by strata, which has restricted the growth of solar – Pingala and Young Henry’s have shown it’s technically and economically feasible for our residents to get on board with community-owned renewables.

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Solar uptake spikes on farm & in rural industry in Tasmania.

Tasmania’s uptake of solar power is up 25 per cent, whilst the nationally solar uptake has fallen by 24 per cent over the same period.

The figures come from the government agency, the Clean Energy Regulator (CER), that documents the issue of solar certificates nationally.

Solar power advocates Solar Citizens said the data revealed the trend reversal.

Solar uptake on Tasmanian farms soars

Solar uptake on Tasmanian farms soars

Consumer campaigner with Solar Citizens, Reece Taylor said in the first five months of this year the uptake of small scale solar in Tasmania had been up by at least 25 per cent and could be higher because of the lag in CER publishing monthly results. could be higher.”

“This year there have been over 1,000 installations of small scale domestic and commercial solar compared with less than 800 at the same time last year.”

He said in Tasmania around one in 10 households had solar energy.

“In Queensland the ratio can be one in three so there is plenty of scope for uptake of small scale solar in Tasmania.”

Mr Taylor attributes the turn around to the recent energy crisis when Basslink was disabled, coupled with an extremely dry year which depleted Hydro’s water reserves.

He said people were concluding that Tasmania was not as well equipped as it should be to deal with energy self sufficiency as it should be.

He said this, on top of increasing power costs, was contributing to the rising interest in going solar.

A major project on Bruny Island involves a rollout of solar systems and battery storage to thousands of homes.

It is hoped that power security will address the power blackouts and reliance on diesel generators which are currently used over peak summer holiday times.

He said renewable energy was cheaper, cleaner and more reliable.

Derwent Valley farmer Michael Parsons runs sheep on his property and has invested in 200 hectares of irrigation for cropping.

He has put in a 40 kilowatt system with 250 panels and runs a 30 kilowatt pump to pull bore water from 150 metres.

“I think we are about $6,000 to $7,000 saved annually by running the irrigation on solar.

Other farmers in the district are also making the solar shift with interest in making savings on the operation of cool rooms, milk vats and irrigation.

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NT Labor proposes 50% renewables by 2030 ahead of election.

The Northern Territory Labor party has promised to adopt a renewable energy target of 50 per cent by 2030, in new policy detail released ahead of the NT’s August 27 election that they are expected to win easily.

The proposed target would put the NT in line with most other Labor state’s and territories in Australia – as well as federal Labor – and puts it ahead of the federal Coalition government, which is aiming for just 23 per cent renewables in 2020, with no target set for beyond that date.

Solar-PV-installation

Giles has also weighed in on the South Australian “energy crisis”, pointing the finger at the Labor governed state’s high penetration of renewables as the main driver of high power prices and using this incorrect assessment of the situation to push his plans for gas power expansion.

In a media statement released on Sunday, the NT’s Labor leader, Michael Gunner, said that his party – if elected – would put in place a long-term plan to combat climate change, including an energy policy that transitions the Territory from fossil fuels to renewables.

As well as adopting the ambitious new renewables target, Gunner said his government would commission a Roadmap to Renewables report, to be delivered next year and establish a dedicated renewables department to advise on the technological, financial and legal requirements to achieve the target.

Gunner also said Labor would provide ongoing R&D funding to support the renewables roll-out, retain government ownership of the Territory’s power and water utilities, and guarantee that any electricity price rises were capped at CPI.

Funding was also promised to boost rooftop solar installation across the Territory ($5m) and to further the development of Alice Springs as “the Centre for Excellence for Solar Energy” ($5m).

And, perhaps in recognition of the situation in South Australia, Gunner also said his government would ensure that the territory’s gas-fired power generation continued “to provide base and peak load power during the transition to renewables.”

As Gunner notes, the current NT government, the CLP has no renewable energy target or policy of note, at this stage.

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Sheep Cutting Solar Farm’s Maintenance Costs

University of Queensland is saving $50,000 a year in mowing costs at its Gatton campus solar farm by using sheep to keep the vegetation down.

In May last year,  the largest solar photovoltaic (PV) research facility in the southern hemisphere was switched on at Gatton. Comprising of more than 37,000 solar panels, the facility covers a fair bit of ground.

The ABC reports that to mow the grounds used to take 4 days – and cost a significant chunk of change.

Ten sheep were bsheep-solar-farmrought in to help cut mowing costs and seem to be enjoying their new digs; a 4.5 hectare section of the facility.

Given the success of the trial, a further 2.5 hectares will be opened up for the sheep.

It’s not uncommon for livestock to mingle with solar panels. We reported in May that goats and sheep will be used at a solar farm in Japan to help maintain electricity generation at the facility. That scenario goes beyond keeping the grass down – it seems vines growing on fences can throw shadows on some of that plant’s panels, reducing their efficiency.

Renewable energy and agriculture can often go hand-in-hand. Just last week, the Climate Council released a report regarding the renewable energy opportunities available to bush battlers through mixed grazing and electricity generation.

And it’s not just solar power stations where this can be done. At some wind farms across Australia, livestock can be seen contentedly chomping on grassy areas among the turbines, unperturbed by the gentle swooshing of the blades. We’re unaware of any reports of cows suffering from Wind Turbine Syndrome.

One things for sure though, there’s nary a cow to be seen grazing among the electricity generation turbines at the coal-fired Hazelwood Power Station in Victoria; nor sheep in the nearby Morwell open cut coal mine.

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