RENEW.ORG.AU Double Glazing

ISSUE 148

Technology for a sustainable future

Time to take Electric vehicle charge? buyers guide inside

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PAGE 83 PAGE 45 DIY double glazing Sustainable transport special Insulate your aluminium windows Ready to go electric? Get the latest on EVs, AU/NZ $9.90 with this guide to easy, renter-friendly e-bikes and long-distance e-transport, plus nine RENEW.ORG.AU double glazing. case studies from those who’ve made the move. Renew Ad Full Page S145 Final.pdf 1 13/09/2018 12:23:39 PM

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JNP001_Renew_FP.indd 1 13/6/19 9:33 pm About us

- Renew - Renew magazine - Sanctuary magazine

Renew is a national, not-for-profit organisation that inspires, enables and We have been publishing Renew: Renew also publishes Sanctuary: advocates for people to live sustainably in their homes and communities. technology for a sustainable future modern green homes magazine Established in 1980, Renew provides expert, independent advice on since 1980. Each issue features which offers inspiration and sustainable solutions for the home to households, government and industry. information, advice and case practical solutions so you can make Renew engages with more than 250,000 people each year around studies on renewable technologies your existing home or new build Australia and beyond. We work with more than 10,000 members in a such as solar and batteries, along more sustainable. network of 14 active branches throughout the country, and have helped with ways to make your home The current issue focuses on thousands of households save money and reduce their environmental more energy or water efficient, and healthy and environmentally footprint with information on energy efficiency, solar power, rainwater your transport more sustainable. sustainable material choices. The tanks, materials reuse and waste. Our community includes attendees at our Renew magazine provides cladding special feature brings you Speed Date a Sustainability Expert, EV Expo and Sustainable House Day practical information for people advice on getting your building skin events, users of our online information and calculators, people contacting who already use sustainable right, including how to consider the our advice service, and our research and advocacy partners. technologies and practices, and entire wall system and select the demonstrates real-life applications right products for your location and Become a member of Renew and gain access to a large support network for those who would like to. climate. The issue also investigates of knowledgeable people to help you achieve your sustainability dreams. Renew magazine is available innovations in composite materials, Your Renew membership provides you with benefits such as our free from newsagents and as part of a and showcases houses where expert advice service, subscription to Renew and Sanctuary magazines and Renew membership. Magazine- traditional materials are being used free access to back issues online. only memberships start at just $34. in new and interesting ways. Advocacy & projects Sanctuary 47 also looks at the Renew has been working closely with ACOSS to bring together a coalition - renew.org.au/renewmag science of airtight construction of more than 60 community and consumer groups to advocate for higher and when mechanical ventilation energy performance standards for new and existing homes. Work is already with heat recovery (MVHR) is beginning on the 2022 update of the National Construction Code, so the next needed and when it isn’t, plus 12 to 18 months will be critical to ensuring we don't miss another opportunity visiting five glorious glasshouses to get substantial improvements to the standards, static since 2010. made from upcycled materials, and investigating why so many A new project is underway to better understand the problems that sustainable designers are drawing excess solar exports can sometimes cause in the electricity grid, in order to inspiration from age-old tent recommend network management strategies that consider the interests of design—perhaps ‘efficient tent’ rooftop solar owners. And our discussion paper on the possible future role of needn’t be an oxymoron after all. hydrogen in our energy mix is out now; you can read a summary on page 16.

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ISSUE 148

Most of the talk and policy discussions about transitioning to post-event survey conducted in partnership with Monash a zero emissions future seem to focus on energy generation. University showed that 69% of attendees were planning to Transport is a sector that often gets lost, despite transport purchase an electric vehicle (car, bike, scooter) within the emissions rising: recently released figures for Australia next 12 months. And across the inner suburbs of our major show total emissions rising by 0.7% in 2018, with transport cities there is a growing number of people swapping the car emissions up by 2.8%. Tackling transport emissions can and making an electric bike their vehicle of choice for the seem a daunting challenge, especially with our capital cities daily commute. groaning at the strain of population growth which pushes Talking about leaders in electric transport—happy 100th Jul—Sep 2019 our city boundaries further out. There are certainly macro issue of Renew to our technical editor Lance Turner. I’ve issues needing investment, such as large-scale transport had the privilege of working with Lance for many years planning, low-emissions transport infrastructure and the and he’s been persistent in his efforts to inform Australian development of local economies so people do not spend households on renewables and energy efficiency. He’s been over an hour every day commuting to work in the CBD. keeping us all up to date on the evolution of electric cars But rather than put it in the too-hard basket, many Renew for the past ten years, and was probably one of the first in members and households across Australia are looking to Tasmania to own an electric ride-on mower! see what they can do in their own homes. Back in March Donna Luckman Thank you Lance. we had over 2500 people visit our Electric Vehicle Expo. A CEO, Renew Support Renew in its

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All rights are reserved. No part of this Publisher: Contributions are welcome; guidelines at renew.org.au/renewmag or magazine may be reproduced without the Renew / Alternative Technology on request. Next editorial copy deadline: 29 July 2019. written permission of the publisher. Association The publishers of Renew take great care in selecting and verifying all material ADVERTISING Editor: that appears in the magazine, but do not Available for products and services relevant to our audience. necessarily share the opinions expressed Robyn Deed We reserve the right to refuse, cancel and withdraw advertising in articles and letters, nor do they accept responsibility for the accuracy of statements Guest editor: at our discretion. We keep a strict wall between advertising and made by contributors and advertisers. Anna Cumming the editorial side of our content. For enquiries, email adverts@ The construction articles presented in this magazine may renew.org.au or call (03) 9631 5412. require the handling of potentially dangerous AC or DC Technical editor: electricity. All wiring involving these voltages should be Next advertising deadlines: Lance Turner carried out according to the instructions given. Extreme care • Booking: 26 August 2019 must be taken to ensure that no contact is made with these Advertising: • Advertising copy: 2 September 2019 voltages. Never work on a circuit when it is connected to the power supply. The publishers of Renew take no responsibility Mohit Gulati for any damage, injury or death resulting from someone working on a project presented in any issue of this magazine. Proofreader: Printed by Ovato using environmental best practice and FSC- Stephen Whately certified stock. Distributed in Australia and New Zealand by Gordon and Gotch. Editorial and production assistance: $9.90 (Aus/NZ) RRP Katy Daily, Kulja Coulston, Calan Stanley, Level 1, 39 Little Collins St Melbourne VIC 3000 Registered for posting by Aust Post: No VBG 4172 Donna Luckman, Kellie Flanagan, Ph. (03) 9639 1500 renew.org.au ISSN 1327-1938 Reg. No.: A0017411T ABN: 57 533 056 318 Jonathan Bills, Jodie Lea Martire

ISSUE 148

Jul – Sep 2019 Renew 148 is something of a milestone for me: my 100th issue. It REGULARS was 25 years ago that I first started working at the ATA, now Renew, on what was then Soft Technology magazine. It was issue 49, and I had a fast 03 – About us learning curve to get up to speed with production systems, which were quite basic—we used to laser print each page on high resolution paper and 08 – Up front send those prints to the printer, who would transfer them to film to make printing plates. It was slow and tedious compared to today's complete 10 – NEM chat digital publishing process.

Lance Turner Over the last 25 years I’ve worked with no less than seven different editors 12 – Products Renew magazine (Claire, Michelle, Michael, Kulja, Donna, Jacinta and Robyn—and a special technical editor shout out to Anna Cumming, acting editor for this issue while Robyn is on 86 – Letters leave). Each editor has brought to Renew their own unique ideas and style. Together we have developed the magazine into the high quality, full colour 88A – Q& publication we have today. 90 – Pears Report When I first started at the ATA, the few electric vehicles that existed had short ranges and lead-acid batteries—not very practical for a reliable 92 – Classifieds vehicle. Grid connected solar energy systems were in their infancy; the typical system was around 1 kW and cost over $10 per watt installed. 94 – Member profile Climate change was also not well understood by the average person, if they had even heard of it. Indeed, the whole sustainability sector was just a baby, and one struggling to survive at that.

So, what’s changed after 100 issues of Renew? Well, we have amazing emission- PAGE 97 free vehicle options now, as you will see in the EV buyers guide on page 45. The renewable energy industry has boomed, and we have much greater awareness of the environmental challenges we face. Indeed, climate change is WIN! now considered a climate emergency, as we examine in our article on page 23. A TCK Solar sponsored Renew was originally a very hands-on publication, with lots of DIY projects Tesla Powerwall 2 valued as renewable energy equipment was expensive or unavailable to buy. at up to $15,000 Nowadays solar and wind power has become mainstream—something I wasn’t sure I would actually see. This has meant fewer DIY projects, Australian and NZ residents only but has given us space to produce a wider range of articles covering all aspects of sustainability and renewables. We look forward to the day when sustainable systems and behaviours are truly the norm, not the exception; once that happens we may not be needed any more, but until then, we will keep pushing towards that ultimate goal of avoiding a climate disaster.

"It's fitting that this, Lance Turner's 100th issue, is focused on sustainable transport—a topic very close to his heart. Lance is always ready to answer questions, big, small or embarrassing; we rely on him for that and so much more, as do our readers." — Robyn Deed, managing editor (Read more tributes to Lance in our member profile on page 94.)

Cover image: Barton Taylor. This Blue Mountains house, designed by Alexander Symes Architect, features a 3 kW solar system and plenty of garage space for an electric vehicle when the time comes. (Read more about the house in Sanctuary 45.) FOLLOW US:

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FEATURES ARTICLES

45 70 16 35 Electric vehicle buyers guide Catching the carpool The hydrogen question Going electric with hydronic - BUYERS GUIDE There's room for a huge reduction Renew's Andrew Reddaway heating in congestion and emissions if we considers the pros and cons of One family's story of a shift from all just shared a little more. hydrogen in our energy system. gas to heat pump hydronic heating, the issues along the way, and the 72 20 results. EV Expo fleet talks Solar-powered building site Is there an electric vehicle in your - CASE STUDIES X 2 It's common to think about solar 40 future? Our guide shows you the Melbourne City Council and powering a building, but what Emissions report: household options, and the features to look for. Australia Post are both seeing great about the building site? Well, it is electricity versus gas results from their EV fleets. possible to run those big tools from Switching from gas to electricity for a battery. heating, hot water and cooking can 57 favour your hip pocket. But which Electric car case studies 74 fuel gives the lowest emissions? - CASE STUDIES X 5 I love to ride my e-bike 23 Five different EVs, five stories: - CASE STUDIES X 2 Don't mention the emergency? Leaf, Ioniq, Tesla X, i-MiEV, and Climate change or climate 83 Australia's first farm ute conversion. emergency? The language we use is DIY double glazing for important. aluminium windows 62 - DIY A winning formula 28 We explore the ecological and cost Solar for an emergency benefits of an efficient, all-electric John Hermans suggests different house with an EV in the garage. ways to think about sizing your solar system to meet the needs of a Two electric bike owners explain climate emergency. 65 why they love them. The carrot and the stick of A simple, renter-friendly way 31 to improve the performance of reducing transport emissions 76 Working with contours aluminium-framed windows. How do we optimise for energy- EVs and the grid efficient transport like walking, cycling and public transport? EV charging can actually help stabilise our grid. But that doesn't mean we don't need to plan for it. 68 Buses from day one 80 - CASE STUDY Long-distance e-transport This new suburb in Canberra has In this dry country garden, water is committed to providing public Trains, planes and buses: an update at a premium. So how does it look transport from the get-go. on where e-transport is at. so good? UP FRONT

Record-breaking Aussie renewables 2018 was a record-breaking year for Australia’s renewable sector. For the first time, more than 20% (in fact, 21%) of our end-use electricity was renewably sourced, which is enough power to run every Australian household. 39 projects were completed to bring 2.3 GW into the grid, and the renewables industry currently provides 20,000 jobs nationwide, often in rural and regional Australia. Hydro power makes up 35%, wind 33%, solar almost 25% and bioenergy around 7%. Over 2 million homes are now solar powered, with an average national installation size of 7.13 kW. Projects worth $24.5 billion are under construction or have financial commitment for 2019, representing over 13,000 jobs. Rooftop solar alone will add 2 GW of capacity Renewables can dominate world and other renewables. The 4½ year study this year, with 480 MW installed in the year’s energy by 2050 predicts that 100% of energy can be supplied first quarter. This puts solar on track to replace According to a report from Energy Watch by renewables, with 69% from solar and 18% New South Wales’ Liddell Power Station when Group (Germany) and LUT University from wind, with overall electricity climbing it goes offline in 2022. Victoria’s solar rebate (Finland), the most efficient way to meet to 150,000 TWh. A total of 63,380 GW of solar has driven a surge in the state’s installations. the Paris climate targets is to electrify global power will be required, compared to the bit.ly/CECCEARCLEAN; greenmarkets.com.au ENERGY AUSTRALIAenergy systems and feed the grid 2019 with solar current global capacity of 500 GW. The team’s modelling shows energy-sector emissions THE CONSTRUCTION BOOM FOR LARGE-SCALE reduced to zero by 2050 and a total of 35 RENEWABLE ENERGY PROJECTS 45 Megawatts million sector jobs worldwide. (PROJECTS UNDER CONSTRUCTION OR FINANCIALLY COMMITTED) $83m These results are similar to those in a new Investment 395 report from the International Renewable Megawatts 170 4941 Jobs Megawatts Energy Agency (IRENA). By increasing electric $945m $10,003m Investment Investment vehicle use and powering heating and cooling 500 4681 with renewable sources, IRENA predicts that Jobs Jobs electricity could provide 86% of global energy 3800 and increase its market share from 20% to Megawatts $4714m 50% by 2050. Energy-related emissions 2260 Investment would thus decline by 70% compared Megawatts 2320 $3119m Jobs to today’s levels, while simultaneously Investment 2310 boosting the global economy by 2.3% and Jobs 3140 Megawatts energy-sector jobs by 0.2% worldwide. The $5034m renewables sector must grow six times faster Investment TOTALS than current rates to meet this demand, and 2894 262 14,841 Megawatts Jobs Megawatts provide 75% of global needs. $580m $ Investment 24.5b Investment bit.ly/EWG_GES; bit.ly/IRENA_GET 358 * As at 15 March 2019 Jobs 13,233 Jobs Big business makes eco changes Image: Clean Energy Council Clean Energy Image: The construction boom for large-scale renewables in 2018 is yielding jobs and contributing to 20% renewable end- Westpac has entered a 10-year power- use electricity.ANNUAL ELECTRICITY RENEWABLE GENERATION WHAT MAKES UP YOUR purchase agreement with Spark GENERATION IN 2018 BY TECHNOLOGY TYPE POWER BILL, 2017-18

8 issue 148 renew magazine renew.org.au

Renewables 21% Hydro 35.2% Poles and wires $605 Fossil fuels 79% Wind 33.5% Generating electricity $536 Small-scale solar PV 19.6% Electricity company costs $162 Bioenergy 7.1% Environmental costs $79 Large-scale solar PV 3.9% Medium-scale solar PV 0.8%

CLEANENERGYCOUNCIL.ORG.AU/CLEANENERGYAUSTRALIA Infrastructure’s Bomen Solar Farm. The 120 MW installation is located 10 km from Wagga Wagga and plans to supply the grid by mid-2020. Westpac has committed to purchase 25% of the farm’s energy output, supplying 45% of its consumption by 2021. By 2025, the bank aims to source the equivalent of 100% of its global electricity consumption from renewables. The agreement with Spark is aligned with Westpac’s recent membership of the RE100, a global initiative of influential companies which have committed to 100% renewable energy. It is led by The Climate Group in partnership with CDP. Rio Tinto has also announced new environmental steps in its April ‘Industry associations and climate change’ document. After selling its last coal assets in August 2018, Rio Tinto says it recognises Paris Agreement targets and considers climate change “a critical global challenge”. The corporation CSIRO’s new housing data portal provides information on new Australian homes using data sourced from NatHERS. will “publicly [argue] against subsidies for coal” and calls on fossil-fuel lobby groups to around 200 m to 300 m above sea level, from With around 12% of carbon emissions conduct all media in relation to renewables, where they can easily spread several hundred currently attributed to households, the data decarbonisation and carbon pricing in a kilometres in the lower troposphere. They gathered in the portal can help progress the technology-neutral way. It committed itself have an immense impact on meteorological COAG Energy Council’s goal of zero energy to “recognise the valuable contribution that systems, affecting cloud formation and rainfall (and carbon) homes in Australia. To date, renewables make in reducing emissions, events. This creates persistent downpours in it shows that while house floor areas are and not undermine the role they have in the areas further from the power station, while growing, so are their Star ratings, especially energy mix”, and said it would reconsider drying up others nearby—pointing to their in Tasmania and the ACT. The data can be its membership in industry associations not influence on drought events. Before Port compared across states and climate zones, aligned with these principles. Augusta’s coal-fired station closed in 2016, and allows variable searching of kind of there100.org; bomensolarfarm.com.au; bit.ly/ researchers were able to show it was the dwelling, floor area, construction materials, RTIAACC source of elevated levels of UFPs in Chinchilla, fixtures and appliances. Dashboards will be Queensland, 1400 km to the north-east. updated monthly. Coal-fired power changes rainfall Another ARA project has begun to ahd.csiro.au; bit.ly/COAGTLEB patterns investigate methane plumes emitted by coal- A 15-year international study has found that seam gas extraction via fracking in south- ultrafine particles (UFPs, smaller than 100 east Queensland and soon in north-west nanometres) emitted from coal-fired power Western Australia. Methane has a large impact stations are changing rainfall patterns up to (causing approximately 25% of human- 1000 km away. The joint research has been induced climate change according to US conducted in Australia, Europe, Mexico, Environmental Defense Fund analysis), and China and Mongolia by Airborne Research over a 100-year period has an impact 34 times Australia (ARA), affiliated with Flinders higher than CO2. In the first 20 years after its University, and Germany’s Karlsruhe Institute release into the atmosphere, methane is 84 of Technology. The team used small aircraft—a times more potent than CO2. motorglider in Australia and winged ‘trike’ airborneresearch.org.au in Germany—that measure dust particles, trace gases, temperature, humidity, wind and Housing data supporting bigger and energy balances. better homes The results show that, despite filtration CSIRO has just announced the launch of an systems, coal-fired stations emit more Australian Housing Data portal, designed to harmful UFPs than urban road traffic track energy efficiency data on new residential worldwide. Although difficult to detect, UFPs buildings. Most of its data is sourced from the have been linked to increased respiratory Nationwide House Energy Rating Scheme issues. Natural events such as bushfires, dust (NatHERS), a federal measurement and storms and volcanic eruptions do emit fine compliance system for energy efficiency. The The particle inlet tube on an underwing pod, used to particles, but these are generally not as small site will support future sustainable housing check ultrafine particle emissions from coal-fired power as the nanometre range. efforts by providing information for decision stations. UFPs are emitted from smoke stacks at making, training and awareness. Image: Professor Jorg Hacker, Flinders University renew.org.au renew magazine issue 148 9 E-waste progress E-waste is any garbage with a plug or battery, and in 2016 it made up 44.7 NEM chat: million tonnes of global rubbish. Only 20% was recycled appropriately—a Corporate PPAs—a new market for wind and solar loss of AU $80 billion in raw materials. Each year, Australians import by Jonathan Prendergast around 9.3 million new mobile phones and 35 million electronic devices (televisions, computers, printers and computer accessories). This Solar and wind projects go through a development phase, when consumption plus our hoard of 25 million old mobiles makes Australians the developer secures the land, performs concept engineering the world’s fourth-highest generators of e-waste per capita. work and seeks planning and network connection approval. Components such as palladium, gold, silver and plastics can be Once a project is ‘shovel ready’, the developer looks to lock in recycled, accounting for up to 90% of a phone, TV or computer. Australia a contractor to build it, a project finance loan and end equity currently has some noteworthy e-waste initiatives such as the National owners of the asset. Television and Computer Recycling Scheme, which has recycled around Solar and wind farms, and all generators, receive revenue 42% of TV and computer waste since 2011. Mobile Muster also collected that varies each week and year, depending on the wholesale and recycled 1.2 million mobiles and batteries in 2018. pool price. Power purchase agreements (PPAs) provide a However, despite these programs and Victoria’s forthcoming ban on steadier revenue stream, making it easier to get a loan to finance e-waste in landfill (from 1 July 2019), Australia’s policies have been slow the project. Signed by the developer and an ‘off-taker’, the PPA and limited. They don’t include small appliances, power tools and PV will include a set rate that the off-taker agrees to pay for every megawatt-hour of generation. panels, for example. In response, a new thinktank called Ewaste Watch Historically, PPAs have been signed with retailers who are launched in April. Together with its research partner, the Institute seeking to build their portfolio of generation assets and meet their for Sustainable Futures at University of Technology Sydney, its aims renewable energy target obligations. However, the past two years include pushing for circular e-waste solutions and training consumers has seen the rise of the corporate PPA, where instead a large energy to stem the e-waste tide with a simple slogan: Buy less, choose well and user becomes the off-taker for a new wind or solar farm. make it last. Ultimately, they want to move from increasing recycling to Signing a PPA can be like owning the solar farm, but without making e-waste more benign. having to develop, finance, build and operate the project. A PPA ewastewatch.com.au; mobilemuster.com.au; sustainability.vic.gov.au/ reduces these risks compared to owning a plant, as the off-taker campaigns/ewaste only pays per megawatt-hour produced. The off-taker agrees to pay a ‘strike price’ for the contract term, typically 10 to 15 years. Carbon limit on your credit card In return, it receives the LGCs (large-scale generation certificates) Doconomy is a Swedish financial-tech company that aims to tackle and varying revenue depending on the wholesale pool price. climate action through daily finances. It is soon to launch the mobile- Some months and years, the wholesale pool price is above banking app DO together with its premium credit card, DO Black. The app the strike price, so the off-taker receives payments from the will be linked to a climate-savings account in association with partner wind or solar farm. Other times, the wholesale pool price is bank Ålandsbanken, although customers can keep their own accounts. lower than the strike price, and the off-taker pays the wind or The credit card will limit purchases to both credit and carbon limits, solar farm. based on carbon emissions linked to the reduced consumption levels Off-takers are driven to enter into a PPA for reasons including required to meet the Paris agreement. The app will track and measure sustainability leadership, hedging their risk and reducing costs. If the CO2 emissions of your purchases using the Åland Index, which tallies a large customer enters into a PPA and the wholesale price goes financial industry, environmental, social and governance data. The app up, they pay higher bills for the electricity for their operations, and card are responses to Sustainable Development Goal 12, which seeks but receive net revenues from their PPA. If the wholesale price reduces, they have to make payments for their PPA, but their to “ensure sustainable consumption and production patterns.” electricity bills reduce. This sees greater balance over time for DO Black is being issued with UNFCCC support. Users can offset their electricity costs, reducing budget volatility. their carbon footprint by contributing to UN-certified projects, and There have already been 35 corporate PPA deals done ‘DO credits’ from allied stores can be channelled into further climate in Australia, by corporates, universities and government ‘compensation’ or investments. The physical card is also a world-first, organisations. These PPAs have bought the equivalent of being bio-sourced and biodegradable, without a magnetic strip, and 1937 MW of capacity, supporting a total of 4830 MW of wind and printed with Air Ink derived from recycled air pollution. The system solar projects so far. See Table 1 for a sample of corporate PPAs in will initially be open to Swedish nationals, with a plan to make it place now. For more, see Facebook group NEM Watch. available globally. doconomy.com; bit.ly/BSP_AI Jonathan Prendergast is the green infrastructure project manager at UTS and technical director of Business Renewables Centre Australia.

Organisation Project State Telstra 68 MW Emerald Solar Farm QLD UTS 32 MW Walgett Solar Farm NSW Bluescope Steel 175 MW Finley Solar Farm NSW Telstra, Melbourne 429 MW Murra Warra Wind VIC Uni, ANZ, Coca Cola, Farm Monash Uni

Table 1. Just a selection of the 35 corporate PPAs now in place in Australia.

Image: Johan Pihl, Doconomy

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12 issue 148 renew magazine renew.org.au * Product listings are not an endorsement by Renew magazine or our publisher of any particular product; they are for reader information only. They are not product reviews and we have not tested the products.

04 05 06

Bluetooth-enabled EVSE Simple solar composter Catch those microfibres

The eNext Home from E-Station is a If you don’t have room in your yard for a real Microplastics are rapidly becoming one of the Bluetooth-enabled wall-mounted EVSE compost heap, you can still install a compact biggest pollution problems on the planet, and (electric vehicle supply equipment) for composter. However, many are quite simple one of the largest sources of those is fibres home users that provides a range of features and can only take a litre or two of scraps a day, from washing synthetic fibre clothes. accessible via an app. and can’t handle meat waste. A number of washing filters have become Bluetooth-related features include remote The Green Cone Solar Composter from available in recent years, including the configuration, access locked to phone, Compost Revolution consists of a compost Filtrol 160 (pictured) and the very similar and proximity charging. The station will basket which is buried in the ground, on top Lint LUV-R. These filters go in-line with your automatically start charging when it detects of which fit two plastic cones. One cone sits washing machine’s outlet hose, catching the the owner’s phone after the car is plugged in— inside the other and forms a narrow chimney bulk of the microfibres as the water passes useful when the unit is located where it may all the way around the cone. As the outer cone through them. be accessible to other drivers. is warmed by the sun, the air between the The Filtrol filter uses a very fine mesh filter The eNext can be programmed for interval cones heats up and rises. This causes air to bag to catch the fibres. This can be cleaned charging to take advantage of cheap tariffs, circulate inside the composter, warming the periodically and the fibres placed in the bin— and there is a remote activation input to compost pile and accelerating composting. better than them ending up in waterways. control charging externally, such as with The Green Cone composter can take up to The Lint LUV-R works like the Filtrol, but a timer. It also features welded contactor four litres of scraps a day, including meat and instead uses a very finely perforated stainless detection for safety protection, and DC even pet poo, so you can compost everything. steel mesh filter, which should be extremely leakage detection can be ordered as an option. It requires no turning of the compost pile as durable. When the filter is clogged, you just The eNext comes in single phase 7 kW worms do all the work below ground. open the filter housing and remove the fibres. and three phase 22 kW versions and can be The basket and inner cone are made from The Filtrol retails for US$139.99 and supplied as socket only or with a tethered 100% recycled plastic, while the outer cone shipping to Australia adds another US$71.20. cable and cable holder. The LED indicator gives is recyclable polyethylene. The composter The LintLUV-R costs CA$140 or $155 with wall charger status and EV charging status, and measures just 600 mm in diameter by mount, and shipping is around AU$60, so it’s the eNext is compatible with BeON sensors 1120 mm high. It is made in Canada and comes the cheaper of the two options. to allow the charger to dynamically adjust the with a one-year warranty. electric vehicle’s consumption according to Price is $199.90 plus $19.90 delivery. Contact: the available on-site solar power generation. Filtrol: Wexco Environmental (USA) RRP is $1490 inc GST and free delivery. Contact: filtrol.net Compost Revolution Contact: [email protected] Lint LUV-R: Environmental Enhancements E-Station, ph: 1300 695 774 compostrevolution.com.au [email protected] [email protected] environmentalenhancements.com e-station.com.au/enext renew.org.au renew magazine issue 148 13 PRODUCTS

07 08 09

Clever mixer taps Minimise in the laundry Long life storage

The problem with mixer taps is that they often Laundry detergents are commonly bulked The home energy storage market has grown get left in the hot position. This wastes hot out with filler—with powders it’s often salt or rapidly in recent years, with many storage water when they are used for short periods, another dry ingredient and with liquids it’s systems to choose from. The SENEC.Home because the water never gets hot at the tap, but mostly water. All this extra bulk requires extra energy storage system is one of the more hot water drawn into the pipes is then left to packaging and fuel to transport it. recent entries into the market. cool down. We have looked at a previous mixer Happi is a certified organic laundry liquid Available in four capacities—2.5, 5, 7.5 tap design which had the centre position as that comes in paper pouches used to refill the and 10 kWh—the SENEC.Home uses high cold-only, but Roca has a new tap range that Happi stainless steel bottle, which provides grade Panasonic lithium-manganese-cobalt- has a slightly different design. a tiny measured dose of detergent for each oxide cells to give up to 12,000 charge- The Roca L20 series mixer taps are wash. discharge cycles. The SENEC.Home is an designed so that the handle only swivels to the Because Happi is a pure concentrate, with ‘all-in-one’ system, including inverter, battery left, for hot water. The centre position is the full no fillers and no water, you need just 2.5 ml management system and battery modules. cold position and the handle does not swivel per wash. This means the 1-litre refill lasts Being modular, you can add extra capacity in to the right at all. Roca calls this their Cold Start for around 400 washes, or a year’s worth of 2.5 kWh modules, up to the 10 kWh maximum. technology system, and it helps to ensure hot washing for the average family. The unit is backup power compatible, so it water is only activated when necessary. This is The Happi refill pack is made from 99% can provide you with power during a blackout. ideal in commercial situations where cleaners paper and each refill eliminates up to 13 Being AC coupled, it can be used with any tend to leave taps in the centre position for plastic detergent bottles. The ingredients in existing grid-connected solar energy system. aesthetic reasons. Happi are all natural and certified organic with Maximum power output is 1250 W There are two styles of mixer—the kitchen no harmful chemicals. continuous for the smallest unit, and 2500 W mixer (pictured) and a basin mixer for If eliminating plastic isn’t enough for you, for the other three sizes. Operating ambient bathrooms. They both have a 4-Star, 7.5 L/ as a part of the Happi Earth Movement, the temperature range is 0 °C to 40 °C and 10% min WELS rating and are made from chrome enterprise has taken ownership of a mangrove to 85% relative humidity. The SENEC.Home plated brass. forest in Myanmar, where they plant measures 530 mm x 406 mm x 1125 mm Prices are $237 for the sink mixer and $135 mangrove trees for each refill purchased. and weighs from 77 to 152 kg depending for the basin mixer. RRP: $111.96 for the starter pack of a refill on capacity. It is made entirely in Germany, and stainless steel dispenser bottle, $99.98 except for the Panasonic cells. Contact: per refill, both including shipping. RRP is POA. Reece Group reece.com.au and roca.com.au Contact: Contact: Happi Earth, [email protected] SENEC happi.earth ph: (08) 6280 1206 [email protected] senec.com.au

14 issue 148 renew magazine renew.org.au 10 11 12

Another way to ditch plastic Natural yoga mats Cutting PC energy use

WA-based Onya has created a range of bags Most yoga mats are made from synthetic We’ve looked at quite a few compact PCs over made from recycled PET plastic (soft drink foams based on fossil fuel products, but there the years, but most either lacked power, were bottles) that can replace single-use plastic are better alternatives. hard to get in Australia or used an external bags when you buy loose food in bulk, such Mahalo yoga mats are made with a power brick, making for messy cabling. as fruit and vegetables, unpackaged bread, combination of sustainable plant materials— The ASUS VivoMini VC65-C1 is a tiny PC grains, legumes and similar bulk foods. jute fibres and natural rubber. They have an that has more power than most people would The range includes bulk food starter kits absorbent, non-slip textured surface to help ever use, while sipping much less electricity (one each of small, medium and large bulk absorb sweat from your hands and feet while than most desktop PCs—it draws just 15 W bags, plus a carry case and tote bag), bread you get your workout. at idle. It is a barebones PC, which means it bags, mesh produce bags, shopping bags, Being made from natural plant materials, comes without storage or memory, but it does even backpacks, all made from recycled soft the mats are biodegradable, recyclable (where come with an i7 8700T six-core, 12-thread drink bottles. facilities exist—we don’t know where this can mobile processor already fitted. All you need Another interesting product aimed be done yet in Australia) and suitable for all to add is a couple of SO-DIMM memory sticks at eliminating plastic cling wrap is their forms of yoga practices. and a hard drive or SSD. Sandwich Wrap, made from recycled PET Cleaning the mat is done with a damp The VC65 has a single M.2 slot for M.2 bottles with a fully food-safe PEVA lining. It cloth dipped in soapy water, then rinse and SSDs but also a pair of 2.5” drive bays, for 2.5” measures 44 cm x 37 cm and stays closed with dry flat in the shade. The mats should not be (laptop size) SSDs or hard drives, so you can fit simple velcro strips. left in direct sunlight, but that goes for most 4 TB of storage (or more) in this tiny machine All of the bags can be washed in the polymer mats as well. The mats have a slight if you really need to. Even better, it has a high washing machine, while the sandwich wrap natural rubber smell to start with, which will efficiency 90 W internal power supply, so no can simply be hand washed. dissipate with time. external power brick. It is also very quiet at Other products include stainless steel We should mention the mats may contain 20 dB at idle and under 35 dB flat out. drink bottles (replacement stoppers are latex, so avoid if you have a latex allergy. Other features include in-built wi-fi and available separately), reusable coffee cups and The mats measure 1830 mm x 610 mm and Bluetooth, a 4-in-one card reader, HDMI, compostable bin liners. are 5 mm thick. They come in five colours— Displayport and VGA video connectors, an purple, blue, black, burgundy and natural— old-time RS232 serial port, six USB 3.1 ports Contact: and are priced at $64 per mat. (one is type C) and gigabit ethernet. Onya Life The VivoMini measures just 198 mm x www.onyalife.com Contact: 196 mm x 50 mm and is priced around $999 Mahalo 4 Life (price varies between stores). [email protected] mahalo4life.com.au Contact: Asus Australia asus.com/au renew.org.au renew magazine issue 148 15 ARTICLE

Hydrogen: help or hype?

Australia’s government is currently developing a strategy for including hydrogen in a future low-carbon energy system. Renew’s energy projects team has looked at where it has potential, and where it doesn’t.

Much is being made of the announcement What is hydrogen? generated energy such as solar and wind, that at the Tokyo Olympic Games next year, Hydrogen is a gas which burns very cleanly, hydrogen is a renewable, emission-free fuel. hydrogen will burn in the Olympic torch and leaving behind only water vapour. It can be Its main downside is inefficiency, because even power the athletes’ village. By some used to generate heat or electricity, including the required conversions waste a lot of the accounts, in the not-too-distant future we’ll for use in transport, with no greenhouse gas original energy in losses. all be using this high-energy, ‘clean’ fuel to emissions. It can act as energy storage and run our cars, heat our homes, cook our food can also be transported, opening the door Renewable energy for transport: and power our electric appliances. But as we for energy export. However, thus far its use hydrogen vs batteries transition to a low-carbon energy system, how for energy purposes has been very limited. A heavily promoted use of hydrogen is for much of this posited ‘hydrogen economy’ is Currently, it is produced from fossil fuels and transportation. In a fuel cell electric vehicle realistic, and how much is hype? used in industries such as metalworking, glass (FCEV), hydrogen from the car’s fuel tank is fed Australian federal and state governments and electronics. into a fuel cell which generates electricity. This are working on a hydrogen strategy document The main barrier to more widespread is then stored temporarily in a small battery to be completed by the end of this year. use has been obtaining the hydrogen— and used to power the car’s electric motor. Renew’s energy projects team has been unlike fossil fuels there are no geological Because of the significant energy losses involved in the roundtable discussions for deposits; instead renewable hydrogen must in the process of creating and supplying the strategy, and has developed a discussion be created by splitting water, a process that hydrogen, an FCEV is much less efficient paper exploring the areas in which hydrogen requires energy. (In fact, more energy must than a battery electric vehicle (BEV) in which for energy has potential, and where it is be expended to create it than the hydrogen renewable electricity is used more directly via better avoided in favour of more efficient contains.) Thus, hydrogen is only a carrier of the car’s larger battery. alternatives. In this article, we take a brief look energy rather than an energy source. Figure 1 illustrates how energy losses at some of the team’s findings. When produced using renewably accumulate for four scenarios all starting with newly generated renewable energy: an energy efficiency from generation to propelling the car of 53% to an impressive 77% for the battery vehicles, and just 15% to 34% for the fuel cell vehicles. Although these numbers include many uncertainties, when comparing the range of results in these four scenarios it’s clear that renewable hydrogen is an inefficient option to propel a vehicle, compared to using renewable electricity via a battery. Figure 2 presents this in a different way, showing how many more solar panels would be required for a daily 30 km commute using hydrogen and an FCEV than using a BEV.

CC BY-SA 3.0 (DE) 3.0 Commons / CC BY-SA M 93 / Wikimedia Image: FCEVs also face a chicken-and-egg Hydrogen can be used for transport, as in this Toyota Mirai, a fuel cell electric vehicle (FCEV). However, due to energy problem; manufacturers won’t export them losses in the process of creating and supplying hydrogen, they are less efficient than battery electric vehicles (BEVs). to Australia until there’s a refuelling network,

16 issue 148 renew magazine renew.org.au but investors won’t build the fuelling stations 100% Electric train (for until they’re confident of business. 90% comparison) The CSIRO is relatively optimistic about 77% 80% the economics of hydrogen for road transport 1. Battery electric (bit.ly/csiro-nhr), but its study considered 70% high efficiency only vehicles powered by fossil fuel rather 60% 53% than batteries, which are the real competitor 2. Battery electric 50% low efficiency for hydrogen vehicles. In a few years a BEV’s running cost will be much lower than a 40% 3. Hydrogen fuel cell petrol car’s. Because of this and the relative 30% high efficiency inefficiencies of FCEVs, we conclude that 34% 20% Petrol car efficiency is typically Australia should not devote resources to a 17% to 21% not including refining etc. 10% 4. Hydrogen fuel cell network of hydrogen refuelling stations. Such low efficiency 15% efforts should instead be devoted to chargers 0% for BEVs. Renewable After grid After creating After filling/ After in-vehicle generation losses hydrogen charging losses Hydrogen in homes and businesses Figure 1. Electric vehicle efficiency. Scenarios modelled: 1. A battery electric vehicle (BEV) is charged at home from Natural gas is widely used in Australian rooftop solar using a well-sized charger. 2. A BEV is fast-charged at night at a shopping centre using electricity homes and businesses for space heating, generated at a remote wind farm as part of a 100% renewable grid. 3. A fuel cell electric vehicle (FCEV) equipped hot water and cooking. It has traditionally with a relatively efficient fuel cell is filled at a station with hydrogen produced with a high-efficiency electrolyser been considered a cheaper and ‘greener’ and compressor. 4. A FCEV equipped with a less-efficient fuel cell is filled at a station with hydrogen produced with option than the electric alternative, but this lower-efficiency electrolyser and compressor. is no longer the case as gas tariffs have risen and efficient electric appliances have been Create developed. As gas becomes increasingly 14 solar hydrogen sourced from coal seams and grid electricity panels FCEV from wind and solar, natural gas will become a liability in the context of reducing emissions. It’s possible to pipe renewable hydrogen to gas appliances instead, but this has many downsides. Existing gas appliances must all be 5 solar replaced, as well as valves, meters and so on. panels BEV Appliances could not be replaced gradually— rather installation must coincide with the gas change-over. We don’t believe this is a realistic Figure 2. Since hydrogen is a relatively inefficient carrier of renewable electricity, it requires more generators to prospect; in addition, CSIRO projections supply it. For example, it would take five solar panels to power a battery electric vehicle (BEV) on a daily 30 km indicate that compared to natural gas, round-trip commute (in Sydney, on an annual average basis). On the other hand, a fuel cell electric vehicle (FCEV) would require 14 panels to generate the hydrogen needed for the same commute: 2.8 times as many as the BEV. This consumer bills would increase with hydrogen. is based on averages of the ‘high’ and ‘low’ scenario efficiencies in Figure 1. We contend that for powering homes and businesses, efficient electric appliances rather than from fossil fuels, to meet Japan’s fuels, our hydrogen exports could displace are a much better option than both fossil commitment to the Paris agreement. Korea those of coal and gas. natural gas and hydrogen. (Although we and China may adopt similar strategies. note that renewable hydrogen gas may In contrast to Japan, the Pilbara region of Producing renewable steel make sense for some large businesses with Western Australia has an enormous, high- Coal is important in traditional steel refining industrial processes in which electricity is no quality renewable energy resource but no processes not only for its heat but also for its substitute.) significant market, as the remote area has carbon, some of which ends up in the steel. no transmission line to Perth, let alone the Unfortunately, emissions are high: iron and Hydrogen as exportable energy eastern states. A massive project, the Asia steel manufacture is responsible for 7% to One area where a hydrogen industry has Renewable Energy Hub, is in early-stage 9% of all direct emissions from fossil fuels. significant potential is as exportable energy. development. It aims to generate electricity One way to produce emission-free steel is For example, Japan is energy-poor and from wind and solar and use it to produce using hydrogen: a pilot plant is currently currently relies almost entirely on imports renewable hydrogen for export. Allowing for under construction in Sweden to test the of fossil fuel and uranium, much of it from cost reductions over the next several years, technology. Australia. It has little suitable land available the developer claims that it will produce “the Since Australia is currently a major to host solar farms or wind farms. Japan’s cheapest power in Asia”. exporter of both iron ore and energy, in a response is a strategy to move toward Australia has a great opportunity to future low-carbon world it would seem logical hydrogen for energy, which states that by develop an industry to export renewable to develop a local industry processing iron 2030 the country will develop supply chains hydrogen (possibly in the form of ammonia, ore into steel, using renewable hydrogen. to import 300,000 tons of hydrogen annually. see box) and meet global demand. We are the This adds value to the raw commodity, The clear intent is to import multi-use world’s largest exporter of fossil natural gas; in saves energy and cost by transporting a hydrogen generated from renewable energy a future where the world stops burning fossil more compact product and reduces energy renew.org.au renew magazine issue 148 17 consumption by our customers, making it easier for them to achieve their own fully Ammonia: hydrogen in disguise renewable energy supply. Shipping hydrogen is very challenging—it must be either pressurised or liquefied, and Inter-seasonal energy storage both options involve heavy energy losses and other practical difficulties. An alternative is As we progress to a future high-renewable to create and transport ammonia. This gas can be produced from renewable hydrogen, grid, energy will need to be stored in large shipped more easily in a standard type of ship much more efficiently than hydrogen, and quantities ready for supply during periods of then converted back or used as a fuel itself. It emits no carbon dioxide when burnt. low generation due to cloudy, calm weather. Figure 3 illustrates two options to supply enough renewable, stored energy to power The Snowy Hydro 2.0 pumped hydro facility one million Japanese homes: an 11.5 km square local solar farm plus a pumped hydro will meet some of this requirement, since it facility, and a 14.7 km square solar farm in the Pilbara providing energy to create hydrogen- can supply as much power as a large coal-fired rich ammonia that is shipped to Japan and burned in a turbine to generate electricity. power station for a whole week. However, this Although efficiency losses mean a larger solar farm is required for the Pilbara option, land asset alone will be insufficient. there is cheap and abundant compared to Japan, and this option is attractive. One option to boost energy storage is to create renewable hydrogen whenever there’s an oversupply of wind and solar generation. Solar farm Pumped It could be stored for long periods (in salt in Japan hydro caverns, or potentially in facilities such as the Iona Underground Storage Facility, a depleted 1 million gas field near Port Campbell, Vic, currently 11.5 km homes used for storing fossil natural gas) and used to generate electricity when required. Solar farm Create ammonia Turbine Supporting renewable microgrids in Pilbara On a smaller scale, hydrogen could displace 1 million diesel as a backup for off-grid communities homes Ammonia transported by ship to Japan supplied by solar and wind. 14.7 km A prime example is the Daintree region in Figure 3. Two options to supply renewable, stored electricity to 1 million Japanese homes. far north Queensland; the federal government has granted nearly $1 m to design and plan a solution for a local electricity grid including a solar farm and hydrogen storage. Such projects have great potential to reduce diesel direct methods are not practical. For example, supplies can be managed by using recycled consumption, and hydrogen’s inefficiency is for road transport we believe resources water and desalination, but this will increase not so important in situations where excess should be devoted to battery electric vehicle hydrogen’s cost over currently published renewable energy is otherwise wasted. chargers rather than to a network of hydrogen estimates. Also, safety issues must be managed refuelling stations for FCEVs. when transporting hydrogen or ammonia. Conclusion Proposals exist to supply hydrogen However, renewably generated hydrogen So, is hydrogen a help or just hype? As with produced from fossil fuels. Such proposals is potentially useful in several niche most things, the answer lies somewhere in have been termed ‘brown hydrogen’ and applications as summarised in Table 1. between, and there are various pitfalls and should be viewed critically for their impact For export to energy-poor countries, issues requiring consideration. on climate change. Most make little sense, as hydrogen’s inefficiency is countered by For a fast transition to a low-carbon energy oil, gas and black coal are easier to handle and Australia’s high-quality renewable resources system, we must make maximum use of transport than hydrogen. A variant is ‘blue and abundance of land. In a low-carbon future, renewable energy such as wind and solar. The hydrogen’, which still uses fossil fuels but adds hydrogen could replace our present fossil fuel most efficient use of renewable electricity is to the unrealistic suggestion of carbon capture exports. To ease shipping challenges, hydrogen employ it directly via transmission lines or via and storage (CCS) to clean up its emissions. may be converted into ammonia. energy storage. If it’s converted into hydrogen, Water consumption is significant: it takes Within Australia, hydrogen may be much of its energy is lost in the process; thus, nine litres of water to produce a kilogram of very useful for inter-seasonal storage as we hydrogen should be used only where more renewable hydrogen. The impact on our water approach a fully renewable electricity grid, and perhaps to supplement solar and wind power for off-grid communities. TABLE 1. POTENTIAL USES OF RENEWABLE HYDROGEN For deeper analysis and references, please Use Notes refer to the discussion paper on our website: Energy exports Yes, e.g. to energy-poor Japan. Possibly in the form of ammonia. renew.org.au/research/hydrogen-help-or-hype Inter-seasonal energy storage Yes. Supplementary supply during cloudy, calm weeks.

Industrial, e.g. producing steel Yes. Longer-term priority. AUTHOR Road transport Only in niche roles. Battery electric vehicles are much more efficient. Andrew Reddaway Main electricity supply No. More direct use of renewable generation is more efficient. Andrew is an Energy Analyst in Renew’s Energy Projects In homes and businesses No. Efficient electric appliances are much more economic. team.

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Built with solar, runs on solar

Designing and building a more sustainable home is fertile ground for innovative ideas. Howard and Libby Elston explain how generators were largely avoided when building three new units.

What happens when everyone is ready to start a sustainable building project, but there’s a delay in getting a temporary connection to the electricity grid? For this suburban project, the solution was to try a bold experiment with a solar-powered off-grid worksite.

Electrical supply delay posed a problem Removing the power pole from the footpath at the front of the Ringwood East property was a significant advantage for site access and future street appeal. However, the catch was the distributor couldn’t say for certain when the new underground cable would be The finished unit 1, built mostly with solar-generated electricity. connected to the grid. Construction was ready to begin on Sustainable Power Systems, the designer of charger is the heart of the design. Inverter the first of three units in our sustainable the site’s electrical systems. The design brief sizing was a compromise between meeting development which we’ve called Green Home was to provide a reliable electrical supply for a site power demands and cost. The 2 kW Build Australia (greenhomebuildaustralia.com). building crew using a variety of power tools. inverter could certainly supply one large user Being unable to organise temporary power (such as the 1.65 kW drop saw), along with threatened to delay the start of the project. The off-grid theory smaller users (such as the cordless battery So our builder David Coates from Gary concluded that, in theory, the shed’s off- charger). An overload capacity of 5175 W (or Sustainable Building and Design began to grid system could be modified to suit the new more correctly, VA, the AC version of watts) investigate alternative power supplies. The purpose. Selecting components which met was expected to cope with the starting obvious solution of using a petrol-powered the site demand without blowing the limited current—motors usually draw more than their generator didn’t fit with the project’s budget was the tricky part. The two largest rated power when starting, called the startup sustainability philosophy. Apart from burning energy users would be the air compressor power. Inverters can often provide a lot more fossil fuel, it didn’t seem fair to the neighbours (1.8 kW) and drop saw (1.65 kW). Other tools than rated power for a short period (this unit to have a generator chugging away all day. included circular saws, grinders and a cordless is rated at over 5000 W for five seconds), David realised that a power system tool battery charging station. which is often all you need to overcome start- designed to be installed at the end of the Choosing the panels was an easy place to up surge when a machine starts up, so you project could provide a solution with a lower start. The number of panels was limited to can often size an inverter smaller than you carbon footprint. We had planned to power four, as that is the most that would fit on the might expect and still have adequate capacity. unit 3’s garden shed by an off-grid system to garden shed roof. Gary chose 335 W Canadian So why not a larger capacity inverter avoid installing a lengthy electrical conduit Solar panels giving a total production of that could meet the startup and continuous run to the back of the property. 1.34 kW. On a sunny day, the panels would operating demands of the two biggest users Could the off-grid system be installed produce most of the electricity required simultaneously? We couldn’t afford to spend at the start of the project and meet the for continuous operation of one of the big the money on a system which would then be power demand of a construction site? David energy-using tools. oversized for its final use in the garden shed discussed the concept with Gary Wilson from An Outback Power FXR2024E inverter– workshop.

20 issue 148 renew magazine renew.org.au Two Narada AGM-Polymer-Gel 200 Ah batteries were added to store excess solar power and fill the gap between panel production and site demand. Since none of the significant energy users operate continuously, the batteries would be replenished when power demand fell. Electricity would be supplied to the site via a standard safety switch and circuit breaker connected to 230 V general purpose outlets (the technical name for the common 10 A power point).

Experiment launched Thus, our builder David and solar installer The drop saw in action, powered by the off-grid system. Gary decided to go ahead with the solar- powered work area experiment. The idea was an issue. For this site, everyone needed to be The experiment goes on a perfect fit with the aim of building a more aware of what others were doing and organise Given the success of building unit 1 with solar sustainable home. Plus there was still no firm the workflow so productivity wasn’t affected. power, there was no question about continuing date on a grid connection. This power demand management soon with the same approach for units 2 and 3. Even For the experiment, Gary took advantage became a habit. though the grid connection has now been of an existing carport and garage near the site There was one day when a generator completed, using solar power eliminates the of unit 1. Putting the panels on the north- appeared on site, but this was due to need to pay for a temporary power supply. facing carport roof and the inverter/batteries extenuating circumstances. In the middle When the garage and carport were in the garage minimised the distance between of winter, David booked a concrete polisher dismantled to make way for unit 2 worksite and power supply. for two days to work on the slab. With its construction, the off-grid system was With a great deal of optimism, the continuous high load, the polisher was simply relocated to the garden shed. After experiment launched in January 2018. expected to go close to the off-grid system construction finishes, it will be perfect for limit. On the first day, cloudy weather meeting the electrical demands of a small A solar-powered worksite is possible prevented any significant battery recharging workshop and rainwater tank pumps. The short answer to the question, “Did it when the polisher wasn’t being used. Next We encourage others to consider this idea work?” is yes. An off-grid system proved to be day’s forecast was for more of the same for house construction. Don’t assume that an a reliable power supply even during the short, weather. Would the limited sunlight recharge electricity grid connection is essential. One cloudy days of a Melbourne winter. the batteries before the polisher started again? way to ensure a sustainable home is built in a Having declared the experiment a success, Would the polisher grind to a halt? more sustainable manner is to take advantage there are a couple of things to keep in mind. David couldn’t take the chance of the of the sunlight shining onto the worksite. A solar-powered site makes everyone acutely system not being up to the task. He hired aware of electricity availability. a generator to avoid a potential delay in AUTHORS: David’s crew knew about the power supply the construction schedule. The generator Libby and Howard Elston constraints but the first few days were a provided electricity when the off-grid system Libby and Howard have been interested in household energy conservation and sustainable living practices for learning experience. Firing up the drop saw couldn’t meet demand on this one day. It’s many years. See greenhomebuildaustralia.com for more when the air compressor was running did unlikely this would be an issue at other on their three sustainable builds. Or head to Sustainable trip the safety switch. On a grid-connected times of the year when days are longer and House Day on 15 September as unit 1 will be opening! site, using the two tools simultaneously isn’t less cloudy.

The solar panels were initially installed on the carport roof for the worksite use, then The garden shed where the solar power system was ultimately installed. moved to their final location on the garden shed roof.

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Untitled-1 16 7/09/2018 3:52:25 PM ARTICLE

Don’t mention the emergency?

Climate change or climate emergency? At a Renew Melbourne branch meeting, clinical psychologist and climate activist Jane Morton explained that the language we use is important.

When clinical psychologist Jane Morton attended a climate talk in 2007, she wasn’t expecting a life-changing experience. But that’s what she got. The graph that got her attention was one showing the extent of the summer Arctic sea ice (Figure 1). “The red line had fallen off the worst-case predictions and was now heading to what looked like an exponential curve.” She found herself on the mailing list of David Spratt and Philip Sutton, who were writing a book called Climate Code Red. “They were saying even then that it was an emergency, and the scale and speed of changes that would be needed were like in a war.” She became a spare-time climate activist in the years that followed, but her focus on values work in her practice as a psychologist guided her decision to make a more wholesale life change. She was using Acceptance and Commitment Therapy, an approach based on Figure 1. This graph shows the extent of Arctic September sea ice modelled for the period 1950 to 2050. The red line accepting difficult feelings while taking action that shows the observations (to 2007) falls below scientists’ predictions, and seems to drop exponentially. guided by your values. So in 2012 she took long Source: NSIDC/The COMET Program. Artist Steven Deyo. service leave and never returned. “I had come to the view by then, that we had ten years to psychology of the climate emergency to date, emergency we’re now facing. Jane wrote act”—those ten years were 2010 to 2020. says Jane, is written by people who don’t a booklet called ‘Don’t mention the understand the urgency. Jane argues that emergency?’ to explain how to do this. The How to convey an emergency message? in an emergency there’s only one form of first step is to say ‘climate emergency’ instead Jane is convinced that the severity of the messaging that has ever been used: tell people of ‘climate change’. The opponents of climate existential threat we’re facing is not widely clearly and honestly about the danger, and tell action know that research shows that people understood: “The message is just not them what to do to get to safety. are less likely to be concerned and less likely reaching the public.” She believes that this “If a fire is approaching your town, imagine to take action when the term ‘climate change’ lack of understanding is partly caused by a a debate in the fire control room: ‘It’s a really is used. Saying ‘global warming’ is better, but combination of the understandable tendency of dangerous fire, but we shouldn’t tell the ‘climate emergency’ is stronger still. A shift scientists to speak cautiously, and the strength public how bad it is because fear doesn’t into emergency mode is unlikely to happen if of the ‘campaign of lies’. However, her particular work.’ You would never hear that.” the language does not shift. interest is in a third problem: the widespread We need to shift the ‘Overton Window’ misconception that the public should not be Telling the scary truth (see Figure 2)—the range of ideas that are seen told the full truth because “fear doesn’t work”. According to Jane, it’s time to tell the as being in the ‘sensible centre’. Opponents Much of the discussion around the truth about the climate and ecological of action have been successful in shifting the renew.org.au renew magazine issue 148 23 public debate by sticking relentlessly to a Declare a climate Climate is always strong message that scientists are lying, that emergency to prevent changing. climate is always changing. According to Jane, human extinction. Chinese hoax. climate campaigners would do better to stick Scientists are lying. to a strong climate emergency message that we are risking human civilisation, and indeed human extinction, rather than joining the climate science deniers in debating whether climate change is real.

Asking the right question Unthinkable Sensible Policy Sensible Unthinkable Jane believes that the wrong question is often being asked. “We still have people going to the Figure 2. The Overton Window shows the range of ideas that the public will accept. In shifting away from ‘sensible’ Labor party and saying, ‘Will you stop Adani?’ and measured language that is more palatable to the general public, towards accepting the unthinkable idea of a climate emergency that risks the viability of human civilisation, we can shift the debate away from climate denial. But what I would ask the Labor Party is, ‘Will you declare a climate emergency?’ It’s partly about the language. If we ask for very little, say is we’ve got to do everything we possibly considered ‘dangerous’, not the 2 °C typically we’ll get very little.” can, as fast as we possibly can. referred to in climate negotiations. Warming And it’s crucial to convey the message with of 3 °C to 5 °C is now considered ‘catastrophic’ stories and imagery rather than numbers. “I Sounding the alarm and a new category has been introduced, personally don’t want to start with anything Jane points out that we are doing damage ‘existential’, which refers to an increase of about 1 degree or 2 degrees. People are moved that we have no idea how to reverse. For 5 °C or more. An ‘existential’ threat is a risk to action by emotion, and less so by the example, the Atlantic Meridional Overturning that human civilisation could end and most numbers,” she says. Circulation, an ocean current that is a key people on earth could die. component of the Earth’s climatic system, The authors of the paper that presents the Forget the numbers—the Earth is too hot has already slowed by 15%, a very dangerous graph in Figure 4 say that to keep the global Start by explaining that the Earth is already situation according to oceanographer and temperature increase to well below 2 °C, or too hot. If you accept that, then it’s clear our climatologist Stefan Rahmstorf (Figure 3). around 1.5 °C, we must pull hard on three remaining carbon budget is zero—indeed it’s The IPCC understates the risks, as ‘levers’ to reduce emissions at emergency clear our carbon budget was used up years explained in David Spratt’s 2018 report speed. We must: ago. Another thing that follows directly is that ‘What Lies Beneath: The Understatement • Reduce carbon emissions to zero quickly we’ve got to stop making the Earth hotter and of Existential Climate Risk’. Hans-Joachim • Reduce short-lived pollutants such as start making it cooler. This means reaching Schellnhuber wrote in the foreword: “Climate methane and hydrofluorocarbons as much zero emissions plus drawing down the excess change is reaching the end game, where very as we can carbon dioxide already in the atmosphere. soon, humanity must choose between taking • Draw down the excess carbon dioxide It also means that from now on all the extra unprecedented action, or accepting that it has already in the atmosphere. carbon dioxide emitted into the atmosphere been left too late and bear the consequences.” If we make slow to moderate reductions, has to come back down at some point. It’s time to sound the alarm. Scientists the risk is catastrophic. If we make slow Jane gets annoyed when she hears people have recently begun talking about new reductions, the risk is existential. say we’ve got 12 years to act. “If you say ‘we’ve risk categories (Figure 4 shows a simplified got 12 years’ to a politician, they think ‘we’ve version of a graph from a paper by scientists Don’t go over the edge got 11 years to do nothing’.” If we accept that from the Committee to Prevent Extreme “We could set off a cascade of tipping points the Earth’s already too hot, all we can sensibly Climate Change). Warming of 1.5 °C is now that’ll take us towards ‘Hothouse Earth’, even

Figure 4. The range of probabilities of global temperature increases by 2100 under different action scenarios, and corresponding risk categories. Dangerous kicks in from Figure 3. A depiction of the global ocean circulation. In the Atlantic Ocean, warm 1.5 °C, catastrophic from 3 °C, existential from 5 °C. water travels north at the surface, while cooler water travels south at depth. Source: A simplified version of a diagram by Ramanathan et. al. (Committee to Prevent Extreme Source: NASA Climate Change) (2017), taken from ‘Don’t mention the emergency?’ by Jane Morton.

24 issue 148 renew magazine renew.org.au if we stay below a 1.5 °C increase, and staying young people’s burden’: “That’s when our clear emergency message things started to at 1.5 °C is going to be tough,” says Jane (see children have got to spend trillions and happen.” Figure 5). “If we work really hard, we can pull trillions of dollars on making machines to Jane says that The Climate Mobilization, ourselves back from the brink of disaster. And draw down carbon dioxide. And by then, a grassroots climate emergency group in if we don’t work really hard, we may go over there are so many feedback loops operating, the United States, had a similar experience the edge.” putting more and more [carbon] into the air, within months of using strong messaging, As she notes, we’re already seeing the that trees and farming can’t fix it.” successfully shifting Democratic Party start of the breakdown of organised human presidential primary candidate Bernie societies in some parts of the world with food From little things, big things grow Sanders to supporting a World War Two and water shortages contributing to conflicts We are so close to being out of time, but scale emergency transition, and persuading and mass migration in vulnerable countries. Jane draws hope from Paul Gilding, author councils—and whole cities, like Los Angeles— “We are all in this together,” Jane says. “If of The Great Disruption. He says that there to declare an emergency. To date, over 500 human civilisation breaks down, there will be are social tipping points, as well as climate councils around the world have declared an no safe place to hide.” tipping points, and you can’t see these tipping emergency. points until afterwards: “You can campaign Moving into emergency mode for years without noticeable impact and then Extinction Rebellion The obstacles to action are not technological everything suddenly changes.” The Extinction Rebellion (XR) is a really but psychological and political. What The school strike is an obvious example exciting development right now, says Jane. is required is a psychological shift into of a social tipping point. Jane remembers a The message is plain: our political system emergency mode. “Imagine you are sitting friend saying, “Come and watch this Greta in is broken—we are risking human extinction around the kitchen table, and then the stove Sweden, she’s amazing!” and wondering why unless we rebel. XR specialises in highly catches fire. Suddenly, everything else is her friend was getting so excited by one kid disruptive but peaceful civil disobedience. forgotten, you focus on that fire until you outside parliament. And then the last school They are a single issue campaign focusing on put it out, or you’ve escaped, or you’ve done strike involved around 1.5 million around the creating sufficient disruption in a major city whatever you can. And that’s the shift we world, all in less than six months. that the government comes to the negotiating need in society.” In Australia, Jane saw things begin to table. In April this year they shut down central Jane believes the mobilisation has to be change in 2016 when Australian activists London for 11 days and the United Kingdom society-wide, “at a speed and scale never started a campaign calling for the declaration government became the first national before seen in peacetime.” There has to be of a climate emergency. The campaign government to declare an environmental and regulation and it has to be fair. It applies to included seeking pledges of support from climate emergency. everyone: “It’s not that the poor suffer and the election candidates. At the council elections XR focuses on confronting and visually rich just keep on doing whatever they like.” later that year in Darebin, in Melbourne’s impactful protests that use shows of inner north, half of the candidates and vulnerability and self-sacrifice, such as The technology to come two-thirds of those elected supported the protesters gluing their hands to windows Jane points out that former NASA climate declaration. “Then, in the very first council or pavements and risking arrest in large scientist James Hansen says that if we move meeting, they went ahead and declared a numbers. One recent example was a ‘blood fast to reach zero emissions, we can then do climate emergency.” Suddenly, after years of of our children’ protest that involved pouring most of the drawdown task using natural hard campaigning, it got easier: “The council large amounts of a non-toxic blood-like methods like reafforestation and regenerative wrote a great emergency plan, they ran an substance on the street. The XR approach is to farming. But if we leave it too late we will emergency conference, they influenced other be disruptive, but respectful. bequeath to those who come after us ‘the councils. As soon as we started using a strong The Extinction Rebellion’s demands are

Figure 5. Glacial-interglacial limit cycle. We are approaching a point of no return. This is the kind of machine that is envisaged will be needed to draw down the We don’t know where the threshold is, but if we do not manage to get emissions carbon dioxide that one house emits over the space of a year. However, these will and biosphere degradation under control, we will enter freefall. cost trillions of dollars to build, and the technology is not currently available at the required scale. And we’re in a race against time. Source: ‘Trajectories of the Earth System in the Anthropocene’, Will Steffen, Hans Schellnhuber, et al (2018), pnas.org/content/115/33/8252 Image: Climeworks renew.org.au renew magazine issue 148 25 that government: declares an ecological and climate emergency and tells members of the public the truth; takes action to reach zero net emissions by 2025; and establishes a citizen’s assembly to oversee the process as part of building a democracy fit for purpose. There are now XR groups in over 30 countries. nla.gov.au/nla.cat-vn6978126

Little numbers for a big impact Erica Chenoweth, a political scientist who has examined most of the big social movements in the last century, found that non-violent movements are much more likely to succeed than violent ones. She says that only 3.5% Jerry DeImage: Gryse, 1983, The Franklin River blockade: Australians are experienced in peaceful, disruptive direct action as advocated by of the population needs to mobilise to bring Extinction Rebellion. about massive social change, or even the fall of a regime. “I found that very encouraging when The Greta factor READING LIST I heard it,” Jane says. Jane says we can’t go better than Greta’s version Jane Morton, ‘Don’t mention the of emergency messaging: “I don’t want you to emergency?’, 2018. Download at climateemergencydeclaration.org/ A rebellion is born hope, I want you to panic. I want you to feel the climatemessaging Roger Hallam was one of the people involved fear I feel every day. I want you to act. I want in starting the Extinction Rebellion in the UK. you to act as you would in a crisis. I want you to David Spratt and Ian Dunlop, ‘What Lies Jane says she felt elated when she heard him act as if the house is on fire—because it is.” Beneath: The Understatement of Existential say that 500 people in jail or 5000 arrested is Climate Risk’, report, 2018. more politically effective than a million on the How do you want to be remembered? David Spratt and Philip Sutton, Climate Code streets—and so much easier to organise! She Ultimately, the question Jane has for us is the Red, 2008. adds: “There are all sorts of changes that on same question she once had to answer: “How the face of it should have been easy—consider do you want to be remembered?” She thinks David Wallace-Wells, ‘The Uninhabitable women’s suffrage, but that didn’t happen until we all want to be remembered for what we Earth’, in New York magazine, 2017. And the respectable women started getting arrested.” did, rather than what we wanted to do but 2019 book The Uninhabitable Earth: Life after never got around to; that, as Albert Einstein Warming, by the same author. The power in asking said, “The world is a dangerous place to live, Naomi Oreskes and Erik M. Conway, So what can we do? Jane has been working not because of the people who are evil, but Merchants of Doubt, 2011. with various groups for years, writing reports, because of the people who don’t do anything Paul Gilding, The Great Disruption, 2011. signing petitions, doing grassroots organising. about it.” But now she says: “It’s time to tell the truth and act as if the truth is real. It’s time to rebel.” ABOUT THE ARTICLE Ask a politician to pledge Getting arrested is not required of everyone This article is by writer and editor Kellie Flanagan based on Jane Morton’s talk at the April 2019 meeting of Renew’s who joins the Extinction Rebellion: for every Melbourne branch. youtu.be/TjIPQ08RBBY Jane suggests one of the most powerful person who wants to get arrested, there are things you can do is to ask a politician to state a hundred who are on the streets but not ABOUT JANE MORTON their support for the declaration of a climate risking arrest, or helping with social media, Jane went into semi-retirement several years ago to work emergency. Ask them: full time on the campaign to declare a climate emergency. fundraising, tech support, or artwork. So she • Do you agree the Earth’s too hot? She is currently helping coordinate outreach and training says: “Stay in the loop—sign up for XR news to for Extinction Rebellion Australia. • Do you agree this means we’ve got zero join the rebellion and at the Cedamia website carbon budget and we have to get to to join the climate emergency declaration RESOURCES zero emissions as fast as we can? councils campaign.” See resources list below. Extinction Rebellion Australia: ausrebellion. • Will you support the declaration of a “If you can persuade just one of your earth climate emergency? Sign here (see below). friends to join the Extinction Rebellion, Australian campaign to declare a climate • May I take a picture for social media? that would be powerful—many times more emergency: climateemergencydeclaration. so than personal actions that reduce your org and www.facebook.com/ own carbon footprint,” Jane says. “And other ClimateEmergencyMobilisation powerful actions are to ring up talkback Climate Emergency Declaration and radio or persuade a politician to support the Mobilisation in Action: www.cedamia.org declaration of a climate emergency.” Based on psychology, she says that “even Council Action in the Climate Emergency: a politician can’t stop their brain reacting to www.caceonline.org your emotion. So one-to-one contact with A discussion of Erica Chenoweth’s research: politicians works.” bit.ly/wnv-nvr

26 issue 148 renew magazine renew.org.au TM

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Solar PV options for tonnes per person per year. As this is an Citipower and Powercor, have 5 kW limits, average, many will be well below this, but and need persuasion to increase to a unified households in a time many are unfortunately well above it. standard of 10 kW. of climate emergency The amount of CO2 released during the Many private dwellings with a 5 kW export generation of one megawatt-hour (MWh) limit also have a 5 kW inverter with only 5 kW Renew reader and contributor John Hermans of energy in Victoria is close to one tonne. of panels or less. In order to export as much argues for a different approach to solar system This accounts for 21% renewables as part of energy as possible, an oversized PV array is sizing given our current climate emergency. the energy mix, with 79% coal- and gas-fired the way to go. With a 10 kW array on a 5 kW generation. This will vary depending on the inverter, no more than 12.5% of generation is It is common practice for sellers of solar state’s percentage of renewables. ‘wasted’ annually due to the 5 kW export limit. systems to ask their potential clients for In Melbourne, a 1 kW PV array may This potentially wasted energy can be reduced a copy of their electricity bill. With this produce up to 1.3 MWh of electricity in one by shifting household loads to when the information, a solar installer can calculate year (depending on orientation, angle and energy is being generated. the size of a PV array and inverter that will shading). To offset one person’s 20 tonnes of Almost all inverters will function with bring your bill close to a net zero annual cost. CO2 by producing 20 MWh of clean electricity an oversized array. The inverter typically For most customers this is their goal; recent in a year, each person needs to install 15 kW takes the power that it needs to produce its articles in Renew have featured households of PV. An average home with four people maximum output. A premium system sizing whose solar systems have not only provided would need 60 kW of PV to offset the carbon arrangement for a 5 kW export-limited site is their home’s power requirements, but also footprint that sustains their lifestyle as they for an 8.2 kW inverter with 10.8 kW of panels. powered a plug-in electric vehicle. enjoy the pleasures of living in Australia. This then allows for solar electricity to be This is undoubtedly a trend to be Rather than looking to see what our home used in the home while the full 5 kW is being encouraged, but it does lead one to think: just electrical energy use is in order to match exported, with enough energy to be diverted how much bigger does a solar system need to it with a PV array, should we be looking into a home battery or electric vehicle in the be in order to provide for all of one person’s further into our energy-consuming lives and future. Such a system would use minimal grid energy usage and emissions? invest in far larger PV systems? Minimising energy. Our CO2 footprint goes way beyond our consumption is clearly the best option, but It is also an option to have a second home and our personal transport. It includes there is an awful lot of consumption on your electricity meter installed. Its minimal everything that you can imagine: roads, behalf that you are not getting a say in! cost will allow for a huge additional export hospitals, logistics, food production, goods It has become clear to me that a privately opportunity. Thus, for people with sufficient manufacturing and all federal, state and local owned PV system can and should be as big roof space, there is more that can be done! [Ed government infrastructure—these are just a as possible, so that your meter’s primary note: Having a second billing meter installed few things that give each of us our current function is for handling energy export. is effectively adding a second grid connection. high quality of life. There are many ways of achieving Rules and processes to achieve this depend Australia is embarrassingly close to the high annual energy export. In Victoria, for on your electricity distributor. A more top of the list for highest CO2 emissions per example, both United and Jemena allow a common way to increase solar headroom is to person on the planet. Several sources suggest grid export limit of 10 kW per single-phase upgrade the connection from single-phase to average per capita emissions of around 20 meter. The other three distributors, Ausnet, three-phase. When exploring these options, watch out for potential higher ongoing supply Average Australian rooftop PV system size (5 kW). 60 kW (185 panels)—the amount of solar Annual energy production: 6.5 MWh required to offset a family of four people (20 charges as well as the up-front installation Annual CO2 offset: 6.5 tonnes tonnes of CO2 per person). cost.] Annual energy production: 80 MWh Annual CO2 offset: 80 tonnes Customers are often told that an inverter will only function correctly with 133% oversizing of the array, but this may not be a requirement of the inverter. The rebate on solar panels (which helps reduce the cost of new system installs) is capped at 133% of the inverter size. You are able to go well beyond the 133%, for good economic and environmental reasons—but check your inverter warranty as it may be tied to an upper limit. Your best interest is a liveable planet. To achieve this, your energy debt needs to be accounted for, so you need to generate a whole lot more than just your house or electric vehicle uses. Your response to a climate emergency needs to be reduced The typical domestic rooftop solar array doesn’t come close to offsetting all the emissions from an average consumption and increased renewable household. Clearly, we have a way to go to reduce the emissions of the typical Australian lifestyle. generation.

28 issue 148 renew magazine renew.org.au

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Working with contours

Sarah Coles speaks to Guildford local Louise Balaz-Brown about gardening in tough conditions, the importance of contours and the miracle of sheep manure.

I’m tucking into a plate of beans on toast persimmon, maple, crabapple, butterfly bush, On contour at the Guildford General Store when a man winter honeysuckles, lilacs, euphorbias, Louise’s mind was on the garden before the in overalls stomps in and says to anyone Jerusalem artichokes, grapevines, lilies, foundations of the house were even laid. “The within earshot, “When’s it gonna rain?”. It’s japonicas, oaks, and the ever-changing foliage first thing we looked at was the water situation. a common question in these parts, but you of the tamarisk. I have come here to find out There was nothing here except a sloping block wouldn’t know it looking at Louise Balaz- how Louise manages to grow an abundant facing north and we knew it was going to be Brown’s garden. garden in an area of low rainfall. important to collect all of the water.” Guildford is a town of approximately The nearest weather station is 8.7 km away Louise’s son Lynden is a farmer and has 350 people on the Loddon River between in Yandoit, where the average annual rainfall studied the water capture techniques of Daylesford and Castlemaine, in Victoria. In is 619.4 mm. Of Guildford’s annual rainfall, permaculture and holistic land management. 2013, Louise bought a bare one-acre block “We’ve only been getting around 250 mm,” Using a total station (a surveying instrument), and, with the help of her son Lynden and Louise says. She goes on to explain that he surveyed the contours of the block and builder Jean Lucchesi, set about building a “Guildford is in a rain shadow between Mt they dug a system of swales. A swale is a ditch passive solar house and garden. Franklin, Mt Tarrengower and Mt Alexander.” and a mound, aligned on a contour line to Standing in the garden, I’m flanked A rain shadow is the dry area on the capture water and direct it to the plants. by Indian bean trees, passionfruit, roses, downwind side of a mountain. During floods, the water level in the swales is banked up high enough to reach the tree trunks. “When we’ve had big rains, the swales have filled up past the trees,” says Louise.

Rainwater harvesting On the rare occasions when it does rain, rainwater is captured from the roof of the house and carport into two water tanks—22,000 L and 16,000 L—with half diverted to a billabong, an unlined pond full of water lilies and frogs. The water level is low at the moment. Around the billabong are Manchurian pear trees, whose roots receive the water that seeps out of the billabong. The garden paths are lined with cardboard and straw, so are also water permeable. The property is still connected to town water, which Louise partially relies on to water the garden in summer. Louise expects that as the shade trees grow larger, water usage will decrease. Louise does not use any

The grape-covered pergola is a feature of the north side of Louise’s house, providing shade in summer and letting irrigation systems, as she prefers to avoid light in during Guildford’s cold winter. The house has a 3.5 kW solar array and utilises thermal mass. “I have a house the use of plastic in the garden: “I water that maintains a constant temperature. It’s an absolute pleasure,” says Louise. everything by hand on an as-needs basis.” renew.org.au renew magazine issue 148 31 Dry-tolerant plants The sunny and exposed areas of the property are planted with drought-resistant plants. Louise is growing a staggering variety of species. There are over 200 trees on the property including poplar, olive, medlar, loquat, feijoa, pomegranate, apple, callistemon, ornamental pear, plum, cedar, chestnut, nashi, walnut, almond, hazelnut, elderberry, maple and elm. Windbreaks are crucial here, where the hot summer winds dry out gardens. Louise has planted olive Olea europaea, sage-leaf butterfly bushBuddleja salviifolia, and Chinese hawthorn Photinia serrulata along the perimeter. “It is all about making sure the garden isn’t getting battered by wind and heat.” The downpipe leading to the billabong has a removable cap. When the billabong is full Louise replaces the cap and all of the rainwater harvested from the roof of the house is diverted to the tanks. Note the presence of lamb’s ears, Slow down and stare , a dry-tolerant perennial. Stachys byzantina Louise’s garden at Guildford is the result of careful planning and observation, the continual addition of organic matter to the soil, and efficient water capture. The results are outstanding. People driving past slow down to stare, and there is a surplus of fruit and vegetables to share.

AUTHOR AND PHOTOGRAPHER: Sarah Coles Sarah is a journalist, editor and community broadcaster.

After purchasing the block in Guildford Louise asked around for a source of free manure. “Someone told me about a sheep farm at Mt Franklin. I just went and asked and that was fine because they like their sheds to be cleaned out.”

The miracle of sheep manure Louise says the whole process can be The other secret to the garden’s success is scaled down for city living. “If you haven’t Louise’s relationship with a local sheep farmer got access to sheep poo, have a worm farm. If at Mt Franklin who lets her collect manure. you’ve got a small backyard, raise guinea pigs The application of manure increases the soil’s for manure.” fertility and moisture-holding capacity. Louise collects a trailer-load of sheep manure at least Mulch once a month, and has done so for the past The soils are clay. Aside from applying sheep seven years. poo, Louise has been improving the soil In the early days of the property, Louise and structure through the application of mulch. Lynden also collected roadkill from the side of She collects leaves from her garden and also the highway. “Every time I went to collect the buys old or damaged hay from farmers that is sheep poo I’d pick up a dead kangaroo. I hate unsuitable for animal feed. “The swales and seeing dead animals on the side of the road. trees are heavily mulched. I’m always putting When Louise was married to a sheep farmer their farm That peach tree has three kangaroos buried more carbon on the garden.” Louise points was devastated by bushfire. Now, in her garden at beneath it,” she says. Louise and Lynden would to a poplar: “The deciduous trees lose their Guildford, Louise harvests Russian garlic for sale at the dig a hole to plant a tree in and then fill it with leaves which I use as mulch. Nothing leaves Guildford General Store and donates all the proceeds roadkill, leaves and sheep poo. the property.” to the CFA.

32 issue 148 renew magazine renew.org.au Swales

DIY swales

A swale is a shallow trench dug along a contour, with a berm (a small hill) on the downhill side. The berm increases the amount of water that can be retained and is often planted out. Swales are commonly used in permaculture gardening as a method of stopping stormwater runoff. Capturing rainwater in the landscape is an efficient way to irrigate and improve soil quality. All of the points along the contour line are exactly the same height. This ensures that a trench dug along the contour slows the water and spreads it across the available area. Slowing rainfall and spreading it out reduces soil erosion and keeps the water on the property where the plants need it. Swales are suitable for backyards too, as long as the swale is specific to the site. For more on swales, including tips Aerial shot of the Guildford property four years after Louise purchased a bare block. Examples of the swales for handling overflow and building (highlighted in blue) are visible as curved lines of plants. Without swales on Louise’s property, the rain would hit the them on a backyard scale, see property and would rush down the slope, forming gullies, and taking precious topsoil with it. goodlifepermaculture.com.au/swale- pathways Image: Very Edible Gardens

There was nothing here except a sloping block... we knew it was going to be important to collect all of the water.

One of the swales filled with water in heavy rain.

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Going electric with hydronic heating

One year after converting from gas to heat pump hydronic heating, Peter Hormann gives us a full account of the upgrades at his family’s Melbourne home and how they are staying comfy and zero carbon.

As an energy conscious family of three, we The Archicentre property report we got exhaust fans and more hidden locations such wanted to upgrade our 1908 Edwardian three- before we purchased the home in 2008 as behind cupboards and around the bath. We bedroom weatherboard home in Melbourne identified some minor structural issues, also serviced the hydronic gas boiler (which to be zero carbon for energy. We’ve achieved but made little reference to building energy had a controller fault) and replaced the air this by upgrading from gas to heat pumps for performance. Once we moved in, we found conditioner with a Daikin multi-head 9 kW our heating and hot water, installing solar PV quite a few such problems. cooling-only unit servicing the living area and buying 100% GreenPower. Here’s what These issues included a lack of insulation (7.1 kW) and three bedrooms (2.5 kW each). we did and what we learnt. on the below-floor hydronic heating pipes, The multi-head outdoor unit fitted in the limited draught sealing—found by listening for footprint of the old outdoor unit and saved us Evaluating efficiency shaking closed doors on cold windy days, then about $2000 compared to four separate split The previous owner had renovated our house using a ‘back of hand’ test to find the source— systems; buying ‘cooling-only’ saved another in the early 1990s. They added a flat-roofed and poor cooling effectiveness from the $500. In retrospect, a reverse-cycle unit would rear extension, wall and ceiling insulation, 20-year-old air conditioner; inefficient to start have been useful for individual room heating, gas hydronic heating, solar hot water with gas with, it had lost much of its refrigerant gas. especially during shoulder seasons. boost and a 7 kW air conditioner. They also We began by replacing the halogen lights We also replaced four windows with removed the old chimneys and fireplaces, with LEDs, keeping the original fittings and double-glazed Miglas wood-aluminium restumped and rewired. And, as befit the times, transformers, and embarked on a spree of windows as the old frames had rotted due to halogen downlights were almost everywhere. draught sealing around windows, doors, hidden roof leaks in the newer rear extension.

Opportunities and challenges With those changes in place, it was time to really address energy efficiency. For us, reducing household operating costs was important, but secondary to doing our part to tackle climate change. A key aim was to convert our gas hot water and heating systems to electric heat pumps, ideally achieving zero carbon emissions for energy. We really like the warmth and comfort of hydronic heating, and also wanted to retain the system’s sunk costs in radiators and copper pipework. Our decision to continue to use hydronic heating was essentially made prior to this when we upgraded the air conditioner to a cooling-only system. However, we were uncertain about the viability of using a heat pump instead of a gas boiler in our hydronic system. Would the existing radiators effectively heat room Peter’s 1908 Edwardian home has all the charm of the era, and now the modern benefits of heat pumps and solar. spaces at the lower operating temperatures renew.org.au renew magazine issue 148 35 Front of house of a heat pump hydronic system (typically 21°C Bedroom 2 55 °C to 60 °C compared to 70 °C for our gas Bedroom 1 Thermostat 1 boiler)? So we conducted a test in the winter (wireless) of 2016: we reduced the gas boiler’s maximum Hallway Bedroom 3 temperature to 55 °C to see whether that would Wireless Tank temperature base station meet our needs. And it did—we found that it Heat pump 1 information Bathroom Study performed quite acceptably, just with a slower response to heating demands. We used ceiling Radiators Temperature fans (turning slowly in reverse) to improve sensor warm air circulation and room heating time. Pump 1 100 L New lines Break in original circuit Another issue was the tight access beside buffer tank Pump 2 our home to remove the old gas boiler and install the heat pumps. Happily, we were Heat pump 2 Radiators able to gain access through our neighbour’s 21°C property; the only other (quite expensive) alternative would have been to temporarily Thermostat 2 remove one of our water tanks. Such issues Living space are not always thought through before deciding on a course of action, but can add a lot to the cost and difficulty! Rear of house One of our biggest challenges turned out to How the hydronic system works: Water in the 100 L buffer tank is heated by two heat pumps, which work together be removing the faulty solar hot water panels to maintain the standing temperature of 55 °C. This water is pumped to the radiators and back to the buffer tank to be and close-coupled tank from the roof, due to reheated. The two zones are separated, both physically and with separate thermostat controls. The zone pumps will the weight, height of installation on a sloping cycle on and off depending on variables such as the thermostat setting and household heat losses. roof and the equipment nearby at ground- level (gas boiler and water tank). Overhead hot water system required help from three space to also connect a solar PV inverter and, street wiring meant the use of a crane was not parties who continue to work together: the in future, an induction stovetop/oven and EV practical. Fortunately, the panels and tank hydronics system professional, a plumber, charging point. could be unbolted into one 130 kg and two and our solar PV installer. Their cooperation 75 kg parts and we were able to carefully slide beyond their commercial areas of interest was --Step 2. Gas hot water system removal and these off the roof and lower them down using invaluable. heat pump hot water installation a complex pulley and rope system tied into Cost including equipment, labour, delivery, the rafters of the house. Managing individual What we did next parts and project management fee $3100 safety, including my own, was paramount! (including the STC rebate). Industry experience (and interest) in --Step 1. Switchboard expansion The plumber contracted to install the hot decommissioning the solar hot water system Cost including labour and parts $3200. water system also committed to remove seemed to be limited; many did not want to We upgraded our switchboard from 16 to 24 the solar hot water panels and tank. With even consider it, or tried and quickly gave up. modules and installed wiring for the three permission from our neighbour, a fence A response of “Why not just leave it up there?” heat pumps (two for the hydronic system and section was temporarily removed and the was common. In the end, removing the solar one for hot water). This provided switchboard plumber installed a Bosch Compress 300 L integrated heat pump and tank with little difficulty. The old gas hot water booster was uninstalled and the solar hot water panels and tanks disconnected. With just the unmounting of the solar hot water system remaining, the plumber promised to return the next day; unfortunately we never saw him again (he moved interstate apparently!).

-- Step 3. Solar PV installation Cost including equipment, labour and parts $10,400 (including the STC rebate). For our solar PV system, we chose Elite Solar Pro based on a neighbour’s recommendation. They installed 27 Trina TallMax 330 W 72-cell panels totalling 8.6 kW, paired with a Fronius Primo 8.2 kW inverter. The panels are installed at a 10-degree incline to maximise the use of the rear The two hydronic heat pumps and the 100 L buffer tank are installed in a steel-framed stand (left) to elevate them flat roof space while avoiding wintertime away from cold air trapped in the narrow sideway. The heat pump hot water system (right) is an all-in-one Bosch unit. overshadowing between the panel rows.

36 issue 148 renew magazine renew.org.au A closer to horizontal panel array also bedroom) and these can have their radiators thermostat. maximises the capture of dispersed solar turned off with doors kept closed. As per our The hot water heat pump is programmed radiation on cloudy days, and has the added testing, we programmed the system to start to maximise use of our solar PV generation bonus of providing roof shading from the hot earlier; the warm-up simply takes longer with during daylight hours. We occasionally need summer sun. A Solar Analytics monitoring less overall system heating power. to override this when there’s been significant device was included, the source of much of As a trial, for winter 2019 we’ve increased evening hot water use such as a long hot bath. the data in this case study. the buffer tank temperature from 55 °C to The hydronic heating heat pumps are 57 °C to see how this affects system warm-up separately programmed both to reduce --Step 4. Gas hydronic boiler removal and time. This may increase energy consumption daytime demand that may peak above heat pump hydronic installation and tank standing losses so we’ll be solar generation and to minimise overnight Cost including equipment, stand, buffer tank, monitoring the results compared to 2018. noise. Two heat pumps working together labour, miscellaneous parts, delivery charges are required when the system needs to lift and project management $14,000. -- Step 5. Insulation of pipework zone temperatures from a lower standby Working with Chris Siddons (whose company Cost including labour and parts $1050. temperature (e.g. 17 °C) to a higher comfort is now HydroSol), we designed a hydronic The sub-floor hydronic copper piping was temperature (e.g. 21 °C). heating solution based on two 5.5 kW heat essentially uninsulated with just a thin pumps (COP 3.26) for a total heating capacity protective green rubber sheath. We used about Results of 11 kW. This was a substantial reduction 100 metres of K-Flex ST lagging tube to insulate from the old 37.8 kW gas boiler, sized to heat the piping connecting the wall-mounted --Generation and consumption the whole (draughty) house with estimated radiators. While it was a difficult and cramped Figure 2 shows our 2018 monthly and daily system losses of around 30%. underfloor effort shared by the plumber and solar generation and consumption. We have To reduce the required heating capacity, me, it was made easier by the pre-splitting and an excess of solar generation in the summer we installed a 100 L buffer tank maintained peel-off sticky seam sealing of the K-Flex tubing. and shoulder seasons, but the opposite in at 55 °C by the heat pumps. This enables a winter. Unfortunately, our heating demand is faster system warm-up when the hydronic -- Step 6. System programming seasonally counter to our solar generation. water circuits are turned on; a larger tank Figure 1 is an example of a typical autumn Based on data from our Solar Analytics might be better, but would mean increased day (13 May 2019). It’s a weekday, so the monitoring, the total solar generation for standing losses. We also split the single large early morning and late afternoon/evening 2018 was 11.2 MWh, of which 2.4 MWh was hydronic circuit into two separate zones, so thermostat programming coincides with consumed on site. The total energy imported the instantaneous heating demand can be when we are active at home versus when we from the grid was 6.6 MWh. For comparison, halved or staggered (one zone is heated, then are sleeping or out and about. Weekends use a our 2016 electricity usage was 2.9 MWh. the other is added). In addition, not all rooms similar program, but if we are home we adjust Our gas consumption in 2016 was 17 MWh need to be heated all the time (e.g. the spare the daytime comfort temperature via the (62 GJ) for gas cooking, hot water and heating.

18 16 Outside air temperature (degrees C) 14

Temperature 12 8 kW Hairdryer 18.4 kWh produced (4.4 kWh(4.4 kWh consumed consumed on onsite) site) Hot-water Heating Heating 27.2 kWh consumed 2.6 kWh hot water 6 kW Refrigerator 4 kW Energy 2 kW

0 kW 12 am 6 am 12 pm 6 pm 12 am 21-degrees 21-degrees THERMOSTATS 17-degrees 17-degrees Living-space 20-degrees 20-degrees 18-degrees 17-degrees Bedrooms

HEATING HEAT-PUMPS #1 57 degrees OFF ON #2 55 degrees ON OFF ON 1x heat-pump OFF overnight to 2x heat-pumps ON 1x heat-pump ON during the daytime to avoid 2x heat-pumps ON minimise noise for morning heating peak consumption above solar-PV generation for evening heating HOT-WATER HEAT-PUMP 55 degrees OFF ON Timer set to maximise daytime hot-water heating, allowing for some evening top-up Figure 1. A typical late autumn weekday’s energy use (top), corresponding to the programming (bottom) of each thermostat and heat pump to match the household daily routine and maximise solar PV energy use and minimise night-time noise. renew.org.au renew magazine issue 148 37 In 2018, our gas consumption was 0.6 MWh 1.5 MWh Produced Consumed Hot water (2.1 GJ) for our gas cooking requirements. 1.0 MWh

Unsurprisingly, our electricity usage 0.5 MWh has increased, but pleasingly our total 0 MWh January February March April May June July August September October November December energy consumption has more than halved; see Figure 3. I’ve included an estimated breakdown of electricity and gas usage into January March May July September November January March May Holiday Holiday heating, cooling, cooking, hot water and other. period period I estimated this by looking at variations in usage over the year, assuming cooling is used Figure 2. 2018 monthly (top) and daily (bottom) consumption and solar generation. Peter’s home is a net exporter over the year, due to high generation in summer, but their heating demand is in winter when generation is lower. from December to March, heating is used through winter and some of autumn and spring, and hot water, cooking and general electricity use is all year round. 25,000

Source Used --Costs 20,000 Our combined electricity and gas energy Cooking (gas) Gas Heating (gas to elec) consumption has more than halved (2016: Electricity imported 15,000 Hot water (gas to elec) 20 MWh down to 2018: 9.6 MWh), but our Solar PV used Cooling (elec) Figure 3. Before and after Solar PV exported energy costs (without the FiT) have remained General (elec) energy usage comparison (in about the same (allowing for increases in energy 10,000 kWh). ‘Source’ shows where tariffs over that time)—2016: $2594, 2018: the energy came from; ‘Used’ shows what it was used for in $2875. This is because of the comparatively low 5000 the house, estimated by Peter cost of gas (7 c/kWh) versus electricity (25 c/ from variations in usage over kWh) in Victoria. Of course, deducting the FiT the seasons. Total energy use credit, our actual bills are lower now—in 2018 by 0 has halved since 2016. $1060 (with a FiT of 11.8 c/kWh). 2016 2018 2016 2018

-5000 --Greenhouse Gas (GHG) emissions Gas is currently rated at about 20% of the emissions of Victorian electricity which is -10,000 predominantly from burning brown coal (0.19 kg-CO2e/kWh vs 1.08 kg-CO2e/kWh, National bit.ly/GVEYHPG, bit.ly/Renew_TH and p. 40.] reduced our energy and maintenance costs Greenhouse Account Factors 2017). If we While one could argue that gas can be and, optimistically, perhaps increased the hadn’t purchased 100% GreenPower and used carbon offset, this is a bandaid solution property’s resale value. our own solar-generated energy, our household to an ever-growing emissions reduction The system upgrade cost just under GHG emissions would have increased by 50% challenge and the offsets could be better used $30,000, with about half ($17,100) for the heat (6.3 to 9.8 tonnes-CO2e) per year, despite more elsewhere in the economy. pump heating and hot water. Gas equivalents than halving our energy consumption. With the use of solar PV and the purchase of and the cheaper labour for a like-for-like swap But note that the factors I’ve used don’t 100% GreenPower and carbon neutral gas, our might have cost about half this, say $8000. But include extraction, generation, fugitive household is technically carbon negative due ongoing maintenance costs should be lower and network distribution losses which to our net energy export—we are displacing the and a like-for-like heat pump replacement would increase total carbon emissions by carbon emissions equivalent of 1.9 t-CO2e of will also be less costly if needed in the future. approximately 10%. [Ed note: In addition, fossil fuel generated electricity. But it should We see the capital investment as small, when there is likely underestimating of gas be noted that, under the rules of the National you consider how much people spend on emissions from network leakage, fracking and Carbon Offset Standard, the sale of our small- kitchen (say $30k) and bathroom (say $15k) other practices; see article on p. 40 for more.] scale technology certificates (STCs) effectively renovations that offer little or no operational Also, a key point of an electric-powered means the carbon offset benefit of our savings, let alone environmental benefits. house is the ability to choose your energy exported solar energy is not ours, but rather Finally, there’s always more to do. We’ll generation source (default grid power or 100% shared with all Victorian electricity users. keep looking for sources of draughts, replace GreenPower) and to generate your own clean, our gas stove/cooker with electric induction green energy. And our national electricity On reflection and, finally, disconnect the gas supply (and generation mix gets greener every year as the Our lived experience shows that it is possible to celebrate!). We’re also planning an electric percentage of renewable generation increases, upgrade a 110-year-old house to be a net energy vehicle with home charging when our current even if you don’t buy 100% GreenPower. generator and zero carbon. We’ve now had hybrid is due for replacement. [Ed note: When going all-electric, emissions more than a year in our largely electric home; reductions are possible even without solar importantly, we are cool in summer and warm AUTHOR: or GreenPower, along with lower costs, if in winter despite the home’s poor thermal mass. Peter Hormann using higher efficiency reverse-cycle air At the same time as making our home Peter is an environment engineer at nbnCo, focusing on the organisation’s energy efficiency, carbon emissions and conditioners for heating as per Renew’s carbon neutral for energy use and helping climate change resilience. reports and case studies; for example, see to green the electricity grid for others, we’ve

38 issue 148 renew magazine renew.org.au FullUntitled-1 Page_275x210mm.pdf 45 1 13/09/20184/06/2018 4:11:23 4:59:37 PM PM ARTICLE

Emissions intensity of household electricity vs gas

Switching from gas to electricity for heating, hot water and cooking can favour your hip pocket. But what about emissions? Rory Anderson presents the latest research by Renew.

Knowing whether electric or gas appliances The study’s methodology The modelling considers state-based are more or less emissions intensive for Modelling emissions in the Australian energy emission estimates, energy consumption and households is complex. In the past, ‘natural’ market is a challenging task. The electricity efficiency of different types of appliances, gas was considered the go-to option for mix in the national electricity market (NEM) local climate, household dwelling type and cooking, water heating and space heating can change at any given time based on usage profiles. 352 scenarios were modelled from both a cost and an environmental demand. Similarly, the natural gas network is and compared. perspective. But with modern, higher interconnected and includes both traditional Attempting a study such as this comes efficiency electric appliances such as reverse- gas fields and coal seam gas (CSG) extractors. with challenges, such as finding a balance cycle air conditioners, heat pump hot water To establish an estimate, a state-based between the need to maintain accuracy and systems and induction cooktops, and with greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions rate was the sheer complexity of modelling emissions greater penetration of renewable energy determined using the National Greenhouse on our energy network. Unfortunately, this in our electricity grid, what is the lowest Gas Accounts Factors as at July 2018; this is meant that assumptions and averaging that emission fuel source for households today? the national reporting device for emissions occur in official reporting of emissions had to Currently, there is limited information for rates across the economy. be carried over to our modelling. consumers on how to reduce their carbon This figure was then applied to modelled For example, there is a considerable footprint from household appliances. In annual energy consumption for heating, question mark over the accuracy of Australia’s response, Renew has undertaken an in- hot water and cooking appliances in 16 officially reported GHG emissions from the depth analysis comparing emissions from different locations in the NEM. The energy gas industry. Indeed, finding a generally space heating, hot water and cooking when consumption data came from Renew’s accepted accurate rate of emissions for gas powered by gas or electricity. The results of previous study on the economics of gas extraction, transport and usage was one of the this new study further strengthen the case for versus electricity for appliance replacement main challenges in this study. home appliance electrification, following on scenarios. For simplicity, this study does not attempt from previous work by Renew looking at the Table 1 shows the appliance types to calculate the GHG emissions of the economics of gas versus electricity. modelled for different household types. household’s entire energy usage. Because it Appliances were selected to provide the focuses on the relative emissions of specific From economics to emissions same level of heating, hot water and cooking appliances, we looked only at the energy In 2018, Renew undertook a detailed analysis performance, whether from gas or electricity. usage of the appliances in question. of the economics of household gas versus For example, a small household using Finally, this research did not attempt electricity use (www.bit.ly/EvsG_report), which gas for heating was modelled as using a to model the impact of rooftop solar on demonstrated that in many cases households wall furnace and one portable unit, except household appliance emissions. For a study would be much better off financially with a in Victoria and the ACT where a ducted such as this, it is more useful to estimate switch to efficient electric appliances when 50 MJ unit was used (as ducted gas heating emissions without the use of rooftop solar, replacing old appliances at the end of their is more common in these places). The same as solar lowers household GHG emissions life, or when building new. household type using electricity for heating independently of appliance usage. This new analysis extends that economic was modelled as using two reverse-cycle air study to consider emissions. It applies conditioners, a 7 kW and a 3 kW unit. The findings the relevant emission factors for gas and In line with the economic report, space The findings generally support the case for electricity in each state to the appliance heating was not modelled for Brisbane due to electrification across all household types in energy loads developed in the economic the low need for mechanical heating and the most locations. This is due in large part to study. low take-up of gas heaters. the emissions savings that can be gained by

40 issue 148 renew magazine renew.org.au using reverse-cycle air conditioners instead 5000 Gas Elec of gas ducted or stand-alone systems for 4000 space heating. Their heat pump technology 3000 will always use energy more efficiently than burning natural gas, and heating volumes 2000 are high enough to make a substantial 1000 Annual emissions (kg CO 2 e) Annual emissions (kg difference in emissions. This was even true 0 for most of Victoria, a state with high space Canb Bega Sydn Armi Dubb Wagg Toow Adel Hob Melb Bair Bend Mild Warr Wodo heating requirements due to climate and Figure 1. The reduction in emissions in medium-sized homes for electric space heating compared to gas is significant high emissions from brown coal electricity in all but one location. generation (Figure 1). Emissions savings from electric water 5000 Gas Elec heaters and cookers were seen in a few 4000 locations, but in most places replacing just 3000 a water heater or cooking appliance with a new electric appliance will deliver marginally 2000 higher emissions than a new gas water heater 1000 Annual emissions (kg CO 2 e) Annual emissions (kg or cooker (Figure 2). Electric water heaters 0 and cookers delivered the best performance Canb Bega Sydn Armi Dubb Wagg Bris Toow Adel Hob Melb Bair Bend Mild Warr Wodo in states with low emissions-intensive Figure 2. Differences in emissions for gas and electric water heating in medium-sized homes. Electric hot water gives electricity generation such as South Australia a small emissions reduction in Adelaide and a significant one in Hobart, but a small or moderate increase in other and Tasmania. However, it should be noted locations. Similar results apply to cooking. that the difficulty of establishing accurate emissions intensity of gas casts doubt over 5000 any marginally better performance for gas Gas Elec 4000 (see also ‘Problems with estimating gas emissions’). 3000 Crucially, in most places (excluding Sydney 2000

and Brisbane, and small or medium homes in 1000

Toowoomba and Mildura), replacing a water CO 2 e) Annual emissions (kg 0 heater or cooker with an efficient electric unit Canb Bega Sydn Armi Dubb Wagg Bris Toow Adel Hob Melb Bair Bend Mild Warr Wodo in conjunction with switching to reverse-cycle Figure 3. When combining electric space heating with any combination of electric water heating and cooking, there air conditioning for space heating will result is a significant reduction in emissions impact in most locations. This graph shows the outcomes for medium-sized in significant emissions savings compared to homes going all-electric for heating, water and cooking compared to the gas alternatives. using equivalent new natural gas units (Figure 3). Any marginally higher emissions from for heating (and cooling) is much lower. This measurement and reporting of GHG electric water heating and cooking appliances highlights the importance of home insulation emissions from the natural gas sector, and are more than offset by the savings that in lowering your carbon footprint. Similarly, emissions are likely higher than those given electric space heating provides. smaller dwellings had lower emissions impact in the National Greenhouse Accounts used in In one of the strongest findings, typical overall, regardless of the appliance mix this research. homes in Adelaide can halve their heating, (Figure 5). This demonstrates that, ultimately, So-called ‘fugitive emissions’ are released cooling, and hot water emissions by using reducing consumption is the best way to into the atmosphere throughout the process electric rather than gas appliances for all reduce your emissions impact. of extraction, processing and distribution of three. In Hobart the savings are more than natural gas. These are not just unintended 70%, reflecting the greenness of the grid. Problems with estimating gas emissions leaks or losses from network infrastructure, For new homes with a 6 Star energy rating, As mentioned above, recent studies have but also intentional releases from equipment the results are more marginal as energy use called into question the accuracy of the such as pressure valves. Natural gas is

Space heating Water heating Cooking

Household Gas (Vic and Gas (other Electric Gas Electric Gas Electric Type ACT) states) Small home Ducted 1 wall furnace 1 x 7 kW, 1 x 3 kW Instantaneous Heat pump Gas oven and cooktop Electric oven (50 MJ burner) 1 portable unit reverse-cycle (150 L tank) induction cooktop Medium home Ducted 1 wall furnace 1 x 7 kW, 2 x 3 kW Instantaneous Heat pump Gas oven and cooktop Electric oven (80 MJ burner) 2 portable units reverse-cycle (270 L tank) induction cooktop

Large home Ducted 1 wall furnace 1 x 7 kW, 3 x 3 kW Gas storage Heat pump Gas oven and cooktop Electric oven (120 MJ burner) 3 portable units reverse-cycle (340 L tank) induction cooktop New large home Ducted Ducted 1 x 7 kW, 2 x 3 kW Gas storage Heat pump Gas oven and cooktop Electric oven (6 Star) (120 MJ burner) (120 MJ burner) reverse-cycle (340 L tank) induction cooktop

Table 1. Appliance types modelled for each of the household types.

renew.org.au renew magazine issue 148 41 6000 primarily comprised of methane, which water, and cooking appliances; natural gas Gas Elec when released into the atmosphere before appliances have no such potential. 5000 combustion is far more potent in terms 4000 of warming than carbon dioxide, which is What it means for consumers 3000 released post-combustion. Switching all appliances to electric rather 2000 1000

A 2013 study into the US natural gas than natural gas will lower emissions in all CO 2 e) Annual emissions (kg 0 industry found that methane emissions locations except Sydney, Brisbane, and small Large home Medium home Small home were underestimated by a factor of around and medium homes in Toowoomba and Figure 4. Emissions are much lower for electric 1.5. As a result, the EPA increased their Mildura, where emissions will rise slightly. appliances in all household types in Tassie—a sign of official estimates of methane emissions However, even in these locations it is likely things to come on a greener national grid. from the upstream oil and gas production that the continued decrease in the emissions sector by 134%. The revision was largely intensity of the electricity grid in the near of appliances. Improving home insulation and due to previously undetected periods of future will lead to some emissions saving over ensuring that new builds have a high energy abnormally high emissions throughout the the lifetime of a new electric appliance; and efficiency rating is also a sure way to reduce supply chain; these were only identified the likelihood that official gas emissions (used your carbon footprint: reducing overall energy with more rigorous testing regimes and new in this study) are underreported may mean consumption is a guaranteed way of lowering measurement techniques such as satellite that the emissions outcome of a switch to emissions. imaging. Australia has seen no such attempt electric is already neutral or slightly positive. to increase measurement accuracy. The For those just switching space heating, Investing in a low-emissions future United Nations has requested that Australia choosing new reverse-cycle air conditioners Renew’s research, along with existing studies improve its methodologies for the purposes for space heating rather than gas appliances and academic literature on household fuel of international reporting requirements. will save significant emissions in most choices, demonstrates a strong case for home locations in the NEM and, as established in electrification. The data from this study shows Future emissions for gas vs electricity Renew’s economic report, most consumers that throughout the NEM, most households Conservative predictions show that GHG would also stand to save money by making would generate fewer GHG emissions when emissions from the electricity generation this switch. heating with efficient reverse-cycle air network in the NEM will decrease in the If just switching water heating and cooking conditioning instead of gas units. Although gas coming years, while emissions from the appliances to electric, the current energy hot water and cooking appliances still produce natural gas industry are unlikely to do so, market will not return lower emissions, lower emissions than their electric equivalents meaning that the emissions savings of electric except for water heating appliances in in most areas, the difference is increasingly appliances will only increase in the future. Adelaide and Hobart. However, in many marginal and, because the emissions intensity Emissions from electricity generation are locations this difference is marginal. of electricity networks will continue to expected to reduce by at least 8% of 2017 Fitting out a new home as all-electric is decrease into the future, households making levels by 2020. This is in the absence of future likely to be emissions-neutral or emission- the switch to electric appliances today are policy measures to reduce emissions at the saving compared to a dual-fuel fitout—if not investing in a low-emissions future. state and federal levels and is therefore a immediately, then in the near future. conservative estimate. Residents of Hobart who wish to lower MORE INFO: The full report will be published on the Renew website in Given the long lifespan of major household their carbon footprint should not be the near future. appliances, choosing to electrify when it connected to natural gas, as clean hydro is time to replace old units will position power in Tasmania makes natural gas AUTHOR: households to take advantage of this future appliances far more emissions-intensive than Rory Anderson trend. It will also enable consumers to electric units (Figure 4). This is a sign of things Rory is a recent Master of Public Policy graduate with a strong interest in climate policy, who conducted this study make the most of existing or future home to come on a greener national grid. as part of his final policy and research project placement generation and storage (such as solar Rooftop solar is another way to decrease at Renew in 2018. Additional work by Dean Lombard and panels and batteries) to power heating, hot emissions in conjunction with electrification Keiran Price, Renew Energy Analysts.

Difference in annual GHG emissions between Difference in annual GHG emissions between all gas and all electric in small homes all gas and all electric in large homes 7000 7000 6000 6000 5000 5000 4000 4000 3000 3000

2000 2 -e emissions p/a 2000 kg CO 2 -e emissions p/a kg 1000 CO kg 1000 0 0

Bega Bega Dubbo Hobart Dubbo Sydney Bendigo Mildura Sydney Hobart Mildura Canberra Armidale Brisbane Adelaide Wodonga Canberra Armidale Brisbane Adelaide Bendigo Wodonga MelbourneBairnsdale MelbourneBairnsdale Toowoomba Wagga Wagga Warrnambool Wagga Wagga Toowoomba Warrnambool Gas Electric Gas Electric

Figure 5: The emissions reduction benefit (compared with gas) of the higher energy efficiency of heat pumps increases with the size of the system and heating needs. Thus the relative and absolute emissions difference between electric and gas appliances increase with dwelling size.

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Ending the ICE age An electric vehicle buyers guide

As the world slowly wakes up to the need to electrify personal transport, the range of electric vehicles is starting to ramp up. Lance Turner looks at how Australia is doing in the move away from fossil fuels, and which EVs you can buy now and in the near future.

Cars have evolved over the last 100 years or so, but one thing hasn’t changed much—they are predominantly powered by internal combustion engines (ICE) that burn fossil fuels. While engine technology has improved, you can’t avoid the fact that ICE vehicles emit CO2 and many other pollutants. They are one of the primary sources of greenhouse gases, with total transport emissions being around 18% of Australia’s total emissions. Electric vehicles (EVs) reduce these emissions considerably and have the potential to eliminate them entirely when run on an increasingly renewable electricity grid.

Why EVs

The world is hurtling towards electrification The Polestar 2 is touted as a Tesla competitor, with similar performance and specifications to a Tesla Model 3, of cars, with many researchers expecting the although expected price will be higher. They are due in Australia in 2020-2021. complete replacement of the world’s private Image: Polestar vehicle fleet with EVs in the next 20 to 30 years. Take, for example, Norway. Because of of 2018, the world market share for plug-in needed in the current climate emergency. In a number of government-backed incentives vehicles was around 2.2%, and this has only almost all cases, EVs produce less greenhouse to buy an EV, more than 50% of all new cars accelerated in 2019. You can check out the gas emissions than their ICE counterparts, in Norway are now sporting a plug. You could world’s progress with EV sales at EV-volumes. even when the electricity that powers consider the ICE market in Norway to be dead com (Australia’s page currently has no data!). them is produced from coal—our regular EV already. In Australia, EV ownership has been writer, Bryce Gaton, analysed this in 2018 for While EV sales in Australia are around constrained by lack of government support Australia’s electricity grid (bit.ly/RenewUEVE), 0.2% of new car sales, in other countries it and lack of available models. When it comes with only one exception in Victoria (if you is somewhat higher. At time of writing, in to models, 2019 may well be the year that buy an EV for all driving but take no other NZ it’s around 1.8%, in the USA it’s around changes, with several new longer range and CO2 reduction measures). But even there, 2.1%, 4.2% in China, and around 2.5% in the more affordable models hitting our shores. using GreenPower or rooftop solar reverses UK. And many other European countries And when it comes to incentives, we have the equation. On top of that, Australia’s grid is are much higher, from 2.6% in Austria to started to see political discussion on this in getting greener every year, which means EVs a huge 59% in Norway, the majority ‘pure’ the most recent federal election—let’s hope are too, while ICE vehicles are approaching battery EVs (around 44% in Q4 of 2018 were this means more EV encouragement is on the the limit of their efficiency already. plug-in hybrid EVs, more on these later)—this way (see ‘EV buying incentives’ for more). But it’s not just about emissions. EVs have means Norway has almost 8% of all cars as The primary advantage of a shift to EVs lower ‘fuelling’ costs (around a quarter to zero emission vehicles. Globally, at the end is lower greenhouse gas emissions, urgently a half of an equivalent ICE vehicle) and are renew.org.au renew magazine issue 148 45 lower maintenance due to fewer moving 2,500,000 2018 parts—which means lower ongoing costs. Plus world share 2.2% there’s the ‘EV grin’—they’re just enjoyable to Other drive, according to many satisfied EV owners, Sweden quiet and with excellent acceleration, and 2,000,000 64% South Korea Canada they have the added convenience of being France able to be charged at home for most trips. Japan Global BEVs UK 1,500,000 Germany So why don’t we all have an EV already? Norway There are many reasons why EVs haven’t 61% become mainstream until recently. The USA primary reason was the lack of travel range 1,000,000 that was generally perceived to be necessary. 46% Other factors include the higher purchase price of EVs (mostly due to battery prices, China 500,000 69% although other factors are at play now, which 55% we discuss later), the lack of public charging Year-on-year growth 66% infrastructure, the inability of vehicles to fast charge and the lack of EV models available. 0 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 With the advent of advanced lithium ion batteries in EVs and the steady building of Global plug-in light vehicle sales (battery electric BEVs and plug-in hybrid electric PHEVs) fast charging infrastructure, most of these Image: EV-volumes.com issues are evaporating. EVs are now some of the best-performing, lowest-maintenance and EVs vs PHEVs extra weight. And a potential issue is that, when most reliable vehicles available, with some Plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEVs) a PHEV is used this way, its batteries undergo offering ranges exceeding 400 km. combine a battery-powered electric engine many more full charge/discharge cycles for The upfront cost of most EVs is still higher with a petrol or diesel-powered internal the kilometres driven compared to a BEV. than their ICE equivalents, but the total cost combustion engine that can also drive the For example, a BEV with a 500 km range will of ownership (TCO) is close to parity with vehicle or extend the range of the electric cycle its battery 200 times to do 100,000 km ICE vehicles due to the lower cost of the 'fuel' system. Most people currently purchase a (best-case scenario), and therefore be about (electricity) per kilometre travelled and the PHEV so they can travel longer distances than 20% through its battery's lifespan after that. To lower maintenance requirements. Indeed, in a pure battery EV (BEV) and use petrol do that in a PHEV with a 50 km range requires Bloomberg New Energy Finance estimates refuelling on these trips. However, both these at least 2000 cycles, approaching the expected the TCO of some EVs in Australia could reasons for purchasing a PHEV are diminishing lifespan of an EV battery. match ICE vehicles as early as 2020 (bit.ly/ as BEVs with longer ranges become available PHEVs can give you the security of having REBNEFEVs). And purchase price parity is and more (and faster) charging stations are backup motive power if you run the battery expected somewhere between 2022 and installed. As an example, charging at 50 kW flat, and can allow you to do long-distance 2025—not that far away! (almost any new BEV can manage this) can travel when needed (albeit mostly on petrol or put in around 200 km of range per hour of diesel power), but buying a BEV with suitable charging, and many BEVs can charge at 100 kW range will allow you to do the same thing. or even 150 kW, which can provide you with more than 200 km of range in 20 minutes. Are hydrogen fuel cells better? There are some disadvantages with While there is a lot of hype about hydrogen- PHEVs to consider. Unlike a BEV which can powered fuel cell electric vehicles (FCEVs), be powered by renewable electricity, PHEVs the reality doesn’t live up to the hype. Fuel invariably use some fossil fuel. PHEVs have cell vehicles are a type of EV, with an electric quite small batteries, with battery-only range motor and a battery (needed because of the usually somewhere between 30 km and 50 km, slow response time of fuel cells to changes in so it's pretty much inevitable that the ICE power demand, and for peak power demands, system will be operating some of the time. although FCEV batteries are smaller than in a Buying a vehicle with ICE componentry BEV). The main difference is in the added fuel means you also have the high maintenance cell system, which consists of high-pressure costs of the ICE drivetrain—it still requires storage tanks for storing hydrogen (the fuel The Ace Cargo is one of a new range of Australian-built regular oil, coolant and filter changes, and has cell’s fuel) and the fuel cell itself, plus ancillary EVs that will start hitting the streets later this year. The an exhaust system and all the other high- equipment including the control system, Cargo will be the first released, initially to commercial buyers, with two other models, the Urban (small car) maintenance components of any ICE vehicle. pumps and the like. and Yewt (yes, a small ute) to follow in 2020 or later. Some people aim to use their PHEVs like a Like a hybrid, the FCEV has two separate Supply will be very limited initially, and assuming BEV, by running it on battery only most of the systems, and like a hybrid, it is more complex manufacturing is successfully ramped up, availability time. But in this case you are paying for the ICE and requires more maintenance than a will improve in the coming years. drivetrain and almost never using it, while still BEV. Also, as 95% of all hydrogen currently Images: Very Creative People/ACE-EV Group. also having to maintain it and lug around its available comes from fossil fuels, FCEVs

46 issue 148 renew magazine renew.org.au are currently fossil-fuel powered. There is a lot of talk about producing hydrogen from renewable energy (generally using electricity for electrolysis of water into hydrogen and oxygen) and then using that in FCEVs, but the efficiency of the hydrogen fuel cell cycle is low; you need three to four times as much electricity as you would if you simply used that electricity in a BEV. For personal transport, fuel cell vehicles don’t make sense, especially given the lack of hydrogen fuelling stations and the large cost of installing them

(in the order of $1 m or more per station, Plugshare.com Images: compared to $100,000–$200,000 for an ultra- According to plugshare.com, in 2016 the EV charging network looked like the map on the left, but as of May 2019 it fast EV charging station). looks like the map on the right. Note that there are many more chargers than shown, as you have to zoom in much The only real advantage that FCEVs have closer for all chargers to appear. Also note that the first new 350 kW fast chargers have been installed—there's even one in Tasmania on the highway between Hobart and Launceston! over BEVs is the speed of refuelling, but as the newer crop of BEVs come online with ultra- fast charging capability, this is less of an issue. blow, turning the large battery into a bunch phase inverter takes the DC from the batteries [See our article on p. 16 for more on hydrogen of smaller, lower voltage ones), a battery and converts it to AC for the motor. and its pros and cons for green energy.] management system to provide safe charging Most EV motors spin rather quickly, and so and discharging of each cell in the pack and, require a simple transmission, usually just a So how does an EV work? for better-designed EVs, an active thermal single fixed gear ratio to reduce the rotational An EV has the same features as any modern management system to keep the cells within speed to something more suitable to drive car, the primary difference being the source of their safe operating temperature ranges. the wheels. The transmission will often drive motive power. In an ICE, fuel is pumped to the Active thermal management (which may the wheels directly via separate driveshafts engine where it's sprayed into each cylinder be as simple as forced air cooling using fans for each wheel. Some EVs have more than and burnt to push down the piston and turn the or a full liquid coolant system) allows the EV one motor, providing motive power for both crankshaft to power the car via a transmission battery to be worked harder, such as for long- front and rear wheels—effectively providing gearbox. Around 20% of the energy contained distance travel where fast charging is required all-wheel drive. in the fuel makes it to the wheels; the rest at each recharge stop. Passive cooling is not Because electric motors are so much becomes noise, vibration and heat. enough to keep a battery cool during DC fast smaller for their power output than internal An EV, on the other hand, is rather simpler. charging, especially in warmer weather, and combustion engines, they can be located You have an electric motor, usually with just can result in the battery becoming too hot directly above the axles. Not all manufacturers one moving part—the rotor—and a battery to maintain fast charging rates, meaning the do this, instead using EV layouts that are pack which powers it. Wall-to-wheel efficiency charger throttles back the charge rate, greatly similar to their ICE layouts, with motor and (from energy out of your power plug to energy extending charging time. controller under the bonnet and battery under used to push the car) is usually over 60% for Fortunately, all of this battery control gear the floor towards the rear. For cars designed to a good quality EV; overall efficiency depends is contained either in the battery casing or be EVs from the ground up, such as the Tesla where the energy is generated, as it could be as a separate module and generally requires vehicles, you will instead find that the motors from remote power stations or from your own no maintenance for the life of the car. The are in a better position inline with the axles, the locally generated solar. only exception is in the case of liquid-cooled battery is under the floor, and the electronics batteries, which may require a scheduled are hidden to not take up usable space. This is --Battery pack check of the cooling fluid. why Teslas can fit a front trunk (albeit a fairly The energy to power an EV is stored in the The battery will have a rated capacity in small one) as well as a rear one, and none of battery pack. In most EVs, this is located in the kilowatt-hours, and this, combined with the the electronics or drive system is visible to the floor. Because the battery is heavy, this lowers aerodynamics of the vehicle, terrain travelled owner—a sign of good design! the centre of gravity of the vehicle, giving a and driver behaviour, will determine the bonus side effect of making EVs more road- range of the vehicle on a full charge. --Charging systems stable than their petrol equivalents. Older EVs had battery packs as small as EVs all have an AC charging socket, which All modern road-going EVs use lithium 12 kWh, but nowadays, 60 kWh or more is may be located on the side, front or rear of the chemistry batteries for maximum range and common, with packs ranging up to 100 kWh vehicle—positioning of the charging socket durability. The battery consists of a number for larger vehicles like the Tesla Model S and varies widely. This socket allows them to be (often into the hundreds or even thousands) Model X. Rated ranges of 400 km or greater plugged into a dedicated EV charge station of individual cells, connected to provide are typical of vehicles with batteries that size. (known as an EVSE, or EV supply equipment, a particular voltage and current capacity Indeed, of the 10 BEVs listed in Table 1, five the technical name for an electrical outlet required for the vehicle. The battery will have rated ranges over 400 km. specifically designed for charging an EV), include safety features like physical barriers whether it be a Mode 3 (called Level 2 in the between rows of cells, electrical safeties such --Motors US) charger for home use or a faster version as fuses between groups of cells (in the case of Virtually all current EVs use an AC motor of Mode 3 for when you are out and about. The physical damage to the battery, the fuses will one form or another. A computerised multi- EV itself has an in-built charger that takes the renew.org.au renew magazine issue 148 47 AC power from the EVSE and converts it to DC --Range, battery capacity and efficiency several methods used to rate range, some to charge the battery pack. We have talked about range, but what does close to realistic, others not. Light vehicles Many EVs also have an additional socket for that mean? When stating range, it generally (including passenger vehicles like cars and DC fast charging (Mode 4, also called Level 3 means how far the car will travel on a full light vans) are rated using the Worldwide charging). For DC fast charging, the internal AC battery charge. Just like an ICE vehicle, many Harmonised Light Vehicle Test Procedure charger is bypassed and the DC charge current factors affect range, including driving style, (WLTP). This is used for all vehicles, not just is fed directly into the battery—but charging is speed of travel (faster means more energy used EVs, and gives a more realistic rating than still controlled to prevent battery damage and per kilometre), terrain, ambient temperature the older NEDC (New European Driving to end charging when the battery is full. (cold batteries can have less capacity), whether Cycle) system, which gave unrealistically Until recently, Australia used two different you use air conditioning or heating (EVs don’t long ranges. When comparing EVs, make sure AC standard EV plugs, but the Type 2 or have waste heat from an engine; they heat you compare apples with apples, and use the Mennekes plug has now been effectively you with a dedicated heater in the cabin) and same range rating system. adopted as the default AC standard (both here, driving mode (many EVs have two or more InsideEVs did some calculations and found as well as in most other markets). There are modes, such as Eco and Sport). that to convert from NEDC to WLPT, you can also two different DC fast charging standards To give you an idea of how far you can divide the NEDC range by around 1.28 to get (CCS2 and CHAdeMO). You can generally use realistically expect to travel, manufacturers the WLPT range. To convert from US EPA range an EVSE with either AC socket if you have the give each vehicle a rated range. There are (considered to be the best range estimate of the correct adaptor lead. EVSE suppliers such as evolutionaustralia.com.au and jetcharge.com.au supply AC adaptor leads, and many EV owners Busting EV myths will have an adaptor or two in the boot, just in Myth—EVs use electricity from coal-fired power stations, so they are dirtier than ICE case the charging station they are trying to use vehicles: In almost all cases this is incorrect. Even with coal-fired power in the mix, EVs are has a different connector. cleaner than ICEs in all states and territories, except for some cases in Victoria, which still DC fast charging adaptors are not available. has brown coal. This issue was addressed in the article "Understanding EV emissions" in This is being addressed by EVSE manufacturers Renew 143. by providing both types of DC charging lead on Myth—EVs don't have enough range: This was true in some cases 10 or so years ago, the one charge station; this is only in the early when EVs were using old battery technology like lead-acid and NiMH, but modern EVs stages of implementation, so you will need to all use lithium batteries, with much higher capacity for their weight. This has given rise seek out a charge station with the appropriate to EVs with ranges up to almost 600 kilometres (Tesla Model S) and the ability to charge DC cable if you plan to DC fast charge. rapidly. Such EVs can be used not only for short-range trips, but long-distance trips as well, Also of importance is a portable charging although they will cost more than a shorter-range EV. However, consider the range you lead (also called a portable charger) in case need: most people overestimate the distances they need to travel in a day—most trips you end up with a low battery and no access are under 30 km, and the majority of cars in Australia are city cars and rarely travel further to an EVSE. The portable system consists of a than the range of even the shortest range modern EV. lead with the correct plug for your EV, a small Myth—EVs are not capable of towing: Towing requires good levels of power and torque, current limited in-line EVSE and a plug at the something most EVs have plenty of. In fact, most EVs have more of both than their ICE other end to fit a standard power point. You equivalents, although, just as with ICE cars, towing requires more energy and will reduce can choose a 10 A, 15 A or even a three-phase the EV's range. To date, the biggest problem has been that EVs haven't been available with plug at the wall end. a tow bar option, but this is changing as manufacturers realise there is a demand for EVs This all sounds rather messy, and indeed with towing capabilities. For a great example of how EVs are suitable for towing, see the it is, but as more EVs come online in Australia case study on p. 60. we hope to see a standardisation of chargers Myth—Battery production is worse than ICE emissions: Embodied energy payback across the country, with more charging applies to all the equipment we buy and of course applies to ICE cars as well as EVs. stations providing more than one type of How long the payback is for either will depend on the generation mix in the country outlet, like they do in the USA. If using the of production and the country where the car is used. In an EV, you're replacing a small car for mostly short trips, simply plugging in lead-acid battery and many ICE engine components with a larger lithium ion battery when you get back home will almost always and a small electric motor. According to a Bloomberg study (bloom.bg/30pBL2Q), an meet your charging needs. Only a long trip EV manufactured and used in a coal-intensive country like Germany would take around will require charging away from home (we 10 years to break even with an efficient ICE regarding total greenhouse emissions from will look at the issue of homes with no option manufacture and operation over that period. In countries with lower CO2 intensive for charging later in the article). generation, such as Norway, which is mostly hydro powered, the payback is much shorter. However, other studies show that even in coal-dominant Poland, an electric EV car specs car would emit 25% less CO2 than a diesel car, according to Transport & Environment So we have convinced you that your next Brussels. Further, things have been moving rapidly in the EV battery world, with most car should be an EV, but what specifications manufacturers improving the manufacturing efficiency and reducing associated emissions and features should you look for? Many by improving battery design, such as by reducing the amount of energy-intensive specifications are similar to ICE vehicles, such materials like cobalt. Battery manufacturers such as NorthVolt AB are also looking to make their batteries in countries with high levels of renewable energy, such as Sweden.As the as dimensions, weight, carrying and towing global grid moves to renewables, the emissions associated with EV manufacture will steadily capacity, luggage volume etc, but some decline—something not possible with fossil fuel powered ICE vehicles. specifications are specific only to EVs.

48 issue 148 renew magazine renew.org.au Large SUVs and utes are just a year or so away. The Rivian R1S (left) and R1T feature quad motor drives, up to over 600 km of range and towing capacity up to 5 tonnes for the R1T.

Images: Rivian. three systems, but only available for cars sold are often similar or a little higher than the converts it to DC for the batteries using its in the USA) to WLPT, multiply the EPA range equivalent ICE vehicle, torque ratings are on-board charger. by 1.12 (see bit.ly/IEVs_RC). often much higher. This is because torque is AC charging rates vary, both in the EVSE What range you choose will depend on basically power/RPM, but unlike ICEs which and the car's ability to accept power. Some your needs. For example, if you are a city must rev hard to reach maximum power, cars are quite limited—for example, you may dweller who rarely ventures out of the big electric motors can produce maximum power, be plugged into a 22 kW three-phase EVSE but smoke, then almost any EV will have enough and hence maximum torque, at zero RPM. your car may charge at a slower rate, depending range for your uses. If you regularly need to This can result in some wild torque figures on its on-board charger. So the car's maximum travel long distances, then you may need and far greater performance than from an AC charging rate is a spec to consider. an EV with greater range and fast charging ICE-powered counterpart. Indeed, the fastest If you are planning on using your EV for capability. accelerating volume production car available long trips, or indeed regularly charging away The specification that most greatly affects is the performance version of the Tesla Model from home, then you may need an EV with range is, of course, the battery capacity. This is S with ‘Ludicrous’ mode, which can reach DC fast charging capability. For example, an given as the energy stored, i.e. kilowatt-hours. 100 km/h from standing in 2.6 seconds—quicker EV with a 60 kWh battery that can charge Short-range EVs generally have batteries than almost every other vehicle currently at 50 kW (a common rate nowadays) will below 40 kWh while longer-range EVs can available (there are one or two million-dollar take around an hour to recharge to 80%. A have batteries up to 100 kWh. In general, the supercars that are slightly quicker)—and this similar vehicle with 100 kW or an even higher larger the battery capacity, the longer the is a 2+ tonne, five-seat luxury sedan, not some recharge rate can be ready to go in half that range, although there can be considerable two-seat hypercar. Such is the performance time or less. If you can get a vehicle with a DC variations, even for vehicles of similar size of electric motors. Of course, most people will fast charging option and it is still within your and mass—for example, a Tesla Model X never need such performance, but it can make budget, then it’s a worthy consideration. will travel 15% to 20% further per watt-hour passing manoeuvres extremely rapid and CCS DC fast charging rates are steadily than a Jaguar iPace, despite the Tesla being a therefore safer—a boon if you do a lot of country increasing, both for the charge station and heavier vehicle. driving and regularly get stuck behind slow- the cars themselves (note that CHAdeMO is An important and related figure is the moving vehicles. limited to a maximum of 50 kW charging). energy use per kilometre. This may be The other interesting thing about driving You can only charge as fast as the rate of either given in watt-hours, such as 150 watt-hours an EV is the responsiveness of the motor. allows—a car with 100 kW capability on a per kilometre (Wh/km, or its equivalent Unlike an ICE vehicle which takes time to 150 kW charger will only charge at 100 kW, 15 kWh/100 km), or as the inverse, such as respond to throttle changes because the and a car with 150 kW capability on a 100 kW 6 km/kWh. These numbers can give you an transmission will often take a second or so charger will also only charge at 100 kW. idea of how efficient the vehicle is and make to drop back a gear, and the engine can take Note that while the maximum charge it apparent that some EVs are more efficient a second to respond to throttle changes—a rate specification for an EV is usually fixed than others. BEV has no such delays. Changes in throttle when manufactured, sometimes this is a limit are instantly delivered by the motor, so the imposed in software rather than the car's --Power, torque, acceleration etc car is much more responsive. Because of their hardware. An example is the Tesla Model Like ICE vehicles, EVs have performance usually copious quantities of available torque, 3. A recent over-the-air update pushed the figures such as acceleration to 100 km/h EVs are usually great at climbing hills too. maximum DC fast charge rate from 150 kW to and top speed, and motor ratings providing 250 kW to allow the cars to charge from Tesla's information on maximum power (in --Charging rate capabilities new V3 Superchargers at the maximum kilowatts) and torque (in newton-metres—the EVs can charge from two sources—AC power 250 kW rate (only Tesla vehicles can use Tesla rotational equivalent of linear force, or the and DC power. When you charge at home Superchargers). So far, only Tesla is improving twisting force around an axis). using a standard wall plug plus portable EVSE charge performance using software updates, What you may notice when looking at or an installed EVSE, you are charging using although we expect other manufacturers will EV motor specs is that, while power ratings AC power. The car draws AC current and catch on soon enough. renew.org.au renew magazine issue 148 49 It should also be noted that manufacturers using the brake pedal (except for very rapid The USA has a simple certification system, can change specifications on a particular model, braking); the regen braking combined with which is more flexible than in other countries. improving charging performance without electronically controlled regular friction So how does Tesla get around this issue in launching a new model or model version. An brakes can bring the car to a complete halt. most countries? The complexities of this issue example of this was the Chevy Volt, where GM This is ideal for stop-start traffic but takes a are too involved to go into here, but there is provided the option of an upgraded 7.2 kW on- little getting used to. In general, the vehicle's an interesting article on this at bit.ly/2VDRBrK. board charger over the standard 3.6 kW charger. regen braking and conventional braking However, when an update improves systems will be combined by the car’s performance of safety systems, certification --Charging sockets, adaptors etc electronic systems to provide a braking effect systems based on old technology (which There are a number of different charging similar to an ICE vehicle. is, let’s face it, what most countries have sockets in use for EVs, and while you shouldn’t based their systems on) can actually hamper let the use of one socket over another change --Connectivity and over-the-air updates safety improvements. It’s time for the world’s your decision about buying a particular EV Most modern cars have some level of legislators to catch up with the 21st century (adaptors are readily available, as mentioned connectivity, whether it just be for syncing your and adapt their certification systems to allow earlier), you just need to be aware of the socket phone to the sound system or GPS for in-built OTA updates. your EV will use and purchase any adaptors navigation systems. Some EV manufacturers What this means though is that most EVs you might need in the future. There’s no point have taken connectivity to an entirely different won’t have OTA updates any time soon, at getting to a charging station and finding you level, the most well-known being Tesla. least in Australia, but if you like having new don’t have the right adaptor! Unlike most other vehicles, even most features and functionality pop up on your car Prior to 2018, the standard plug for AC other EVs, Teslas regularly connect to Tesla’s on a regular basis, then, for the moment, a charging in Australia was the J1772 (also called servers to check for software updates. These Tesla is going to be your only choice. Type 1), but the Mennekes (also called Type updates are downloaded and installed 2) is now the standard. However, there are while the car is inactive (such as when being --Autonomous driving features plenty of Type 1 charge stations around, so charged, although charging is temporarily There has been much discussion in the media at the very least you should have a Type 1 to suspended while the actual update happens), and in technical circles regarding vehicle Type 2 adaptor. often adding new features that weren’t there autonomy—the ability of cars to control For DC fast charging there is CHAdeMO the day before! Tesla has taken this even at least some of the driving themselves. and the newer CCS (combined charging further, improving performance of their Autonomy has been graded into six levels system, which has both AC and DC charging vehicles with a simple update; when the (Level 0 to Level 5), with Level 0 being in the one plug). This is only applicable if your Model 3 came out and its brakes were not no autonomy at all and Level 5 being full proposed EV has DC fast charging capability. performing as well as expected, Tesla fixed it autonomy, where a car can travel on its own However, only the Nissan Leaf uses with an over-the-air (OTA) update. from any location to any other, while doing so CHAdeMO; all other DC charging capable Sadly, not many other manufacturers have safely and obeying all road rules. vehicles in Australia use CCS. This means that, followed this path, but seemingly for good Most manufacturers are considered to by weight of numbers, CHAdeMO DC chargers reason—in most countries, cars are certified be at Level 2, with vehicles being able to do in Australia are going to be less common than with a particular level of performance of all some things, such as stay in their lane, brake CCS ones. Choosing a CHAdeMO equipped systems. Updates change those specifications, automatically in an emergency, or even car may be a problem in a few years regarding potentially making the car no longer meet its change lanes when directed by the driver. availability of CHAdeMO DC fast chargers. certification. Sure, it may perform better, but There are currently no Level 3, 4 or 5 vehicles it technically still needs to be re-certified. available to consumers and regulations in --Regenerative braking This refers to the ability of the vehicle to use the motor as a generator when slowing down or travelling downhill. This allows you to recover some of the car’s momentum as energy to recharge the batteries a little. The energy recovered from the vehicle’s momentum can vary greatly, from as low as 16% to up to 70%, depending on driving style, motor efficiency etc ('Analysis of the Regenerative Braking Efficiency of a Latest Electric Vehicle', Alberto Boretti, RMIT, 2013). All modern EVs have regenerative braking (often called regen), but the level of regen available can vary. Some cars have it fixed in each mode, while others let you select the level, which determines how aggressive the braking effect is—from a gentle slowing as you coast, to a strong braking effect. The Hyundai Kona EV is already in high demand globally, with long waiting lists in some countries. Some cars have regen braking designed to let you drive in ‘one-pedal mode’, without Image: Hyundai

50 issue 148 renew magazine renew.org.au Australia don't allow these as yet; although • governments setting goals for EV uptake in far you drive each year. Tesla's Elon Musk states that their cars will be their fleets But what about battery replacement costs? Level 5 autonomous in the near future. • greater education of the public on the In most cases, a modern EV's battery will last For most users, vehicle autonomy advantages of EVs, especially regarding the normal life of an ICE engine (before the certainly isn’t something to prioritise over reduced emissions ICE would need an engine overhaul, which other features at this stage. • reduction or elimination of the 33% luxury is generally 250,000 km or so, depending on car tax. how they are used—city cars can last less than How much does an EV cost? Unfortunately, in the three years since the this, country cars longer). We have already As with any new technology that hasn’t yet report was released, little movement has been seen Teslas with 300,000 km or more still on become mainstream, EVs are considerably made in this area. their original battery, and battery lifespan is more expensive to purchase than the only going to improve. Some older model EVs equivalent ICE. As can be seen from the --Running costs with smaller batteries or batteries without accompanying tables, there are no new electric A typical modern ICE vehicle will realistically active thermal management may need new cars in Australia for much under $50,000, get around 10 km per litre of fuel. That means batteries sooner. But if you are looking at a new except for the Ace range of vehicles (when they a driving fuel cost of around 15 cents per EV now, you should get the life of an ICE out become available). Even if you opt for a plug-in kilometre at current prices. of the battery, and after that you could replace hybrid, the cheapest available is the Ioniq for Typical EV energy consumption can the battery and get another 300,000 km around $45,250 or the Outlander for $46,000. vary from as low as 115 Wh/km for a small, or more without needing to do anything This higher cost is due to a number of aerodynamic EV, through to 240 Wh/km further other than normal maintenance—you factors, including high demand and low or more for a large SUV style machine. If shouldn't need to replace the whole car. Most production rates, the cost of batteries we assume a mid-range consumption of EV manufacturers are so sure of their battery (although this has dropped considerably in 160 Wh/km, then at 30 cents per kWh, that’s lifespan they are giving long warranty periods. recent years and will continue to do so) and around five cents per kilometre, or a third of For example, Tesla warrants their batteries that many EVs in Australia, such as Tesla the cost of running an ICE. Even better, if you for eight years, Jaguar gives eight years or Models S and X, the Jaguar iPace and the are charging your EV at home from excess 160,000 km for the iPace, BMW gives at least soon-to-arrive Mercedes EQC and Audi e-tron, solar generation, the cost is lower again— 70% capacity after eight years or 160,000 km cop the luxury car tax, which applies to fuel assuming you would otherwise receive a for their i3 and Hyundai is offering a lifetime efficient vehicles above $75,526. FiT of say 12 c/kWh, using that generation to warranty on the Kona (for the original charge your EV would cost you just 2 c/km. purchaser only, and only for battery failure). --EV buying incentives For an idea of how much an EV will add to Even at 70% capacity or less, the battery Another factor is that in many countries there your electricity bill, and which tariff will suit should still be usable, just with less range—or are government-backed incentives to encourage you best, see 'EV charging and tariff choices' it could have a second-life use for a household the uptake of EVs, but in Australia that isn’t the in Renew 144. battery system (e.g. Aussie startup Relectrify), case, except for a couple of minor exceptions. So, while EVs are currently expensive where the battery demands are much lower. Incentives provided in other countries to purchase compared to ICE vehicles include tax rebates and exemptions, rebates (purchase price parity is expected somewhere Should I buy a used EV? and grants to cover part of the purchase price, between 2022 and 2025), both running and You might want to consider a used EV. There and in the USA you can get up to $7500 of maintenance costs are lower. It’s not unrealistic are some bargains to be had, with quite a few federal government tax credits for plug-in for an EV to save you over a thousand dollars older generation Nissan Leafs popping up on vehicles. Many US states have additional a year in running and maintenance costs a regular basis. But when buying used, bear in subsidies ranging from $1500 to $6000 for compared to an ICE vehicle, depending on how mind that the Leaf and some other older EVs plug-in vehicles. In Australia there are no federal government incentives, but there are a couple of state-based ones. In Victoria you receive reduced registration costs of $100 per year, while in the ACT you receive a 20% reduction in registration as well as attracting no stamp duty on battery EVs. The 2016 report 'The Path Forward for Electric Vehicles In Australia' by ClimateWorks Australia (bit.ly/CWA_EVR2016) suggested a number of pathways for improving EV uptake, including: • reduced registration costs and priority lanes • increasing levels of charging infrastructure (note, this has improved considerably since the report was released, but many areas, especially rural areas, are seriously The 2019 Nissan Leaf is expected to become available in Australia this year. lacking in fast chargers) • tax credits similar to those offered in the USA Image: Nissan Motors. renew.org.au renew magazine issue 148 51 don’t have active battery thermal management Looking further down the track our shores. There is no way to know exactly and will most likely have suffered a drop-off While the list of road-going EVs is pretty which vehicles this will be, but given the in range over time, and some may be nearing small at present, there are a lot of EVs being huge range of ICE vehicles available here, we the end of their battery’s lifespan. Check the developed or already available in other would expect to see almost every EV available vehicle’s range estimate with a full battery—if countries that may eventually make it to overseas on sale here eventually. it is approaching 20% lower than the original range, then the battery is close to 'end of life' for EV use, although you could keep using it, just Charging an EV, at home or away with that lower range. For an example of how Electric vehicles can charge at different rates, from as slow as 2.3 kW from a regular power to assess an EV’s battery condition, see ’Fit for point, to 100 kW or more from a DC fast charger. At home, you may choose to use a purpose: Assessing your Leaf’s battery health’ portable charging lead, which plugs into a regular 10 A mains socket (although a dedicated in Renew 142. mains circuit is a good idea due to the sustained high current draw). This is known as Mode 2 (called Level 1 in the US) charging and will limit charging to 2.3 kW (10 A); the car may What about importing an EV? limit to a lower charging rate using this method as well. While it is possible to import an EV from Chances are you will install an EVSE unit in your garage or outside near the car parking overseas yourself, there are a number of space. This provides Mode 3 (Level 2 in the US) charging, up to 32 A (7.2 kW), depending restrictions and requirements before you on the rating of the circuit, the supply to the premises and the car's own charging limit. can obtain an import permit, as well as If you are lucky enough to have a three-phase supply, charging up to 22 kW is possible at modifications that need to be performed home. Some cars, such as older BEVs (or PHEVs because of their much smaller batteries), may have a lower maximum charge rate than newer vehicles. to have the car comply with Australian EVSEs come with a range of functions. Some, like the Myenergi Zappi, have the ability requirements. In many cases it simply won't be to charge from your solar array, diverting only the excess generation to the EV (but they can possible to import a new model of EV that isn't also draw from the mains like a regular EVSE if you need the car charged on a cloudy day). yet available here. There is a good overview of You will need to decide on the charging rate you require (that is within the capabilities of the issues involved at bit.ly/DZ_IAEV. your home’s electricity supply), the features you want, plus, of course, you will need to There is one importer in Queensland select the cable length and plug type suitable for your EV. Your EV supplier may bundle an importing and selling overseas EVs—check the EVSE with the car, but you don’t have to use it if it doesn’t have the features you need. CarSales website for their listings. But if you can't install an EVSE at home, such as when living somewhere with only street parking, a public charging station near you could provide the solution. If your car has, say, EV conversions 300 km range and you travel 100 km per week, you may only need to charge once every Before the mass-market EVs like the Nissan week or so. Public charging stations are also useful for those with an EVSE at home who may Leaf became available, the only way to get an need to charge away from home occasionally, or when making longer trips. EV was to build your own by converting an Some public charging stations may be Mode 3, limiting charge rate to a maximum of 22 kW ICE vehicle to electric. This involves a lot of (maybe less, depending on the car's charger capacity and the grid connection's rating), or you research and design work, and a great deal of may even find Mode 4 (Level 3 in the US) DC fast chargers (typically on highways), which can technical skill. Is it still a viable option? If you give you a much faster charge, if your car supports it (not all BEVs and no PHEVs support DC have a very specific vehicle you would like charging). Even if your car allows DC fast charging it may be limited to, say, 50 kW, so that will to be electric, such as a classic car or a special be as fast as you can charge regardless of the charging station capacity. vehicle, then yes, it can be worth it. But for Your local supermarket may have a charging station or three, where you can charge general transportation, then the time required while you shop. If they don’t, you can approach them and see if they can install one. The is high and cost can in fact be greater than same goes for your place of work or a public carpark. buying a used EV in good condition. There are many charging stations dotted around Australia and New Zealand, making longer trips doable in an EV. The easiest way to find them is using an app (or website) such as Open Charge Map (openchargemap.org) and Plugshare (plugshare.com), which also EVs available includes private EV chargers that owners have listed, so you may end up grabbing some The range of EVs available in Australia is slowly charge while parked in someone's driveway! There’s also a complete map of charge stations improving as more become available globally on the excellent My Electric Car website: myelectriccar.com.au/charge-stations-in-australia. and manufacturers make the effort to release The charging network is growing by the day, with support from both private businesses them here. Australia is a small market, so there and state governments. For example, the Queensland government has installed their hasn’t been a big push from the incumbent car Electric Super Highway, a network of DC fast chargers installed near highways that span makers to promote EVs here—in fact, we have from Coolangatta, south of Brisbane, up to Cairns. In WA, the RAC Electric Highway covers heard of cases of dealers actively discouraging Perth to Augusta, and the Tesla Supercharger network spans from Adelaide to Brisbane via customers from buying EVs (this is not a Melbourne, Canberra and Sydney (but these can only be used by Tesla vehicles). problem unique to Australia; it has happened Some charging may be free, but often isn't, so you will need to have the appropriate app in the USA and Europe as well). (or RFID card) and be registered to use a particular charging network. There are currently Table 1 is a list of light vehicles currently four main charging networks in Australia and New Zealand: Chargefox (chargefox.com), available to the general public—as you can ChargePoint (chargepoint.com) and ChargeStar (chargestar.com.au), plus ChargeNet in see, it’s not a long list. Table 2 covers vehicles NZ (charge.net.nz). Some charge stations are not networked. In this case, you simply pay expected to be released here in the next year the owner when charging. A typical example may be that you have access to a three-phase or two. Table 3 lists electric motorbikes and socket or an EVSE and you pay, say, $1.20 per hour for the time you use or a flat rate per scooters; we will be looking at two-wheeled kilowatt-hour. Even networked stations vary in pricing—ChargePoint, for example, states options in more detail in a later guide. that charge station owners set their own fee structure, so pricing can be quite variable.

52 issue 148 renew magazine renew.org.au --Australian-made? this year, while the Polestar 2, a true BEV, is all goes well, they will be a popular vehicle, As mentioned earlier, Queensland company slated for 2020. Volvo has also stated that by with their 800 kg payload capacity and 5 Ace EV is about to start producing their Cargo, 2025, half of its Volvo brand cars will be BEVs, tonne towing capacity, quad motor drive Urban and Yewt models in Australia, and has with the other half being PHEVs, meaning system delivering 559 kW and an insane recently signed an agreement with SA-based total electrification of their brand by 2025. 14,000 Nm of torque, range of over 600 km Aldom Motor Body Builders to build up to They have signed a deal with LG Chem and and a 0–100 km/h performance of just three 15,000 vehicles a year by 2025. This is huge CATL to supply the vast numbers of battery seconds—on par with Tesla’s Model X. We can news for South Australia, which lost all of its cells to achieve this goal. When we will see see these vehicles being very popular in both car manufacturers in the last few years. these vehicles down under is unknown. the USA, where pickup trucks make up 18% of But even bigger news is that Chinese Of course, Nissan has had the Leaf for all light vehicle sales, and in Australia as well. EV and battery giant BYD has signed a some years, but they have seen a drop-off in Most of the other incumbent ICE memorandum of understanding with sales as vehicles become available with better manufacturers are behind in the EV stakes, Adelaide-based Evant to collaborate on the range, better battery thermal management and we look forward to seeing whether they development and production of EVs in South and better performance and handling. They choose to get in on the action with compelling Australia. Manufacturing will ramp up over have recently added a 62 kWh version of the EVs in the next year or two. time, with the eventual aim that vehicles will Leaf to their range, but it is not available for be fully manufactured in Adelaide. But before preorder in Australia, only the 40 kWh model. ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS that happens, Chinese-made BYD vehicles Renault also has a few EVs, including the Thanks to Bryce Gaton for his input to this guide via articles previously published in Renew and his review of will be shipped to Adelaide for conversion Zoe and Kangoo ZE van, but the Kangoo is not this article. to Australian requirements. The deal will available in a long-range version yet, although see three models of BYD EVs offered to the the Zoe has a 300+ km range. Hyundai of Resources Australian market, including a seven-seat course has the excellent Kona compact EV • Renew's EV branches in Melbourne and SUV, a mid-sized SUV and a family-sized with well over 400 km of range, as well as the Geelong can provide excellent information sedan. No specifics are available at time of Ioniq PHEV and BEV models. and assistance with conversions: writing, but this deal has the potential to BMW has the i3, which falls into the small renew.org.au/branches completely change the EV market in Australia. car category, but it is limited by a smallish • Australian Electric Vehicle Association has So, it seems that the number of EV models battery and a maximum range of 260 km—not an informative regular newsletter and fact available here is about to rapidly expand, and ideal for long-distance travel unless you like sheets about EVs available on their website prices are likely to fall as Chinese companies making plenty of charging stops, although it (written by our regular EV writer Bryce force their way into the market. now does support 50 kW DC fast charging. Gaton!): aeva.asn.au An interesting development is that Ford • My Electric Car: myelectriccar.com.au --What are the car manufacturers doing? has recently invested in EV startup Rivian • EV Compare: evcompare.io The big ICE manufacturers have, until (rivian.com) to the tune of US$500 m, a • EV Specifications:evspecifications.com recently, mostly been tinkering at the edges considerable investment. This seems to be • Green vehicle guide: greenvehicleguide. when it comes to EVs, but that is now a response to the demand for a long-range gov.au changing, with some serious commitments to electric pickup truck (large utes, such as Ford • EV album: evalbum.com going electric from several manufacturers. F150 and similar). Amazon has also invested • Fully Charged YouTube channel: youtube. The largest car maker in the world, US$700 m in Rivian, so its future is looking com/user/fullychargedshow Volkswagen (which includes several car brands pretty solid. General Motors in the USA has • InsideEVs: insideevs.com including VW and Audi), has committed also stated that they will be producing an • For more information on charging rates, to EVs, in part due to the 'dieselgate' fiasco. electric full-sized ute (pickup truck) by 2023. charger types and the different plugs Volkswagen has been investing heavily in Rivian is an interesting company and is involved, see 'The EVs are coming!' in EVs (around US$48 billion so far) to secure filling a niche that no one else, including Renew 143 and 'Plug wars' in Renew 141. sources of batteries and components, and is Tesla, has so far—pickups and large SUVs. If constructing two new EV assembly facilities in China, in Anting and Foshan. VW has developed a new EV platform called MEB Improving EV technology (Modularer Elektrobaukasten or Modular Recently, researchers have expressed concern that the shift to fully electric transport Electric Building blocks), which can be used in won't be possible without considerable increase in the production of certain materials, a wide range of vehicles. The first of those will such as lithium, cobalt, and rare earth elements. Their concerns, while valid, are based on be the VW I.D. Hatchback—the I.D. insignia will current battery and motor technology and current rates of recycling and mining. be used on VW’s new range of EVs, including Virtually all EV battery manufacturers are working on reducing or eliminating the hatchback, an SUV and the long-awaited expensive, uncommon materials from their batteries, especially cobalt. Indeed, Kombi van replacement. The VW MEB manufacturers like Panasonic (who make batteries for Tesla and others) and LG Chem are platform will also be used on a number of other aiming for cobalt-free batteries in the next few years. brands including Audi, SEAT and Škoda. Other advances, such as dry thin film processing for batteries which greatly reduces the Volvo (now Chinese-owned by Geely) has a amount of materials needed, reduced copper use in motors, improved recycling (a lot of these materials still go straight to landfill), and new sources of these elements coming online separate brand for their performance vehicles as extraction technology improves, will all but eliminate these resource supply issues. named Polestar, and it’s this brand that will We will be looking at this issue, and the emerging solutions, in a future issue of Renew. produce their initial electric vehicle offerings. The Polestar 1, a PHEV, is due for production renew.org.au renew magazine issue 148 53 Table 1. Light electric vehicles currently available in Australia Make Model Type Battery Motor power/ Range Efficiency Performance: Weight Towing Charge rate Charging Safety Price range Comments capacity torque 0-100 km/h capacity socket rating BMW i3 4 door 5 42 kWh Up to Up to 260 km As low as As low as 6.9 s 1195 kg Not rated <1 hour on DC fast CCS2 socket 5 stars From $68,400 Range extender bmw.com.au seat small 135 kW/270 Nm (WLTP) 125 Wh/km for towing charger plus on-road version available. hatchback costs Hyundai Ioniq EV Sedan 28 kWh 88 kW/295 Nm Up to 230 km (294 115 Wh/km NA Up to 1475 kg Not rated Up to 80% in 23 CCS2 socket 5 stars From $49,253 The Hyundai hyundai.com.au (being (being upgraded to WLTP for 38.3 kWh (NEDC) for towing minutes on 100 kW drive away electric vehicle upgraded to 100 kW) model) DC fast charger range is available 38.3 kWh) only from ‘Blue Ioniq PHEV Sedan 8.9 kWh 104 kW/265 Nm Approx 45 km 198 Wh/km NA 1970 kg Not rated 3.3 kW 5 stars From $45,253 Drive’ accredited total electric only for towing drive away Hyundai dealers. Kona Compact 64 kWh 150 kW/395 Nm Up to 449 km 131 Wh/km NA Up to 1743 kg Not rated Up to 80% in 54 5 stars From $63,596 crossover SUV for towing minutes on 100 kW drive away DC fast charger Jaguar iPace Crossover SUV 90 kWh 294 kW 446 km (realistically 230 Wh/km 4.8 s 2208 kg NA Up to 80% in 1 hour CCS2 socket 5 stars $132,000 jaguar.com.au 375 km) on 100 kW DC fast charger Mitsubishi Outlander SUV 12 kWh 120 kW (electric Up to 54 km electric 220 Wh/km NA 1860 kg 1500 kg 2.4 kW 240V, 10A 5 stars From $45,990 mitsubishi-motors. PHEV motors), 87 kW only braked, cable com.au (ICE) 750 kg unbraked Nissan Leaf (available Hatchback 40 kWh 110 kW/320 Nm Up to 270 km 148 Wh/km 7.6 s 1640 kg Not rated 50 kW DC fast Type 2 plus 5 stars From $54,482 nissan.com.au for pre-order) (estimated) for towing charging CHAdeMO drive away Renault Zoe 4 door 5 41 kWh 65 kW/225 Nm Up to 300 km in As low as Approx 13.5 s 1500 kg Not rated Up to 80% in < 1 Mennekes 5 stars From $51,000 renault.com.au seat small (52 kWh in (100 kW/245 Nm in summer (390 km for 136 Wh/km (under 10 s in for towing hour (50 kW DC fast type 2 drive away hatchback new model) new model) new model) new model) charging) socket Kangoo ZE Light 33 kWh 44 kW/225 Nm Up to 200 km in 159 Wh/km 22.4 s 1585 kg 322 kg 7 kW maximum (6 4 stars From $55,000 Payload up to commercial summer (120 km in (NEDC) (braked) hour full charge) drive away 640kg and 4 van winter) cubic metres Tesla Motors Model S Luxury sedan 100 kWh Up to Up to 595 km (US As low as As low as 2.6 s Up to 2245 kg Not rated Up to 150 kW Modified 5 stars From $135,390 tesla.com/en_AU 581 kW/1250 Nm EPA) 168 Wh/km for towing (supercharger), type 2 drive away Model X Luxury 75, 90 or Up to Up to 523 km (US As low as As low as 2.9 s Up to 2487 kg Up to 250 kW coming soon socket NA From $151,225 crossover 100 kWh 568 kW/990 Nm EPA) 191 Wh/km 2250 kg drive away Model 3 Mid-range 50, 62 or Up to Up to 499 km (US As low as As low as 3.4 s Up to 1847 kg Up to 910 kg TBA 5 stars From $66,000 sedan 75 kWh 353 kW/639 Nm EPA) 150 Wh/km (only in plus on-road Europe) costs Table 2. Light electric vehicles soon to be available in Australia Make Model Type Battery capacity Motor power Range Efficiency Price range Available MG eZS Compact SUV 45.5 kWh 110 kW/350 Nm 335 km 138 Wh/km Around $40,000 Polestar Polestar 2 Sedan 78 kWh 300 kW/660 Nm 500 km (WLTP) 156 Wh/km $90,000 estimated Late 2020-2021 Mercedes EQC SUV 80 kWh 300 kW/765 Nm Up to 450 km 178 Wh/km TBA Late 2019 Kia Niro Compact SUV 39.2 or 64 kWh NA 310 or 480 km 125 Wh/km From around $60,000 Late 2019 Audi e-tron SUV 95 kWh 265 kW Up to 400 km 237 Wh/km From around $150,000 Slated for mid 2019

Table 3. Electric scooters and motorbikes available in Australia Make Model Type Battery capacity Motor power Range Top speed Weight Price range Fonzarelli FZ Scooter 1.65 kWh 5.5 kW max 50 km (100 km with dual battery) 70 km/h (60 km/h continuous) 88 kg $5490 - $5790 fonzarelli.co S1 3.3 kWh 8.5 kW max 100 km 80 km/h 99 kg $6990 - $7290 X1 3.5 kWh 13 kW/24.5 Nm max 80 km (100 km option) 100 km/h (90 km/h continuous) 111 kg $9890 Ubco 2x2 Dual Use On/off-road motorbike 2.4 kWh 2 kW/90 Nm (1 kW per wheel) 120 km 50 km/h 65 kg $7999 ubcobikes.com/au Bzooma Busy Scooter 3 kWh (second battery optional) 3 kW 90 km max per battery NA NA $6990 bzooma.com.au Tino Scooter 4.1 kWh (6.4 kWh option) 6 kW 90 km (150 km with larger battery) 95 km/h NA $8200 Tino Ped Scooter 4.1 kWh 3 kW 90 km 75 km/h NA $6600 Super Soco TS1200r Motorbike (registerable as a scooter) 1.56 kWh per battery 2.4 kW/120 Nm 160 km (with two batteries) NA 78 kg $4790 supersoco.com.au CUx Scooter 1.92 kWh 1.3 kW/115 Nm (2.788 kW max) 80 km NA 70 kg From $4990 TC Café racer style motorbike 1.8 kWh per battery (two batts max) 3 kW/150 Nm max 80 km per battery NA NA $5590 WLTP: Worldwide Harmonised Light Vehicle Test Procedure NEDC: New European Driving Cycle YOUR CHANCE TO WIN A FREE 5KWH SOLAR SYSTEM

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Jumping on the (electric) bandwagon

A Nissan Leaf in the country but most of our trips would be within 20 km of home and the Leaf is fine. We both work One of Malcolm and Janine McKelvie’s two family cars is locally and, when we bought the Leaf, the an all-electric Leaf, which is perfect for most of their day- to-day trips around their home in West Gippsland, Vic. kids were at school about 15 km away. We do have to resort to the other car if we’ve had Every time we filled up our petrol cars, it repeated trips and there hasn’t been enough made me feel uncomfortable to be using fossil time to charge in between. Generally whoever fuel, so my wife Janine and I discussed the is driving further that day takes the Leaf and pros and cons of electric cars and the models the other takes the ICE car to try to minimise available, and in 2014 we decided to buy one. our fuel use. We looked at the Nissan Leaf and the The speed you drive has a huge impact Mitsubishi Outlander and i-MiEV. The on range. One night we went to the movies Outlander looked huge with only up to 50 km in Morwell about 37 km away, but we left a full electric range and the i-MiEV was very bit late and the car wasn’t fully charged when small; the Leaf was a good compromise. we started. We drove at speed to get there on We knew we wouldn’t be able to drive to time and had used well more than half the Melbourne, but it would be adequate for all charge to get there, so driving home was at our day-to-day trips in the local area. The car about 60 km/h with no heater—but we made we bought was a demonstration model from it with a few kilometres still left. Berwick Nissan; it only took about a week to We have a 4.9 kW solar PV system and do all the paperwork and go and pick it up. we’ve recently added a secondhand lead-acid Even with an effective range of only around 100 km, the Range anxiety is certainly an issue where battery pack (courtesy of the Hazelwood power Nissan Leaf is great for most of Malcolm and Janine’s day- we live in West Gippsland in Victoria. The station closure) and an additional 2.7 kW PV to-day driving. stated range of the Leaf is 160 km but the system feeding the batteries. Most of our home real-world range for us, doing a lot of highway is now off-grid, but the oven and induction driving, is closer to 100 km or 110 km. I’m cooktop, the shed and the car charging point (a 70,000 km we have driven so far would be more tolerant of it than Janine and quite 15 amp power point in the carport) remain on 12,600 kWh; at, say, 20 c/kWh, that comes to enjoy playing the game of driving carefully to the grid-connected system. We try to charge $2520 worth of electricity (in reality it would make sure I get home. the car during the day to directly use the solar be less given our solar input). Our old Prius We have a petrol car to do the longer trips, PV, but often we need to charge overnight to be had a fuel consumption of 5 L/100 km so an ready the next day. equivalent fuel cost for 70,000 km would be Many people seem concerned with the around $5250, with no opportunity to make length of time an EV takes to charge, but that our own fuel. has not been an issue other than the rare I’m incredulous that the uptake of the occasion when we charge away from home. Leaf in the city was so poor. It’s a great car We just plug it in and it charges over a few that would probably need charging once a hours. I’m not even really sure how long it week for the distances most people drive, and takes, maybe six to seven hours from flat. it’s so cheap and clean to run. Upfront cost The overall experience is excellent. The is certainly higher than an equivalent ICE Leaf has the most impressive acceleration car, but there are a lot of very expensive cars of any car I’ve driven, but it is otherwise driving in Melbourne. just like driving any other automatic car, We have no firm plans yet for our next just quieter. Maintenance is very little and step. We are considering our options for a obviously the fuel cost is a lot less compared longer range EV so we could go on longer trips Janine and Malcolm do their best to charge their Nissan to an ICE vehicle. We get 0.17 to 0.18 kWh/km without range anxiety—perhaps the Hyundai Leaf during the day to make the most of the generation from their 4.9 kW solar PV system. The charging point is in ‘fuel efficiency’ and it’s a 24 kWh battery. Kona or maybe we will wait for the Tesla in their garage. A rough calculation for the ‘fuel’ cost for the Model 3 and the others that are coming. renew.org.au renew magazine issue 148 57 Opting for a new generation Ioniq from petrol and the ability to charge the car using excess solar on our days off at home. Jasper Lee was looking at a plug-in hybrid EV, but after I organised a PHEV test drive the week considering his range needs, decided the fully electric version would suit his family’s requirements. the models appeared on the showroom floor. Unfortunately the dealer didn’t have the We bought the 2018 Hyundai Ioniq fully PHEV available, so instead we got to test drive electric Elite from Maughan Thiem Hyundai the fully electric (BEV—battery EV) model. I in South Australia in December 2018. It was had previously discounted the BEV due to just shy of $50,000 on-road. The car arrived in its range of 250 km. But then I thought about late February of this year. how many times I’d actually driven that We’d driven hybrids like the Toyota Prius, distance in the last four years—the furthest and we were keen to purchase something I’d been in SA was to Clare (180 km away)! So, that had an even lower carbon intensity and from a range point of view, the BEV Ioniq was also to reduce our fuel and servicing costs. completely suitable. Petrol in South Australia is frequently around Driving it, I liked the additional torque/ $1.50/L, more expensive than in other states. ease of acceleration. And it had far fewer As the Prius Prime (the plug-in hybrid PHEV moving parts, so was less likely to give me version) is not available in Australia, I looked repair and servicing grief in the long term. further afield. I considered the Tesla Model 3, Luckily, going full electric was still under our but at the time the uncertainty of the release $50,000 budget. Jasper’s car charging at a Type 2 charger on Franklin St in the city. This charging station has four Chargefox date in Australia ruled it out. The Ioniq is of a similar size to our existing chargers provided by the City of Adelaide and four Tesla Most EVs on the market are either Honda Civic. We use it for short city trips about Superchargers. prohibitively expensive at around the four times a week, and up to the Adelaide Hills $100,000 mark (think Tesla Model S and X), or as far as Victor Harbour (80+ km each way) regen to recharge the battery and, by doing so, or have limitations in terms of range, size or about once a month. Our range anxiety has slows the car. When perfected, the only time utility as a family vehicle (Nissan Leaf, BMW decreased by using Plugshare. It’s a map-based you use the brake is for emergencies or a final i3). I researched the Mitsubishi Outlander listing of all chargepoints tailored to your car, hard stop at traffic lights. Not only does it help PHEV, but decided it was too large a vehicle, and can provide route guidance based on your extend EV range, it also reduces wear and tear although it did have a good 50 km EV-only current charge level. It’s been helpful to plan on brake pads! range that would have been enough for most for recharges away from home to get battery For charging at home, we were provided of our daily commutes. capacity up by 10% to 20% before starting the with a standard power point charger (known as Hearing that Hyundai were bringing out return trip. a granny charger), which allows for a maximum their own ‘Prius killer’ via the Ioniq range, I The Ioniq comes with three drive modes: 12 A charge, taking around 10 hours to charge tracked down the Adelaide dealer managing eco (limited aircon control), normal and sports the car from empty. As we have a 4 kW solar the SA government’s fleet trials and arranged (additional torque for faster acceleration). It array and high export during summer, we a test drive of the hybrid Ioniq in September also has three levels of regenerative braking. looked for a charging solution that would allow last year. I found it drove better than the Prius I found level 3 (max regen) initially very us to use excess solar that would otherwise be and had more advanced safety and mobile heavy handed, but, after being encouraged exported. Zappi is a smart charger that allows integration features (Apple Carplay/Android by another Ioniq driver to adapt to ‘one-foot for Eco++ mode (full self-consumption mode, Auto). We became curious about the PHEV driving’, I learned to decelerate by releasing with a minimum of 1.2 kW needed to start version, which would allow further autonomy the accelerator a fraction. This engages the charging), moderate eco mode (allowing you

Jasper Lee’s Hyundai Ioniq has a detailed EV analysis screen that shows current charge, distance left, closest charge points, current eco driving score and efficiency (kWh/100 km). “The best I’ve ever driven is 8.6 kWh/100 km, helped by the steep descents down from the Adelaide Hills. This ‘gamification’ of driving is also in the Autolink app, where you can compare yourself to all other Hyundai EV drivers,” he says.

58 issue 148 renew magazine renew.org.au to specify what percentage is self-consumed), these charge cards is handy. or full charge (7 kW charge, making it a Level 2 One annoyance is getting ‘ICEd’: there’s charger). We typically have it on Eco++ mode to nothing worse than really needing to charge drip feed the car. It was around $2700 installed and finding that a non-EV vehicle (ICE) has from EVolution. So far we’ve averaged about parked in the charging spot! Unfortunately 80% charge with solar during summer, but there is no state legislation governing fines for as winter approaches we expect this to drop. this behaviour. We fully offset our electricity use with 100% Many people have come up to chat at GreenPower. charge points and to ask about our experience Charging electric cars can be confusing. with the car. We’re always happy to have a There are many plug types, charge standards long chat, since my experience of driving an and manufacturer-specific issues that it can EV is overwhelmingly positive. We’ve seen a be hard to get your head around. Talking with genuine curiosity, but reservations about cost EVolution, we ended up buying two additional and range seem to be big stumbling blocks charge cables: a Type 2, and a Type 1 to Type 2 for people. We know we’re early adopters, but converter. The City of Adelaide has partnered we see EV purchase decisions being similar to with Chargefox to roll out a large number of rooftop solar adoption—we expect incentives Type 2 chargers in the Adelaide CBD. They and production scale will make it increasingly offer the first hour of charging for free, so we affordable. It’s also great to know that our often plug in with our BYO Type 2 cable at driving produces no air or noise pollution in the Central Markets while we do our weekly our area. Bruce’s Mitsubishi i-MiEV is charged using solar- generated electricity at his Perth home. fresh food shop. Other older charge points were rolled out with European EVs in mind, Early adopters Image: Chelsea McCann Photography and these typically use Type 1 chargers. Our Bruce Armstrong and Katherine McCann, based in adaptor cable allows us to use these too. a commitment to sustainable transport. The Nedlands and Brentwood in suburban Perth, have been The main charge networks are Chargefox, mostly getting around on electric bikes or in Bruce’s couple bought electric bikes back in 2012, Chargepoint and NextCharge. All have Mitsubishi i-MiEV electric car since 2012. opting for secondhand. “Apart from being smartphone apps that allow you to unlock able to get a better bike for an equivalent charge points, and the latter two also have Between them, Bruce and Katherine have price (we paid $1800 and $1400 for our RFID cards—occasionally we find the apps extensive backgrounds in renewable energy Metro Ryders), we prefer to support a reuse don’t synchronise with the charger, so having and environmental science, and they share economy whenever possible,” says Katherine.

to convert a 2006 Mitsubishi Triton GLX-R ute to electric power. This involved installing a 150 kW DC motor and 45 Thunder Sky 3.2 volt lithium ion batteries in a conversion carried out by Thunderbolt Enterprises in Oakville, NSW. “The ute was purpose-built to allow for the world’s first solar- powered sowing of crop,” explains Michael. “Tractors can be converted to electric, but they are very heavy and most of the energy expended is to move that great lump of metal around. So we opted for a lightweight 4WD vehicle, then did a major modification on the seed drill itself to make it lighter and easier to pull.” “It works really well,” says Michael of the ute, though he is quick to point out that it was very much a ‘proof of concept’. “We were forced by our budget to use technology that is now not best practice. Our An EV ute for farm use highway range is only about 85 km, and we get about two hours of seeding (about 7 hectares) on a charge, with potentially unlimited Therese and Michael Inwood have shown that it is possible to have a sowing time planned through swapping battery packs. Similar weight 4WD farm vehicle with no emissions, charged using only renewable vehicles from Tesla would get about 500 km with state-of-the-art AC energy. motors, better battery technology and higher voltage.” The Triton ute they use on their 800-hectare merino and cropping Despite this, the ute is used successfully for all normal on-farm 4WD farm north east of Bathurst, NSW, was one of the first fully electric work and also for trips to town: “It’s more versatile than an electric vehicles in Australia. “Fuel can be a major input cost on a farm, and the tractor would be,” says Michael. And it’s charged using the farm’s CO2 emissions of all industries are now necessarily being examined,” 4.2 kW solar PV system, making it “a true zero emission vehicle.” says Michael. To reduce both, as part of a program focused on “The next version of this type of farm vehicle would obviously innovation and sustainability in farming systems run by their local include all the latest technology, and achieve multiples of the sown catchment management authority, 10 years ago the couple set out area per charge that we can currently achieve,” he says.

renew.org.au renew magazine issue 148 59 for the battery, but I don’t think these are of any value if the vehicle is still driving the correct distance on a charge.” Katherine particularly loves her e-bike, on which she can get to work in 13 minutes, quicker than she could drive. “When I used to ride a conventional bike, I had to budget time for a shower, as well as the longer ride time. And just thinking about a particular steep hill was a deterrent. But it’s easy on the e-bike, and I feel energised and not at all sweaty. Some people think there’s no exercise value at all, Katherine uses her Metro Ryder e-bike for commuting to work and for market runs. At home, it’s stored in but you still have to pedal.” She also enjoys her entry along with her conventional bikes, easily doing the market run by e-bike, with panniers accessible: “By having them inside, all clean and ready, and a cargo rack. the decision to cycle rather than drive is easier.” At her house, Katherine’s conventional Images: Chelsea McCann Photography and e-bikes are racked on an entry wall, right where they’re needed for a quick run to the local shop or visiting. “By having them inside, all clean and ready, the decision to cycle rather “We went to the shop on the train and rode the usual half-charged state, or five hours from than drive is easier,” says Katherine. “My non- bikes home straight away—we couldn’t stop flat, from a standard wall outlet. electric bike is lighter, so I’ll often use that for grinning; it felt like we were flying!” They often charge the car while out and short distances.” Bruce bought a one-year-old demo model about, and note that the number of public The couple are in the process of planning Mitsubishi i-MiEV in the same year for around charge points has been increasing. “Some are a new, shared house in the Perth suburb $25,000, approximately half the price of a free public access and some are card based, of Bassendean, close to the train station, non-depreciated one. “That was still a lot depending on the location and owner. The carefully designed for ageing in place. “The more than a car with rude and smelly bits, as I activation cards are easily obtained at modest idea is we’ll be able to get pretty much call everything else,” he laughs. He notes that cost, but several different ones are needed at wherever we want by taking bikes on the the price difference is getting less and says present. The Plugshare app is of great use—it train,” says Katherine. “And we hope that when that even now there are huge savings in fuel has a catalogue of almost every publicly our homestead is up and running as a model and servicing. He chose to leave the electric available charge point in the world.” of all things sustainable, folk can check it out vehicle branding stickers in place because Bruce says that range anxiety is rare for using rail access instead of cluttering up the he wanted people to know what they were him. “It’s very predictable as to how far it’ll go place with ‘stink cars’!” They also plan to be looking at and feel encouraged to ask about it. on a charge and, if needed, is easily recharged a one-car household, swapping their existing Bruce uses the i-MiEV for his regular while visiting or shopping. Also, the range can two cars for a newer-generation EV, possibly weekday commuting round trip of 30 km, and be extended considerably by slowing down.” a ute to handle towing. “We’re watching the the two of them often use it on weekends for Katherine agrees: “I like that the ‘Distance upcoming models with interest.” shopping and visiting. (Katherine still runs an to Empty’ is digitally displayed behind the ICE car, but minimises its use. “It’s handy for wheel. It is such great feedback to see the MORE INFO: towing the camper trailer for weekends away,” kilometres increase by reducing the speed Katherine’s current home, ‘Frog Palace’, will be open for Sustainable House Day this year. she explains.) Bruce reports that the driving even a little, or by turning off the aircon. I’m a experience of the i-MiEV is far better than big fan of anything that boosts accountability.” you’d think for a small four-seater car. “From a Bruce does note that the car’s battery capacity Towing with an electric vehicle stop, it’s a little slow, but once above 20 km/h, and thus its range have reduced considerably Peter Buncle and Eloise Jory first entered the EV market the throttle response is instant with the since it was new, when it could travel about two years ago with the purchase of a Tesla Model S, and drive giving all it’s got without complaint or 100 km at freeway speed and 130 km on last year they replaced their ICE 4WD used for towing with noise. It easily accelerates to 100 km/h when 60 km/h roads; now, at eight years old, it a Tesla X. entering the freeway.” They also find it very achieves about 70 km on the freeway and manoeuvrable and easy to park. 100km on slower roads, with battery capacity “I’ve been into electronics from a really young At Bruce’s house, the i-MiEV is charged reduced from 16 kWh to about 10 kWh. “This age, and the whole concept of electric cars has using his solar generation, stored in a lithium is broadly within expectation and really an always really resonated with me,” says Peter. “I ion 20 kWh domestic battery which allows artefact of first-generation electric vehicles,” also got completely fed up with the servicing solar charging overnight. “It only requires he says. costs of our petrol cars and the fluctuating about 1 kW of solar panels to allow 30 km of The electric drive and regenerative braking price of fuel.” driving each day,” he says. “Once plugged in, result in very low maintenance costs, limited Having had their eye on Tesla “from the the car will fully charge every time—there’s no to occasional underbody checks, tyres, bulbs early days”, they test drove the Model S battery-preserving cut-off level on the i-MiEV, and wiper blades. “Regenerative braking when it became available here and loved nor would it be very much use on a 100 km means the brake pads and discs will likely last it. “There’s no vibration, no jerkiness,” says car.” The on-board charger will typically the life of the vehicle,” says Bruce. “There are Peter. “The regenerative braking means that recharge the car in about three hours from its some recommended maintenance procedures we’ve changed the way we drive—we tend to

60 issue 148 renew magazine renew.org.au charging the numbers just get better.” “I use the Model X for towing a couple of times a week,” says Eloise. “Because it doesn’t have gears, the acceleration as you move off is super smooth even with a heavy float on the back. Berwick South where we live is quite a hilly area, which puts the regenerative braking Eloise and Peter regularly use to the test and it does well. I appreciate the lack their Tesla Model X for towing. of emissions too; horse floats often have air vents at the front, and with an electric vehicle you don’t gas the horses with petrol fumes!” start slowing sooner when we come to traffic that it is equipped with eight cameras and in Peter and Eloise’s small hobby farm south lights, so that we can make use of the regen the future will be capable of full autonomous east of Melbourne boasts a 50 kW solar system braking almost all the way to a stop. It’s so driving through a software upgrade, when that and a 100 kWh battery, which also charges the smooth.” Eloise adds that it’s satisfying not to becomes available. two Teslas. “I have three MPP off-grid inverters sit burning petrol while stopped at lights or in Peter uses the Model S for visiting in a three-phase set so I can charge the cars at stationary traffic. clients daily for his work in IT, and drives up to 15 kW,” says Peter. “I use a Tesla charger They went with a Tesla EV partially about 20,000 km per year. Eloise is a keen integrated with the solar system, which because of range—none of the other EVs equestrian and does an 80 km round trip with matches the charging to the solar generation. available at the time came close. Peter also her two horses each weekend for training. In On the rare occasions I’m short I just charge notes that Tesla’s charging infrastructure is September last year, the couple swapped the using off-peak grid power.” He also uses the really well integrated. “You can input your petrol 4WD used for towing the horse float for network of Tesla Superchargers. route and the on-board computer will plan a Tesla 100D Model X, which has a towball. “At “Everywhere we go we get a lot of interest,” your trip including all the charging stops— the time the petrol car was costing us $4000 says Eloise. “People are surprised when I it will tell you which Superchargers you per year in fuel alone to travel 20,000 km,” go out to horse competitions because they need to stop at and for how long, and it’s says Peter. In contrast, he has worked out think you can’t tow with an EV. We get lots of dynamic—it updates if you change your route that the Model X would cost around $800 questions about charging, solar integration, or driving pattern.” Their 100D Model S has in off-peak electricity (16 c/kWh) to drive the what’s it like to drive … people are genuinely AP2 (autopilot version 2) hardware, meaning same annual kilometres. “If you then add solar curious.”

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renew.org.au renew magazine issue 148 61 FEATURE

A winning formula: high-performance house plus EV

Despite the upfront cost premium, opting for a highly efficient, all-electric home with an EV can offer significant economic and environmental benefits. We analyse one example.

(including 100% GreenPower and the current Victorian feed-in tariff for solar), the Cape Paterson home will incur electricity bills of approximately $123 per year (excluding EV charging), with no gas bills.

The car The Spanos have recently purchased a Hyundai Kona Hylander electric vehicle (EV), a model that is offered in both EV and ICE formats. See Figure 1 for their specifications. As former residents of Melbourne, the Spanos plan to make twice weekly trips to the city (300 km round trip) to see friends and family. As new residents of the Bass Image: John Thompson, courtesy Beaumont Concepts Beaumont Thompson, courtesy John Image: Designed by Beaumont Concepts and built by TS Constructions, the Spanos’ 8.3 Star home at The Cape is all-electric, with Coast, they are keen to explore the region and 6 kW of solar PV and 4.8 kWh of energy storage. A Hyundai Kona Hylander electric vehicle is due to be delivered any day. estimate travelling approximately 400 km per month. Near Cape Paterson on Victoria’s south-east • How does the Spanos’ all-electric solar Aside from that, local trips are likely to coast, Joe and Jo Spano live at an eco- home compare to a typical existing, 2 Star incur another 150 km per week of driving. It development known as The Cape. They Victorian dual-fuel home? has been assumed that the couple will take recently built a highly efficient, all-electric • What are the costs, savings and four weeks of holidays per year, where EV home with 6 kW of solar PV and 4.8 kWh of environmental benefits of each approach? driving won’t be required. energy storage. And they are about to take Based on this, the Spanos’ total driving possession of one of the next generation of The home distance per year has been estimated at long-range electric vehicles. The Spanos’ new home is a three-bedroom, 40,400 km. To understand the economic and 153 m2 dwelling that has been rated at 8.3 environmental value of the Spanos’ home Stars. It uses a combination of direct solar and car choices, the energy analysts at electricity, stored solar electricity and mains Kona Hylander Kona Hylander EV ICE Renew compared them with two alternative grid electricity. The home isn’t connected Price $72,000 $40,000 scenarios: an average existing (2 Star) or to the mains gas network and doesn’t use Range 449 km 714 km minimum-standard (6 Star) new build, “dual- bottled gas or wood for fuel. Storage 64 kWh 50 litres fuel” Victorian home, along with the purchase The home consumes an average of 2 kWh Consumption 16 kWh/100 km 7.2 litres/100 km of a comparable internal combustion engine of electricity from the grid per day—or around Maintenance $165/year $279/year (ICE) vehicle. 700 kWh per year. This is about 1/20th of the Warranty Car—5 years, 5 years, unlimited For this analysis, we asked the following energy grid usage of an average Victorian unlimited km km questions: home, which consumes around 4400 kWh Battery—8 years, • What if the Spanos had built a typical 6 per year along with 40 gigajoules (approx unlimited km Star, dual-fuel Victorian home and bought 11,100 kWh) of mains gas (bit.ly/vuchs). Figure 1. Key specifications of the Kona Hylander EV and an ICE vehicle? Based on their current retail tariff ICE versions.

62 issue 148 renew magazine renew.org.au The Spanos’ home 6 Star, dual-fuel 2 Star, dual-fuel Kona Hylander EV Kona Hylander ICE (8.3 Star, all-electric) home home Cost premium $32,000 $0 Cost premium $13,465 $0 $0 Travel distance per year 40,400 km 40,400 km Electricity usage 3763 kWh 2580 kWh 4380 kWh per year Energy/fuel usage per year 6456 kWh 2909 litres Gas usage per year 0 22,396 MJ 40,000 MJ Energy/fuel unit price $0.2818/kWh $1.60/litre Electricity cost per $123 $1522 $1497 year (non-transport) Energy/fuel cost per year $1819 $4654 Gas cost per year $0 $908 $1390 Servicing cost per year $165 $279 Total energy cost $123 $2430 $2887 per year Transport cost per year $1984 $4933

Annual emissions 0 4.38 7.56 Annual emissions (tonnes CO2e) 0 6.83 (tonnes CO2e)

Figure 2. Energy costs and emissions for the three modelled homes. Annual emissions Figure 3. Running costs and emissions of the two modelled vehicles. Annual emissions calculated using electricity emission factor for Vic (2018) of 1.16 kg CO2e/kWh and LNG for the ICE are based on 169 g/km tailpipe emissions. emission factor of 61.85 kg CO2e/GJ (bit.ly/DOEE-NGAF).

The comparison As compared with the dual-fuel homes, PV are well known, and those of all-electric We modelled the upfront and running costs the 8.3 Star solar all-electric home and EV homes are increasingly understood (see of each vehicle, and the stationary (i.e. non- combination offers significant benefits. Renew’s latest research into the economics of transport) energy usage and bills of all three The additional cost to the Spanos of their household fuel choice: bit.ly/EvsG_report), the house scenarios (assuming gas heating, hot efficient home and EV was just over $45,000 economic and environmental benefits of EVs, water and cooking for the dual-fuel homes). and the running cost is just over $2100 per and of all-electric homes with EVs, are poorly The energy costs and carbon footprint of year. This is a saving of over $5200 per year understood. the three modelled homes is laid out in Figure compared with the new 6 Star dual-fuel EVs in Australia in 2019 remain expensive 2. (The annual electricity cost of $1522 for the home, and over $5700 per year compared in terms of upfront costs, compared with 6 Star dual-fuel home does not include solar with an existing 2 Star dual-fuel home. similar ICE vehicles in the market. And while PV. Were 6 kW of solar PV installed on this Compared with the new 6 Star dual- they are on a downward price trajectory, EVs home, it would reduce that home’s electricity fuel home and ICE car combination, the may remain more expensive to purchase bill to -$206 per year.) additional cost of the Spanos’ home and than equivalent ICE vehicles for some years Figure 3 shows the running costs and EV has a simple payback time of 8.65 years, to come. carbon footprint of the two modelled vehicles. provides an annual investment return of However, when considering the full The energy price for the EV is for the non- 11.6% and sees the Spanos over $21,000 better upfront and ongoing costs and benefits, and in solar (i.e. grid) component of the EV charging, off after 15 years, compared to investing the the context of an all-electric home with regard which equates to approximately 75% of the cost premium of $45,000 directly into their to both stationary and transport energy, all- annual energy required for EV charging. household mortgage. electric homes and EVs present a very strong From an environmental perspective, economic case when compared with typical Synthesis the 8.3 Star, solar all-electric home and Victorian dual-fuel homes and ICE vehicles. The analysis above results in upfront EV reduces annual emissions by more In addition, the environmental benefit (by and running costs and annual emissions than 11 tonnes (compared to its 6 Star and way of lower greenhouse gas emissions) of for the three different home and vehicle ICE equivalent) and more than 14 tonnes solar all-electric homes coupled with EVs is combinations as outlined in Figure 4. (compared to its 2 Star and ICE equivalent). becoming clear. Indeed, EVs on their own are able to be lower emissions than comparable Discussion ICE vehicles, even in Victoria which has the Key appliances in the Spanos’ This case study puts into a broader highest emissions factor for electricity use all-electric home perspective the current costs and benefits of in the country. Even without direct charging both all-electric homes and EVs. from on-site solar PV, the emissions intensity • A single, high efficiency (COP 5.81) While the significant benefits of solar of EVs will improve over time as the emissions 2.5/3.6 kW Daikin Ururu Sarara intensity of the national electricity market (US7) reverse-cycle air conditioner, All-electric 6 Star dual- 2 Star dual- continues to reduce. Understanding the costs home & EV fuel home & fuel home & in the living space only ICE vehicle ICE vehicle and benefits and environmental value of • A high efficiency (COP 5.96) Cost $45,465 $0 $0 higher efficiency, solar all-electric homes and 0.84 kW input, Sanden heat pump premium EVs in this way is relatively new and much hot water system Running $2107 $7363 $7820 more analysis needs to be done to develop a • Ceiling fans in the living spaces costs per deeper understanding of opportunities and year and bedrooms constraints for Australian households. • LED lighting throughout Annual 0 11.21 14.38 • An induction cooktop emissions (tonnes AUTHOR: • Relatively new and efficient CO2e) Damien Moyse whitegoods Damien is Policy & Research Manager at Renew. Figure 4. Costs and emissions for the three home and vehicle combinations modelled. renew.org.au renew magazine issue 148 63 “AUSTRALIA’S MOST SUSTAINABLE HOUSING ESTATE” THE AGE

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Beyond the EV: reducing transport sector emissions

It’s not all about electric vehicles when it comes to reducing emissions from transport. Cameron Munro looks at where planning, technology and carrot/stick incentives converge.

We live in an era of hypermobility; the average distance travelled per day has increased sixfold since the 1950s. Moreover, many short trips that 50 years ago were made using public transport, or by walking or cycling, are now undertaken by car. Although it’s provided great economic and social benefits, this unprecedented mobility comes at a significant environmental cost. The transport sector is now the second largest contributor to greenhouse gas emissions in Australia, and its emissions have grown more than any other sector since 2000 (Figure 1). Moreover, this excludes international aviation, which has experienced growth in passenger kilometres to and from Australia of around 5% per annum. This increase in emissions has been driven by a doubling in domestic aviation passenger kilometres, an 18% increase in passenger car Figure 1. Emissions from the transport sector have been growing faster than other sectors since 2000. kilometres and increasing emissions from Source: Quarterly update of Australia’s National Greenhouse Gas Inventory, September 2018, Commonwealth of Australia. transport associated with industrial uses (particularly mining); see Figure 2. been getting less efficient with declining car to our major CBDs reflects both the design The ever-so-slightly good news is that occupancy (see article on carpooling, p. 70). of our public transport systems (which tend passenger vehicle kilometres and emissions This extensive use of the private car to feed into the city centre) and the time and have both declined marginally on a per capita imposes significant costs on society as a cost associated with driving to a city centre. basis in recent years. However, reducing result of road injuries and deaths, air quality emissions to the extent required will entail a deterioration, noise, obstacle to movement Fuel economy standards massive change in both our energy mix and, across major roads, physical inactivity leading Improvement in the fuel economy of the more broadly, how our cities are structured. to adverse health implications, and, of cars on the road has not kept up with the course, emissions. Private cars are estimated increase in vehicle kilometres. The average The car is the elephant in the room to account for 70% of kilometres travelled fuel economy of vehicles has improved by Car travel is the dominant form of transport by all motor vehicles (cars, vans, trucks and 4% since 2010, while vehicle kilometres in Australia; nationally two-thirds of journeys motorcycles) and 57% of fuel consumed by have increased by 10%, resulting in a net to work are made by car (Census, 2016) and, motor vehicles.3 increase in fuel consumption of 5.7%.3 There even in cities with extensive public transport, The only trips where the car is not the are currently no fuel economy or emissions most trip kilometres are by car. For example, in main form of transport are to the centres of standards for new vehicles in Australia, a Sydney in 2017–18, 78% of trip kilometres were our biggest cities (e.g. around 60% of trips to situation that is almost unique in the western by car; similarly in Melbourne in 2014–16, 81% the Melbourne CBD are by public transport). world. By comparison, the EU has a target for of trip kilometres were by car.1,2 And car use has The high level of non-car use when travelling passenger cars of 95 g CO2/km for 2021 and

renew.org.au renew magazine issue 148 65 is proposing an average of 59 g/km by 2030. The USA has a target of 103 g CO2/km for 2025. The most recently available estimates suggest average new Australian light vehicle emissions are around 182 g CO2/km.4 The Australian purchasing trend is towards larger vehicles than in some other car markets, but there are opportunities for significant improvements in fuel economy without necessarily substantially changing vehicle type. For example, the National Transport Commission4 suggests that new vehicle emissions intensity would be 58% lower if all new buyers bought the most efficient vehicle in its class. Setting ambitious vehicle emissions targets along with financial incentives and penalties is likely to be the most significant action that can be taken to redress emissions in the near term. This can help accelerate the transition towards electrification. Changing the way we commute: this bicycle parking station in Houten in the Netherlands provides undercover parking for 3000 bikes at the main train station; there's even e-bike charging available too.

Electrify everything Combined with emissions regulation, Furthermore, electric cars can recharge outside Public and active transport the rapid decline in the cost of renewable other electricity demand peaks and, with smart Increasing public transport and active energy and storage will very likely see grid technology, can also feed surplus electrical transport (walking/cycling) can contribute to the electrification of the non-air transport energy into the grid at peak times (see article the abatement task, but that's only likely where sector, including cars, vans, trucks, buses on EVs and the grid, p. 76, for more). land-use patterns make them plausible and and diesel trains. While this will require an The increasingly compelling economic attractive options. The urban sprawl of most increase in electricity generation (assuming motivation for electrification will drive Australian cities makes it difficult. no improvement across other sectors of the the transition, although there is a strong Only a minority of employment is located economy), the increase required, at least for role for government to reduce the risk of in the centre of big cities—13% of employment passenger cars, is neither technically nor disruption in the energy and transport in Melbourne is in the CBD for example—yet economically unrealistic. In 2018, Australia sectors. There’s also a risk that the lower costs most of our rail networks are focused on generated around 261,400 GWh of electricity5 brought by electrification will encourage radially serving the city centres. Very large and passenger cars travelled a total of 180,000 even more travel (and driving in particular). and expensive public transport projects are million kilometres3. Assuming 180 Wh/km Policymaking that minimises the risk of these proposed or under development such as as an average electric car efficiency, the perverse consequences is required. the East Coast High Speed Rail, Sydney and additional electricity required would be in the Melbourne Metro and Brisbane Crossrail, but order of 32,400 GWh (neglecting transmission all are likely to provide only a small reduction losses), or an increase of around 12%. in vehicle kilometres travelled. While they will improve the economic vitality of these centres, they come at a huge cost. By comparison, lower cost public transport, such as bus travel, is often neglected. It represents a fairly small share of the transport task (5% of passenger kilometres in Sydney and 2% in Melbourne1,2) but can better serve the lower density areas in our cities. The congestion resulting from commuting is very visible, yet commuting only accounts for around a quarter to a third of passenger kilometres in Sydney and Melbourne on weekdays. Most of the remaining passenger kilometres are from social or recreation-related travel (a quarter), work-related business travel (15%), shopping (10%) and ferrying passengers around (10%).1,2 Using public transport to meet all these diverse purposes with widely spread destinations is difficult, but there are many Figure 2. There’s been an 18% increase in total private car kilometres since 2000, up by over 40 billion km per year. trips where improved cycling, walking and bus Source: Bureau of Infrastructure, Transport and Regional Economics (BITRE), 2018. services could reduce car use.

66 issue 148 renew magazine renew.org.au Cycling and walking can make a much greater contribution to the transport task than they currently do in inner city areas, either on their own or in combination with public transport—and in suburban and regional areas where distances are short between residential, employment and retail zones. But to do so requires reallocating roadspace from cars to these far more space- and energy-efficient forms of transport. As exemplar countries such as the Netherlands have demonstrated, to encourage cycling in particular requires denser, more mixed land-use patterns, high quality separated infrastructure and deterrents to car use such as limited or expensive parking.

Can self-driving cars help? Self-driving cars are often seen as a panacea to improve road safety and also potentially to reduce congestion and emissions. However, if Houten is a suburb built around biking and walking: houses face onto bike paths and cars have to go around the back! a high level of automation were to be achieved, there is a risk of much greater car use as forming the spine of the transport network, Getting to genuine transport sustainability driving becomes universally available—such providing direct connection to shops and train It’s not only about emissions. The pre- as to children. Government regulation and stations; houses front onto the paths with roads eminent contribution of the car in Australia incentives would be required to manage this often at the rear. Car travel is intentionally more has come about partly because of a long risk, with new business models developed that difficult than walking or riding—almost all car history of failing to account for the external break the cultural bonds of car ownership. If a trips require a circuitous drive along the outer costs of driving, such as the pollution, future could be achieved where car ownership ring road. The density of around 50 people per injuries and deaths, noise, land taken and is a minority activity, and instead autonomous hectare is similar to many inner- and middle- community severance. These costs are borne vehicles operate similarly to taxis or ride share suburban areas in Australia, and car ownership by the community as a whole, not just by car services today, there is potential to reduce is still relatively high (420 cars/1000 residents) drivers. overall vehicle kilometres travelled (although although not as high as the Australian average To achieve the radical reduction in empty ‘positioning’ runs could offset any car (568 cars/1000 residents). Despite the transport emissions that is required will occupancy gains), release vast swathes of urban relatively high density (compared to most demand a rapid technological shift towards space from car parking for more productive Australian suburbs), there is much more public electrification supported by renewables, and uses, and reduce emissions. open space as there is less need for roads and a massive shift from the least energy-efficient parking, and the balance is towards public forms of transport (especially the private car) Planning is the long-term solution rather than private outdoor space. towards the most efficient (walking, cycling The integration of transport and land-use The result is that the vast majority of travel and public transport). This will require both planning has long been a problem in Australia, within the suburb occurs by foot or bicycle, carrots and sticks: the most efficient forms of with weak government oversight between and much travel to Utrecht and other major transport will need to be made much more opening up new areas for development cities occurs by train, with undercover parking attractive and the least efficient less attractive. and providing high quality non-car-based for 3000 bicycles at the main station. A drastic change in approach and priorities transport options. In recent years this has been Many of the principles used in Houten is needed: we need a reversal of the current exacerbated by strong political intervention in could easily be applied in existing Australian practice which favours the least efficient. transport investment, in some cases subverting suburbs and towns, at least in those that have considered planning (e.g. projects announced sufficient densities and mixed land uses. AUTHOR: before the business case is done). This could include partial road closures that Cameron Munro Many European countries and, increasingly, preclude ‘rat running’, but provide easy and Cameron is a transport planning consultant with an interest in creating more sustainable, liveable and cities in North America are recognising the direct connections by walking or riding. This efficient cities. need for public transport to form the backbone provides both a disincentive to use cars for of new developments and are building these short trips (‘stick’), and an incentive to walk or REFERENCES 1. Transport for NSW Household Travel Survey, www.transport. networks alongside the developments. While ride (‘carrot’). Transport choices are made based nsw.gov.au/data-and-research/passenger-travel/surveys/ there are some good examples in Australia (e.g. on the relative attractiveness of the modes; household-travel-survey-hts p. 68), most continue to pay scant attention to we are unlikely to achieve the required shifts 2. Victorian Integrated Survey of Travel and Activity, transport.vic. gov.au/about/data-and-research/vista/vista-data-and-publications non-car travel options. without a combination of both carrot and stick. 3. ABS, 2019 Survey of Motor Vehicle Use, Cat. 9208.0, www.abs. One example of how this can be achieved Mixed use development is also important. gov.au/ausstats/[email protected]/mf/9208.0 at an urban level is the suburb of Houten (pop. The classic pre-car model of development with 4. National Transport Commission, www.ntc.gov.au/topics/ environment/light-vehicle-emissions 50,000) on the outskirts of Utrecht in the moderate density and residences intermingled 5. Dept of Environment and Energy, www.energy.gov.au/ Netherlands. This suburb was designed from with shops and employment centres shows publications/australian-energy-statistics-table-o-electricity- generation-fuel-type-2017-18-and-2018 the outset with cycle paths and footpaths how we used to be able to do this. renew.org.au renew magazine issue 148 67 CASE STUDY

Public transport from day one

One housing estate that’s aiming to address transport from the get-go is the Ginninderry greenfield development in Canberra. About 13 km from the city centre, this is a whole new community of 11,500 homes to be built over the next 40 years, at a rate of about 300 homes per year. This slow pace may seem surprising, but it’s designed to take advantage of new technologies and building practices, and learn

as they go via the Ginninderry Living Lab. Riverview courtesy Developments Images They’re planning long-term research on how The Link community centre was the first building constructed and is set up to demonstrate the benefits of passive solar design. The multipurpose facility is currently a very pleasant office for the development staff as well as a community the development’s sustainability goals impact space hosting art exhibitions and other events. It also has a public EV charging point. Lovely new and established native on water and energy use (including the build plantings surround the building. of one of the Your Home ‘Design for Place’ off- the-shelf designs), and on health through their discussions with Transport Canberra, possibly in Canberra have bike carrying ability, so cycle/ promotion of active lifestyles. even about running an electric bus trial. The bus commuting should be a real possibility. When it comes to transport, Ginninderry first homeowners will move in early next They’re also planning to have shared electric is prioritising cycling, walking and public year, so their deadline is looming to sign an bikes available. transport over cars, with each house within agreement with Transport Canberra; otherwise They’re also designing in electric vehicle walking distance (no more than 400 m) from they’ll revert to self-funding a minibus. charging. 'The Link', Ginninderry's first amenities such as shops and bus stops. Sustainability Manager Jessica Stewart community centre, has a 22 kW charging point The development’s strategic adviser Tony is sorting out the details of the bus service. and each house is encouraged to build in the Adams says a key design goal was to have “We want it to be timetabled rather than wiring to enable easy installation of its own public transport in place from day one. “We on-demand to make it as useful as possible, charging equipment as well. want to stop people getting into bad habits, including good coordination with other public Ginninderry will also include Canberra’s first to have a choice about how they commute,” transport connections,” she says. She’s also all-electric homes trial, with good-sized solar he says. It’s an admirable goal, given horror been researching electric bus options—“they're systems and education for prospective home stories of some developments where it’s surprisingly difficult to find in Australia, builders on the economic benefits of going taken years before the first bus arrives. But it’s plus you need to consider the charging all-electric. Energy-efficient appliances and been instructive how difficult that can be to infrastructure." The first bus may not be sustainable design are encouraged through a organise, even if you’re willing to fund it. electric, for these reasons. The bus will run on refundable 'design requirements' bond and a Transport Canberra, Canberra's public a loop through the site, travelling five minutes landscaping package for those that meet these transport provider, generally won’t put to Kippax—the nearest shopping centre and requirements. on a bus service until a certain passenger rapid bus terminal—with a stop at a local school The project has created a 596-hectare level is reached, which in Ginninderry isn’t on the way. They’ve also suggested to the ACT trust-managed biodiversity corridor on the likely until three years in. So, instead, the government that they could be involved in Murrumbidgee River (over a third of the developer has committed to funding a bus automated (driverless) bus or vehicle trials. whole site), plus they’ve kept almost 80% service themselves, using a local community The development’s roads are designed to of the existing trees and shrubs on the first service provider that already runs minibuses: prioritise walking and cycling over driving. A building site (“BAU would be 25% to 50%,” “We’d buy another bus and hire them to run central road that winds through the site will says Jessica), as part of a joint research project a timetabled shuttle,” says Tony. However, have a 60 km/h speed limit (this road will be with ANU. Often older trees later get cut down things have changed over the design life of the used by the bus), but residential streets will be due to perceived safety issues, so they’re project (some 12 years), and they're now back in 40 km/h, friendlier for both pedestrians and addressing that by trialling understorey cyclists—“That speed is a psychological tipping landscaping with shrub beds or a wildflower point for cyclists to feel safer,” says Tony; plus meadow to maintain biodiversity and reduce there'll be some 'shareways' limited to 20 km/h. maintenance requirements. Plus they’re There’ll be cycling lanes next to the central building in affordable housing, running road: a shared cycling/pedestrian lane (good training for women in civil construction for kids and slower cyclists) and a separate and encouraging builders to provide work faster “commuter” cycling lane. Special experience placements for people from the crossings at intersections mean that cyclists local community. There’s a lot to like about the and pedestrians don’t have to negotiate ramps goals of this developer (which is working in to meet the road surface. These crossings also partnership with the ACT government). We’ll Clever intersection design takes into account cyclists and pedestrians with a dedicated commuter cycle path, act as speed humps for vehicles, slowing them be interested to see the results as houses are a shared path, and speed humps to slow traffic. down as they approach the intersection. Buses built this year and residents start moving in.

68 issue 148 renew magazine renew.org.au

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Catching the carpooling opportunity

If just 1% of Victorian cars took a passenger to work, there could be 30,000 fewer trips per day. So why aren’t more people carpooling? Bruce Campbell considers what’s needed.

Have you ever counted the number of cars forecast to cost $1.4 billion for an extra Researching the opportunity travelling with only one person in them? Ever capacity of 30,000 trips per day. There is very little research into carpooling in counted the number of empty seats in cars at Although the transport experts will Australia. Short research papers in 2006 and peak hour, compared to the number of empty have some fancy formulae, a change in the 2010 were the most informative I found (see seats on a peak hour train? I have. behaviour of 1% of people driving to work Resources, below). Here’s what the research In Victoria there are around 4.9 million could save more than $1.4 billion. That has got does point to. empty car seats commuting to and from to be worth looking at. The financial benefits of carpooling go to work each day. Across Australia there are over Based on the most recent ABS data, around the providers of infrastructure. While there 19 million empty seats. Imagine if a small 7.5% of Australians driving to work take a are tremendous social benefits and some percentage of them had someone in them. passenger. In the 1980s it was around 17%. cost savings to sharing a drive, the financial The empty seats are a free resource that can What happened? Lots of us can speculate but benefits to the providers of infrastructure are also help build a more connected and resilient there is very little published research on the huge by comparison. A multi-level car park community. social changes that have caused this drop. can cost over $50 k per parking space to build, If just an additional 1% of Victorian cars This is a social issue that requires behavioural so there’s the potential for a huge saving if driving to work took a passenger, it could change that could be addressed similarly to fewer cars move more people. reduce the number of trips by over 30,000 health initiatives such as the anti-smoking or Carpooling has real environmental per day. To put that into context, upgrades skin cancer reduction campaigns. benefits where there is poor public transport to Melbourne’s Tullamarine Freeway were and it replaces others driving. On the other hand, carpooling to CBD areas can displace people using public transport and may increase the number of cars on the road. Most current carpooling is done by informal arrangements between friends and colleagues, not using an app or online program. Only a very small percentage of the 500,000 Australians who get a lift to work use an app to arrange the trip. Websites and apps only have a significant impact on commuter travel if they are supported by behavioural change programs, usually locally delivered. Research has shown that formal carpooling systems need a trusted group of 1000 or so potential carpoolers to be successful. A 2004 report notes that, based on employee numbers, less than 0.1% of Victorian companies are large enough to justify a site- based carpooling scheme. A few carpooling systems based at Providing transit lanes that can only be used by cars with more than one person in them has been found to have a positive large employers including universities and impact on uptake of carpooling (as noted in the 2006 paper in the Resources list). hospitals have had success.

70 issue 148 renew magazine renew.org.au Some local councils and state governments 7,000,000 20% have made small investments in carpooling, 18% but there are huge potential benefits that could 6,000,000 be derived from a larger investment—however 16% no billion dollar investments or major social 5,000,000 14% change projects are being canvassed. 12% 4,000,000 Finally, providing express car lanes and 10% priority car parking for carpoolers has a 3,000,000 positive impact. 8% 2,000,000 6%

What can you do? 4% 1,000,000 • Individually: Give a friend a lift to work, 2% sport or anywhere. Taking kids to sport 0 0% is an obvious area where carpooling 1981 1986 1991 1996 2001 2006 2011 2016 can work and can build strong social

connections. People commuting People commuting by car, as passenger (as • At work: Hold a morning tea for people by car, as driver a percentage of cars going to work) Source: Based on ABS census data. interested in carpooling or ask around Figure 1. The number of people who travel to work by car as a driver has almost doubled and the percentage of those to find others who are interested. If cars carrying a passenger has halved in Australia since the 1980s. the workplace provides parking, ask for policies to benefit people who give someone else a lift. At my last workplace there was not enough staff parking to Liftshare UK Northern Rivers Carpool meet demand, so it was shared on a roster system—but if you brought someone else Liftshare is the UK’s biggest Northern Rivers Carpool has been with you, you went to the top of the roster. carpooling network with over operating for almost 10 years and was • Local council: Review the sustainable 600,000 members. Over the last 20 Australia’s first government-funded transport plan of your local council. Ask years they calculate their schemes regional carpooling initiative. The them to include getting a lift in carpooling have saved over 150,000 tonnes scheme’s original aim was to link commuters from Clarence to Tweed as part of their plan. of CO2 emissions and taken 800 million miles of car travel off UK Heads in northern NSW. It is now • State government: Ask your local member roads. Liftshare has a strong focus open for all trips in the area and is what the state government is doing to on behavioural change. They have promoted for use at festivals. support carpooling. In 2009, the Victorian over 700 enterprise clients using The scheme has close to 3000 government said it would allocate their tools including personalised members. The website includes $6 million to carpooling initiatives, but the travel plans, lift share schemes, advice on security and safety and an money was never spent. parking permit systems and trip additional verification tick when the authentication. Heathrow partnered member is verified by a participating AUTHOR: with Liftshare 10 years ago and organisation. Bruce Campbell the scheme now has over 9000 The Northern Rivers Carpool is Bruce is a former staff member at ATA (now Renew). In owned and managed by not-for-profit his spare time, Bruce advocates for carpooling solutions members and has saved over 60 via Share the Drive (SharetheDrive.com.au). million road miles by members. The Community Carpooling Association airport supports the scheme with Incorporated (CCAI). CCAI has worked RESOURCES: dedicated carsharing parking bays with other local councils to trial or ABS data on travel to work: bit.ly/ABS_Travel and a guaranteed ride home, offering set up carpooling systems in western a taxi to carsharers who have to travel Sydney, western Melbourne and the 2012–13 Victorian survey of travel and activity: home in an emergency. mid north coast of NSW. bit.ly/TV_VISTA ‘The potential for carpooling as a more liftshare.com nrcarpool.org sustainable transport option’, Victorian Dept of Transport, 2010: bit.ly/PFCST ‘Carpooling: targeting for success’, at Australasian Transport Research Forum, 2004: bit.ly/ATRF04 ‘Investigating a CBD-wide carpooling Informal carpooling often works best, scheme for Melbourne’, Victorian Dept of such as this Saturday netball team carpool, as the trusted networks already Infrastructure, 2006: bit.ly/ATRFMCP exist. Studies have shown that formal Monash Uni Carpooling: bit.ly/MONASHCP carpooling networks need a trusted group of 1000 or more to be successful.

renew.org.au renew magazine issue 148 71 CASE STUDIES

EV Expo fleet talks

E-trikes delivering for Australia Post supplier in Switzerland, means they can carry independent ergonomist has assessed that more and bigger parcels than motorbikes. the trikes also reduced fatigue compared Australia Post is rolling out new electric delivery vehicles Essentially a “giant bright yellow box” on to riding a motorbike. Plus they enabled that are meeting sustainability goals and catering better to a parcel-focused market. And they look interesting! three wheels, the eDV offers enhanced safety drivers who had been ruled out from riding and energy efficiency—and provides some a motorbike due to health or injury to return Speaking at the Renew EV Expo in March weather protection for the driver. to work. 2019, Australia Post’s improvement manager The trial was initiated in Hobart due to Then there are the environmental Michael Thadani explained that the volume its hilly nature. Australia Post knew the eDV benefits: “The eDVs have zero emissions of letters delivered in Australia has drastically might not be able to cope with all terrains and while delivering.” On top of this, the carrying reduced. “It is no real shock that letters are they wanted to get an early sense of just what capacity of the eDVs is three times that of a going down. To put it in perspective, we have it could and couldn’t handle. They collected motorcycle, which means fewer trips and a seen letter volumes drop by close to three data: how much slower an eDV would be, further reduction in emissions. billion articles since 2008/9 when they were how much more it could carry and where it The rollout of eDVs did not come at their peak.” couldn’t go—and ways to work around that. without its challenges. “Battery power in However, all is not lost. This reduction in Expanding the trial further afield enabled the beginning was a bit of a concern. During letter volumes is being offset somewhat by them to “build momentum to support the our trials in Hobart, we ran into a couple of the growing parcel delivery market. Partly in change among posties and other staff” and to instances where our posties just barely made response to this market shift, Australia Post look at any changes needed to systems and it back, with not a lot of extra battery power has entered the EV world. processes as well. there. As we have continued to refine the What began in March 2017 as a 12-week Michael says the pleasing result is that vehicle, we have boosted battery power by pilot scheme of five electric delivery vehicles they have seen some major benefits from 20%. Since doing that, we have not had any (eDVs) in the hilly terrain of Hobart, became a using the eDVs. Drivers felt safer given the major concerns about the battery.” trial across five states involving 150 eDVs. It is vehicle’s additional protection, increased Navigating the Australian design rules and now about to become a rollout of 1000 eDVs stability and enhanced visibility. “We have roadworthy certification was also a challenge. in early July, with the aim to significantly seen a 30% reduction in high-risk exposure And its top speed can be an issue: when the grow this by 2021. for our staff, and that’s a really good story eDV is travelling on the road rather than the The design of the eDV, sourced from a for our staff, unions, everybody,” he says. An footpath, the speed limitation of 45 km/h can increase anxiety for the delivery driver and frustration for other road users. And some drivers who liked riding motorbikes weren’t as keen, due to the lower manoeuvrability. They’ve found the eDV charging works in well with the postal schedule. “Posties typically deliver from 8.30 am to 2.30 pm, after which the eDV can be put on charge to use the next day.” In the end, Michael says that there are challenges, but they’re outweighed by the many benefits and the ability to provide “good, sustainable jobs for the posties.” Watch the full talk at: youtu.be/ AS10pMHEfVc

AUTHOR: Jonathan Bills Coming soon to a street near you: Australia Post’s electric delivery vehicles. Based on a presentation by Michael Thadani, improvement manager at Australia Post Image: Australia Post

72 issue 148 renew magazine renew.org.au Fleet numbers 2016-2021 strategy Actual CO2 emissions 350 331 332.71 331.25 309.5 316 300 289 302 276 263 251 265.9 250 240 247.41 229 223.5 219 213.87 200

150

Annual CO 2 emissions (tonnes) 100 85 83 81 82 78 78 75

0 Council City Melbourne Images: 11-12 12-13 13-14 14-15 15-16 16-17 17-18 18-19 19-20 20-21 Year

Melbourne City Council’s first EVs were Blade Electrons: Hyundai Getz cars While the number of fleet vehicles has remained steady, annual CO2 emissions have converted to electric. more than met the council’s target of a 4.5% annual reduction from its 2011-12 baseline.

Council fleet going electric requirements. We bought nine of them between 2012 and 2014 and we’ve still got Melbourne City Council is slowly replacing its fleet cars them in our fleet.” with electric vehicles, helping hit their emissions target Our first EVs were a real step four years early. E-bikes are also a hit with staff. Staff were pleasantly surprised by the Leaf’s features, comfort, reliability and forwards for our council. Melbourne City Council is a resounding economy. Years later, they are showing very supporter of electric vehicles as a form of little battery degradation, which means the green transport. But the path to having EVs energy consumption (kilowatt-hours per as durable assets in its fleet has not been hundred kilometres) has been essentially the without hurdles, according to Dave Allen, same from the day the council bought them. the council’s corporate transport services “The nine Nissan Leafs have travelled rangers and maternal and child health nurses co-ordinator, speaking at the Electric Vehicle nearly 300,000 kilometres and used 72,000 ride the bikes for work: “Our nurses will go to Expo in Melbourne last March. kilowatt-hours,” Dave says. “Their overall visit new mums and babies with baby scales It was the Melbourne Commonwealth economy is 24.1 kWh/100 km. Since we in their pannier because it’s much quicker and Games in 2006 that set Melbourne City bought them, we have saved 31,500 litres easier to ride to an appointment,” Dave says. Council on the path to discussing and of fuel and nearly 68,000 kilograms of E-bike use at the council has grown steadily in ultimately committing to electric vehicles. greenhouse gases.” recent years, reducing the use of pool cars. Needing to find a way to move staff to where Normally fleet cars are held for about three Another aspect of the council’s green they needed to be for the Games, the council years, but the EVs have proved so cheap to transport agenda is car share. It has granted brought in a number of electric bikes. This run and reliable that they can be used by the licences for seven care share providers in the would be its first electric transport trial. council for a lot longer than other vehicles: City of Melbourne and staff are regular users Within a few years the council had bought “We’re looking at selling our Leafs off starting of car share vehicles when there are no pool its first electric cars, three Blade Electrons— next year, after around eight years of service,” cars or bikes available. Hyundai Getz cars converted to fully electric says Dave. He notes that this reduces the When it comes to the future, Dave can by Blade Electric Vehicles in Victoria—with annual total cost of ownership (TCO) of the see the council’s total car fleet of 78 vehicles funds mostly from the State Government cars, as depreciation—a significant proportion being electric. They have ordered four full- and Sustainability Victoria. “It was a real of the TCO—is spread over more years. electric Hyundai Ioniq cars and installed step forwards for our council,” Dave says. And the council’s emissions targets for the charging infrastructure for them (charging “The benefits were that we were supporting fleet sector were easily met: “By introducing infrastructure is not expensive, he says—Jet local manufacturing, the vehicles were zero EVs and low emission vehicles, reducing Charge put in three charging stations in half emissions and it didn’t cost us a lot of money.” the size of engines, and reducing the size a day). Green transport is the future: “We When the Victorian Department of of vehicles when we could, we were able to bought four EVs this year, and hopefully— Transport embarked on its Electric Vehicle hit our 2021 emissions target in December pending funding—we’ll keep buying them Trial in 2010, they were keen to be involved. 2017 with the same fleet numbers. It makes a until all of our operational fleet is electric.”

The council trialled a Nissan Leaf and radical difference to CO2 reduction.” Watch the full talk at: youtu.be/- a Mitsubishi i-MiEV. Dave says they were Dave says electric bikes have also been an SphJAcoLMI keen to make sure the performance of the important part of Melbourne City Council’s cars was excellent, that they were reliable, move towards electric vehicles. The council AUTHOR: comfortable, safe and big enough for staff runs 26 e-bikes for its staff and regularly holds Sasha Shtargot requirements. “We chose the Leaf because it training sessions to encourage its personnel Based on a presentation by Dave Allen, corporate transport services co-ordinator at Melbourne City Council was a more suitable match for our operational to use them. Operational staff including park renew.org.au renew magazine issue 148 73 CASE STUDIES

I love to ride my (electric) bicycle

E-bike as part of a no-car toolkit taking all my concentration and effort. I arrive the speedometer, because I was not given any at my destination much more relaxed and not instructions on those things. Laurie Miller bought herself an e-bike as a retirement covered in sweat. The bike has five levels of As for charging, I find I only need to charge present, and finds she chooses riding for many trips she’d otherwise use a bus or a taxi for. assistance, so when I come to a hill I use them it about once a month (after using it for about and need put no more effort into the pedalling eight rides). It takes several hours. It is easy to My first experience with an e-bike was in than I would on the flat. It turns Sydney into remove the battery from the bike I have, bring the very hilly region of Sintra, Portugal, the Netherlands! It certainly makes me choose it inside and plug it into the charger. I haven’t while on vacation in 2017. On that day, my biking to places that I would have otherwise ever run out of charge on a ride. It is easy to husband and I rented e-bikes and found taken a bus or taxi to, and I only use my regular see how much charge you have remaining, to the ease with which we conquered the hills bike about half a dozen times a month now, for avoid this. The bike is heavier than my regular there miraculous! Home in Sydney, I bought short trips. bike and is definitely harder to pedal if not a Velectrix Urban 2Plus e-bike (which cost The e-bike is generally excellent on hills, switched on. $1995) in January 2018, as a retirement gift though I have had it sort of stall once or twice Because of its weight, especially with the to myself. Previously, I used a regular bike on the very steepest of grades. It has taken battery in place, my e-bike is more difficult to or depended on walking, public transport or me a bit of time to understand how to pedal carry up or down stairs than a normal bike. taxis, as we don’t own a car; I’ve always lived and use the gears to avoid this. It also took me Initially, I thought I’d carry it up two flights of in cities and have never felt the need for one. a bit of time to work out how to turn on the stairs to my apartment, but that only lasted I got to test ride several e-bikes for a few lights (which come with the bike) and work about two days! Luckily I was given some blocks around the shop (Sydney Electric Bikes in Pyrmont) and even borrowed two overnight to test ride longer distances. This was very easily organised and the shop was very helpful. I chose the Velectrix because of the ease of removing the battery and the comfort of the ride. I was not completely pleased with its overall size, as I wanted a slightly smaller frame, but they did not have a smaller frame bicycle that I liked as well. I chose from the bottom of the range (cost wise) and this means that I might have sacrificed a bit on the initial pick-up ‘umph’ of the bike (it requires a pedalling revolution or two for the electrics to kick in—this can make it hard if starting on an up slope) and also on how well it manages the steepest of hills. For me, the e-bike replaces some trips using my regular bike, buses and taxis, though is not a complete replacement for any of them. It’s mainly used for journeys that involve longer distances, hills or multiple destinations. I have also used it for hauling fairly heavy boxes. I like to use it for pleasure Laurie’s e-bike makes riding on the weekends once in a while. living car-free in Sydney even easier. She uses it Using the e-bike has been revolutionary for mainly for trips involving me. Biking is more fun and much less effortful. longer distances, hills I can enjoy my surrounds and also watch out or more than one for traffic better because the pedalling is not destination.

74 issue 148 renew magazine renew.org.au room in a shared garage by my landlord. Even so, it takes me a bit of effort to get it out of the garage as I have to carry it up and down a few steps, so sometimes it just feels easier to use some other means of commuting. It’s a minor niggle for me, but if you’re thinking about an e-bike, I’d recommend considering the weight and where you’ll be storing it. The battery itself is rather large, so although at first I was removing this and taking it with me to prevent it being stolen when the bike was parked somewhere, I am now less vigilant about this and simply leave the battery locked onto the bike (and the bike locked up with a good lock). I am also sometimes a bit concerned about where I will be able to park my e-bike at my destination, given its value.

Help on Hobart’s hills

Helen Thomson added a folding electric bike to her transport options to help tackle Hobart’s hilly terrain.

I got my e-bike—a Citymotion e20, which cost around $2000—in March this year after a lengthy research period. It wasn’t all that easy. Tasmania doesn’t have a great many purveyors of e-bikes, let alone folding ones (which was a non-negotiable feature for Helen opted for a folding e-bike for maximum flexibility, combining cycling with public transport or car trips. She finds the electric aspect very useful for negotiating the “rather punishing topography of certain bits of Hobart.” me, as I wanted it to be portable on public transport). So I did some tyre-kicking on a (like the trailhead of the North South Track, where I ended up with an unrideable bike if couple of different trips to Melbourne for halfway up Mount Wellington. I can report that my battery ran out. It hasn’t yet happened to work, as well as a bunch of online research. this is not a great idea in or after wet weather, me; I assume if it does it won’t be fun, but I Test rides, once I was in Melbourne, were easy with 20-inch wheels—but I did it!). And in am sure it will be survivable. The expected to organise, and the shop I eventually went situations where I don’t much fancy the 18 km powered range of the battery is, I believe, with (Electric Bike Superstore in Malvern) was ride home from the city and have a friend somewhere around 50 km, but how much incredibly helpful in many different ways, who’s willing to drive me, I can fold my bike battery you actually use is highly dependent including shipping to an agent very close to and change my plan on a whim. In the long on terrain and the amount of pedal assist you where I live. term, I hope to build a Tiny House on wheels use. I have only ever come close to exhausting I use my e-bike for riding to and from work and agist it somewhere in the Huon Valley or the battery once, and I believe that ride was and other in-town commitments, from my Channel area, and use the e-bike to get to the close to 80 km and involved some wicked home in the northern suburbs of Hobart, an closest bus stop to access the city. Hobart hills. 18 km ride. The electric aspect is particularly The motor on this e-bike is not massive, I tend to charge after each ride. It seems to excellent for negotiating the otherwise rather and so the amount of pedal assist it provides take only a couple of hours, even when the punishing topography of certain bits of in extreme situations is not huge. Having said battery is reasonably deeply discharged. It’s Hobart (the foothills of Mt Wellington!) that, combined with using low gears, it does extremely easy—I charge it in place on the With a little practice, the folding is not make the difference between certain slopes bike in my shed. too difficult, though there are traps for being impossible and just rather challenging, I still have my car for when I need to haul young players: for example, if you unfold the which is actually exactly what I was after. I heavy things or large and delicate musical handlebars after unfolding the body, you can still want to get exercise; I just want the really instruments. Also, my standard ride into town end up in a situation where the cranks and tough bits to be a bit less punishing. I almost is 45 minutes one way, so if the weather is the handlebars somehow get in each other’s never use the throttle as an independent sufficiently nasty I do still drive. I still own way. It can be wheeled folded, but not very means of providing power, preferring to use a standard push bike as well. So my idea for easily; carrying it is not super easy either as it’s a certain amount of pedal assist—less on the the e-bike was not to replace my existing pretty angular and, with the battery weighing Intercity Cycleway (which is flattish); more transport options, but to have a broader a significant amount, it’s on the heavy side, on the hills of West Hobart (which decidedly array of appropriate options. Eventually I am around 25 kg all up. But from time to time it’s aren’t). thinking of trading in my hatchback for a ute worth folding it up and lugging it, and the bike One of the main tests I did on the e-bike which can double as something useful for is also compact enough that it fits in many cars before I bought it was to ride it unpowered, decent haulage, and something I can slide a with only the handlebars and seat collapsed. because I did not want to risk a situation camper onto. I fold my bike to get to out-of-the-way places renew.org.au renew magazine issue 148 75 FEATURE

EVs and the grid

Can our grid cope with the extra charging load if we all switch to electric vehicles? A recent report by Australian company Evenergi examines the issues.

If well planned, the transition to electric vehicles will lead to a significant reduction in greenhouse gas emissions, along with other potential benefits such as improved GDP and lower costs for consumers (in the longer term). But can the grid cope? According to a recent report, the short answer is yes, and there can even be positives for utilisation of grid assets and grid stability. But some planning is clearly needed to ensure we capture the benefits without significant issues. The report, funded by ARENA, the SA government, SA Power Networks and Evenergi, considered both the capacity challenges and A group of electric vehicle taxis using fast charging infrastructure at Amsterdam Airport Schiphol, the Netherlands. renewable energy opportunities for EVs on the South Australian grid. Image: ArtbyBart via iStock The report’s main focus is on charging ‘hotspots’. It considers the charging scenarios The report evaluated the risk of charging a network upgrade to cope with 51 electric that might lead to capacity issues (such as hotspots in different locations, and the buses, but, after the network upgrade got a concentration of ultra-fast chargers, for potential to mitigate that with local solar delayed, it found it could work within the example) and then identifies approaches generation or demand response. For example, limits of the existing connection by topping to avoid or mitigate the issues. Of course, it found that there’s a mid-level risk of charging up buses during the day and only fully renewable energy plays a big part in this. hotspots occurring at the residential level, charging off-peak. but a high chance of using rooftop solar or Charging hotspots demand response to reduce the risk. As Managing capacity issues A charging hotspot is a place where a another example, the report identifies a While there is a potential for hotspots, there significant charging load may occur that is low risk of hotspots at shopping centres as are many ways to reduce or eliminate the beyond the capacity of the network, whether they are likely to use lower power chargers, risk without needing significant network that’s the limit of the street transformer, the with the shopping centre owners unlikely to upgrades. There are three main strategies: feeder or a substation. The risk of a hotspot upgrade them to higher power chargers if that price signals, infrastructure solutions and occurring depends on many things, including requires significant connection upgrades/cost. smart charging. charger type (higher capacity chargers will Highway chargers are identified as having a have a greater impact), charging timing/ high risk of becoming a hotspot—new network --Price signals length, driving distances of EV owners (which connections will be sized appropriately, but A price signal encourages charging at times affects the amount of charging they need to multiple charging stations on a long feeder when there’s less likely to be a capacity do) and the location and density of chargers could result in capacity issues. impact. Price signals can be static or in an area. The report looks at the potential In one interesting example that shows dynamic. Static signals, like time-of-use impacts of residential, workplace, fleet and the result is not always predictable, London’s pricing, have proved effective in the USA, public charging. Waterloo bus garage thought it would need Germany, UK and Japan. Evenergi reports

76 issue 148 renew magazine renew.org.au 1 RES 0.9 TOU 0.8 Electric vehicles could 0.7 play a significant role in 0.6 0.5 kWh ... stabilising the grid by 0.4 shifting their load to times 0.3 0.2 of minimum demand. 0.1 0

1:00 am2:00 am3:00 am4:00 am5:00 am6:00 am7:00 am8:00 am9:00 am 1:00 pm 3:00 pm 7:00 pm 12:00 am 10:00 am11:00 am12:00 am 2:00 pm 4:00 pm5:00 pm6:00 pm 8:00 pm9:00 pm10:00 pm11:00 pm Image: adapted from U.S. Department of Energy bit.ly/2FdH9Nc of Energy Department from U.S. adapted Image: Figure 1. Charging patterns with time-of-use (TOU) tariffs and without (RES), during summer weekdays at utility Progress Energy in North Carolina. The TOU bars show that the time-of-use tariff has shifted the peak to overnight. their own experience in the UK, where EV --Infrastructure solutions large-scale battery storage with charging drivers actively seek out low-cost charging In a recent ‘thoughtpiece’, the UK’s grid stations. The report suggests this could be a overnight. However, the report warns that operator National Grid proposed to build a way to deliver grid services and synchronise they are a blunt instrument—they can be network of super-fast 350 kW chargers located with over-generation of renewables to too effective, ineffective or have unintended at similar sites to current petrol stations. If provide a positive impact on the wider grid. consequences. For example, they can lead EVs could handle this charging rate (most Vehicle-to-grid is another possible to too many vehicles charging at the same currently can’t), these chargers could provide approach, with signals used by the power time, with peaks shifting to off-peak times about 100 km range in four minutes. National network to charge/discharge vehicle batteries (see Figure 1). Controlled load meters with Grid projected that just 7000 of these stations according to the needs of the grid. The Nissan lower tariffs, as currently used for hot water, with seven to nine chargers each would be Leaf is enabled for vehicle-to-grid and trials are another option, and have the flexibility of sufficient—slightly less than the number have been conducted; the report notes that being controlled by the network provider. In of petrol pumps currently in the UK—and current combined capacity of Leafs would be the past, such loads have been set to operate that this would reduce the need for private over 200 MW globally. overnight at off-peak times, but the timing charging at home and work. The result would Another option, of course, is to upgrade the could be randomised or set to the daytime be less need to upgrade home connections network to make it better able to cope with when there’s excess solar PV available. and local networks; it would also provide variable loads like EV charging. The report Dynamic prices or rewards that vary per day charging capability for drivers without off- discusses a UK Power Networks project called or per customer can also help randomise the street parking. Active Response, which enables sharing of load. Dynamic pricing trials are currently The advantage of such an approach is that power between feeders and substations which underway in Norway and California, with the the charging load can be planned for and it expects will “materialise 3.5 GW of peak latter trial finding success via an approach located to manage capacity issues. demand and save customers £271 m by 2030.” where prices are posted one day ahead. Another infrastructure solution is pairing

How many chargers do we need? times per week, although popular sites such the report suggests that Adelaide could as shopping centres saw much higher usage, have up to 3000 Mode 3 public chargers by There are some interesting statistics from up to 7 to 11 times per day. But for those who 2025 (for 90,000 EVs, at the ‘strong’ end overseas that can be used to guide the can’t charge at home, a good network of of AEMO’s EV uptake forecasts). The study discussion. An extensive US study (17,000 chargers will be needed in the long run—the also predicts that eventually, about 5% to charging locations and 8200 EVs, both report suggests such a network is likely to 15% of the city’s public chargers could be DC PHEVs and battery EVs) showed that the happen when rapid charging roughly imitates rapid chargers (Mode 4). With larger batteries majority of charging was done at home and the speed of petrol refuelling. and ultra-fast chargers becoming available, work. The same study also showed that most Fast chargers, common on highways, are there’s potential for a ‘petrol station’ model people used just a few away-from-home used more frequently than the slower Mode 3 to emerge and a greater risk that these will charging locations, including their workplace. chargers—the US study showed a median of be charging hotspots. However, required While most charging is currently done at 7.2 uses per week, with a quarter averaging 15 network upgrades would likely be paid for by home or work, large numbers of public Mode uses per week and one being used 70 times the charging station operators. 3 (up to 22 kW) charging stations are being per week. The most used ones were on major The Evenergi report data on the relative installed to mitigate EV drivers’ range anxiety. commuter routes within metropolitan areas. number of regular (Mode 3/Level 2) chargers These are currently under-used: in the USA, Californian cities have, on average, 30 EVs to DC rapid chargers in cities within major EV 75% of the public Mode 3 (known as Level per public charger, and currently Adelaide has markets around the world, as of 2016, can be 2 in the US) chargers are used less than four about this ratio too. If that trend continues, seen in Figure 3.

renew.org.au renew magazine issue 148 77 50 How much extra electricity? 40 As Cameron Munro notes in his 30 Approx distribution transformer limit article (p. 65), Australia’s passenger cars travelled a total of 180,000 20 million kilometres in 2018; assuming 180 Wh/km as an average electric car Auto curtailment period 10 efficiency, the additional electricity required if all these cars were electric

Distribution transformer load kW Distribution transformer 0 would be in the order of 32,400 GWh Midnight 6 am 12 noon 6 pm (neglecting transmission losses), or Managed load actual Unmanaged load calculated an increase of around 12%. So it’s not Image: FleetCarmaImage: bit.ly/fc-rfcpt impossible to electrify the entire fleet. Figure 2. The results of the FleetCarma smart charging program in Toronto, Canada, demonstrated the ability Renew’s Andrew Reddaway to reduce peak charging loads by half using demand management. calculated that an average daily EV commute uses around as much electricity as two showers. A --Smart charging excess wind at night). Electric vehicles could standard 30 km round-trip commute Finally, and perhaps most promisingly, there’s play a significant role in improving utilisation requires about 6 kWh of electricity smart charging, where the utility controls and hence stabilising the grid by shifting their (at 200 Wh/km), while a 10-minute the timing of the EV charging. In its simplest load to these times of minimum demand. shower consumes about 3 kWh form, this can be without knowledge of the At the residential level, the benefits of assuming a standard resistive heater, vehicle’s state of charge or the owner’s driving charging from rooftop solar with and without 15 °C cold water, 8 litres per minute intentions. Alternatively, it can be ‘paired a battery are also explored in the report, via shower flow and allowing for some control’, which allows a user to guarantee analysis of several homes and their current heat leakage from the hot water their car’s charge level and opt out of charge load profiles; as might be expected, larger solar tank. throttling events if the car is below a certain systems can reduce demand. Charging stations Electric water heating doesn’t charge level. A pilot in Toronto, Canada, has can also be beneficially paired with local solar stress the grid because it tends illustrated the effectiveness of this approach generation, if there’s suitable roof space or if a to occur outside peak times—EV (see Figure 2). large solar canopy can be constructed. charging should be managed Whether you’re talking about vehicle similarly. owners charging at off-peak tariffs or grid MORE INFO: operators throttling charging, control over the Find the report ‘Managing the impacts of renewably powered electric vehicles on electricity distribution charging process is needed. The controller for AUTHOR: networks’ at bit.ly/EVEN-MTI. Evenergi is helping fleets Robyn Deed this can be in the car—many EVs have charge and energy and automotive companies unlock the Renew magazine Managing Editor controllers that enable them to avoid peak potential of EVs. Their next research project is to create pricing events. More sophisticated controllers software to help optimise networks for mass adoption of electric vehicles. can even accept dynamic signals from the market. Alternatively, the controller can be in the wall charging device, the EVSE. These China China* Norway United States United Kingdom can simply manage charging times or accept Netherlands Sweden Japan Germany Switzerland dynamic signals to modulate charging, not Denmark Austria Belgium Finland Canada 400 just on-off control. Beijing Signals can be based on time, peak load or 15% Rapid grid frequency, or can be dynamic from the 40% Rapid market operator for load shedding events. 300 There can be value in this for vehicle owners— Shenzhen* they may be able to avoid high demand tariffs Hefei* or get paid for putting power into the grid. This 200 Hangzhou* Bergen Oslo can be particularly valuable for fleet operators. Newcastle Public rapid charging Public charging rapid per million population Shanghai 5% Rapid Zurich 100 Coordination with renewables Copenhagen The report highlights that SA is the first region San Jose Utrecht on the national electricity market that has so Amsterdam Kansas City The Hague much rooftop solar that minimum demand 0 0 500 1000 1500 2000 2500 shifted from overnight to midday; AEMO has forecast that SA may have negative minimum Public regular charge points per million population * denotes 2015 data, 2016 for all other markets demand by 2025–26 when you factor in wind and large-scale solar. This means under- utilisation of capacity at certain times of the Figure 3. The relative number of regular chargers to DC rapid chargers in cities within major EV markets around the world. day (excess solar in the middle of the day and Image: Hall, D. and Lutsey, N. ‘Emerging Best Practices For Electric Vehicle Charging Infrastructure’. 2017.

78 issue 148 renew magazine renew.org.au Advert_2017-11_ReNewMag_FINAL.indd 1 4/12/2017 11:38 AM FEATURE

Planes, buses, ships and trucks: transport goes electric

Back in Renew 139 we looked at the electrification of commercial and public transport. Lance Turner takes a quick look at what progress has been made since then.

Private transport (cars, motorbikes and bikes) is shifting to electric power, even in Australia. But public and commercial transport is switching just as quickly, at least in many parts of the world. The low-maintenance, zero-pollution nature of electric drive systems is ideally suited to public and commercial transport systems, most of which currently use polluting diesel engines.

Buses Possibly the most rapidly advancing form of electric mass transit is the electric bus. So many bus companies and municipalities are changing part or all of their fleets to electric, it’s hard to keep up. In the last year alone the following announcements have been made: • Norwegian transit operator Nobina placed two orders for 42 articulated BYD electric buses, complementing the two pilot buses that started operations in the capital in Harbour Air in Vancouver, Canada is planning to convert all 41 of its vintage aircraft to electric drive, starting in 2019. December 2018 The motor (inset) is specially developed for aircraft use by Magnix. • Volvo Buses announced contracts for Images: Harbour Air and Magnix 23 electric buses, including the Volvo 7900, for both the Dutch public transport • 100 BYD K9FE fully electric buses were • Copenhagen is phasing out all diesel company Arriva, and for Malmo, Sweden delivered to Santiago, Chile, the largest all- buses in the city before the end of 2025, • BYD secured a contract to bring seven electric bus fleet in South America replacing them with electric buses electric buses to Jerusalem, the first in • Proterra supplied three electric buses to • The University of Georgia ordered 20 the city Hawaiian tour operator JTB Hawaii and electric buses from Proterra • Edmonton Transit Service in Canada 18 more to the port authority of New York • RATP Group, the public transportation contracted for 25 of electric bus and New Jersey, adding to its existing company that serves Paris and surrounds, manufacturer Proterra’s 40-foot Catalyst E2 electric fleet will replace all 4700 conventional buses max buses to replace 25 older diesel buses • Roskilde Municipality in Denmark changed in its fleet with zero or ultra low emissions • Electric bus manufacturer New Flyer its fleet of diesel buses to 20 electric buses vehicles by 2025. RATP has awarded a received a contract from a Montréal public from Chinese manufacturer Yutong €400 million contract for the first 800 transport provider for 40 new 40-foot • Oslo, Norway, dedicated to becoming a electric buses, to be split equally among Xcelsior Charge heavy-duty buses zero emissions city by 2030, is adding three French bus manufacturers—Heuliez, • BYD won a contract to supply 64 of its 70 electric buses manufactured by Alstom and Bolloré electric buses to the Colombian city of Netherlands company VDL to its public • Dutch provinces Groningen and Drenthe Medellín transport fleet in 2019 have partnered on the purchase of 159

80 issue 148 renew magazine renew.org.au electric buses, making it the largest electric bus fleet in Europe • Madrid, Spain, is buying 15 BYD 12-metre electric buses • Public transport company ESWE Verkehrsgesellschaft mbH from Wiesbaden in Germany has ordered 56 Mercedes‑Benz eCitaro electric urban buses. So has there been any movement on electric bus fleets in Australia? Not that we could find, but if any readers know of interesting news, please let us know. It’s also good to see related companies thinking specifically about EVs. Continental has released their new tyre optimised specifically for electric buses, the Conti Urban HA3. The HA3 tyres have an increased load rating to cater for the higher weight of e-buses Eviation’s nine-passenger light commercial aircraft, the Alice, is made mostly from composites and uses three and thicker rubber on the treads for greater 280 kW electric motors from Magnix driving pusher propellers for highest efficiency. Expected range is over 1100 km at a cruising speed of 480 km/h and cruise height of 10,000 feet. resilience to the high torque. The tread design itself was optimised for a longer lifespan Image: Eviation Aircraft Ltd. through reduced wear, while providing maximum grip. crew, nine passengers) all electric passenger/ US$6 million contract will fund the Center private plane, the Alice, which will use three for Cryogenic High-Efficiency Electrical Aircraft of the 280 kW Magnix magni250 motors Technologies for Aircraft (CHEETA) to Possibly the first airline in the world to and a 900 kWh battery to give a range of investigate the technology needed to replace announce that they are going completely over 1100 km and a cruising speed of around conventional fossil fuel propulsion systems electric, Harbour Air in Vancouver, Canada, 480 km/h. The Alice is expected to be test with an all-electric design. is planning to switch its entire fleet of de flown at the Paris Airshow this year and go The CHEETA project is a consortium of Havilland Beaver, Otter, Twin Otter and into service shortly after. See eviation.co for the Air Force Research Laboratory, Boeing Cessna Caravan aircraft to electricity. These more information. Research and Technology, General Electric 41 vintage aircraft will be converted from It’s not just high tech startups getting Global Research, Ohio State University, their noisy, high-maintenance and polluting into the electric aviation game—some very Massachusetts Institute of Technology, combustion engines to use the Magnix experienced people are putting their hats into University of Arkansas, University of Dayton magni500 drive system, which can supply the ring as well. Research Institute and Rensselaer Polytechnic up to 560 kW (750 shaft horsepower) using a NASA is underwriting a project to develop Institute. Although still at the concept 540 V battery system (www.magnix.aero). a cryogenic hydrogen fuel cell system for stage, the vision for the technology is to use Aside from eliminating local emissions powering electric aircraft. The three-year, cryogenically cooled liquid hydrogen instead and noise, the electric drives will extend the lifespan of the aircraft while greatly improving efficiency and lowering maintenance costs. While Harbour Air is North America’s largest seaplane airline, it is tiny compared to airlines that fly larger passenger jets—but they still fly 500,000 passengers annually. With all flights being 30 minutes or less, they are ideally suited to electric drive using current battery technology, which is the limiting factor for electric aircraft at the moment. As battery technology improves to provide more energy with less weight, such systems will become suitable for larger and longer range aircraft. Harbour Air hasn’t yet started the conversion to electric, as the Magnix drive systems are quite new, but first test flights are planned for late 2019. You can read more on this interesting project at bit.ly/HAEPCP. ForSea has two completely battery-powered ferries in day-to-day operation. Each can carry more than 1100 So has there been any progress on longer passengers and 240 vehicles on the 20-minute journey across the Øresund Strait between Sweden and Denmark. Each ferry has over 4 MWh of battery storage (inset). range aircraft moving to electric drives? Eviation is developing their 11-seat (two Images: ForSea Ferries renew.org.au renew magazine issue 148 81 of the far less energy-dense compressed hydrogen—allowing for long-haul flights that can’t yet be done with battery technology. There are many problems yet to be solved in such an aircraft system, and hydrogen will only reduce emissions if it is renewably produced, but with such big names working on the problem, progress should be quite rapid (bit.ly/2HEFb95). Budget airline EasyJet is also pushing for a shift to electric aviation. EasyJet’s US partner Wright Electric is working towards development of an all-electric passenger jet for the airline’s UK and European fleet, aiming for a range of 500 km. Wright Electric is planning to make its first flights of the nine- seat passenger aircraft in 2019, while EasyJet Two new fully electric Maid of the Mist vessels will begin operating in 2019, replacing older fossil fuel powered boats. is planning to have their first electric airliners Image: Maid of the Mist in operation by 2027 (reut.rs/2wa0UR1). Some governments are also forcing the The two ferries, the Tycho Brahe and Aurora, Electric boats can be used almost move towards electric air transport. Norway make the 20-minute journey between the anywhere a regular boat is, with the added has now deemed that all short-range flights two cities every 20 to 40 minutes, depending advantage of no toxic diesel fumes and near- (flights of up to 1.5 hours) should be aimed to on time of day. Between runs they fast charge silent operation. These attributes are two of be done using electric aircraft by 2040. The at each dock at up to a 10.5 MW charge rate, the drivers behind the new Maid of the Mist public operator of Norwegian airports, Avinor, charging for six minutes on the Swedish side electric boats that will be taking tourists to is aiming to be the first in the world to switch and nine minutes on the Danish side. Niagara Falls in the near future, replacing two to electric air transport (bit.ly/2JYYnB8). Each ferry has a total of 4.16 MWh of of the existing diesel-powered boats. batteries, weighing in at around 57 tonnes. The US-made catamaran-style boats are Shipping Because each trip only uses around 1.2 MWh, fast-charged by an on-shore system for seven There are quite a few new and interesting each ferry has plenty of reserve. Should the minutes each time they dock, allowing for personal electric watercraft either just coming batteries be depleted due to circumstances the quick turnaround times required at such onto the market or in development, but in the such as charging system maintenance, the attractions. Drive systems, battery packs and larger shipping arena, electrification has so far ships still have their previous diesel/hybrid charging system are all being supplied by ABB mostly been for shorter route ferries. drive system available if needed. (bit.ly/MOTMEB). A great example are the ForSea ferries The ForSea ferries are a great example of (forseaferries.com) that run between how shorter range shipping can be electrified Trucks Helsingborg in Sweden and Helsingør right now—the technology and know-how While shorter range trucks are being electrified (Elsinore) in Denmark. exists, it just needs to be implemented. in increasing numbers, a number of companies are working on longer range trucking. The best- known of these is the Tesla semi, which will use large battery banks to give ranges of up to 800 km between charges. Siemens has taken a different tack and gone back to older technology—overhead wires—to deliver electricity to heavy vehicles on highways. A stretch of electrified highway (Siemens calls it the eHighway) has been added to the autobahn, making it the third such installation after test systems in the US and Sweden. The German system is 10 km long and runs between Frankfurt Airport and the Darmstadt/Weiterstadt interchange. According to Siemens, if 30% of Germany’s highway truck traffic were electrified in this way using renewable electricity sources, it would eliminate 7 milllion tonnes of C02 emissions each year.

MORE INFO: The Siemens eHighway system uses trucks fitted with pantographs to collect electricity from overhead wires along Look out for our roundup of Australian electric vehicle highways to reduce emissions by powering the trucks with electricity. Off the highway, a hybrid drive system is used. trials in Renew 149.

Image: Siemens

82 issue 148 renew magazine renew.org.au ARTICLE

DIY: Insulating aluminium windows

Many Australian houses feature aluminium-framed windows, which perform poorly thermally. But performance can be greatly improved with a simple DIY project. Glenn Newman explains how his friend Lisa Rime came up with an easy system for DIY double glazing.

kits also doesn’t adhere well to some types of aluminium finish.

A more solid solution So what can you do about it, especially if you’re in a rental house and can’t make any permanent modifications? You can easily build your own frames to fit inside the window sill which seal off the entire glass and frame! You could make timber frames and finish them to your requirements (e.g. profile with a router, paint, stain, varnish). This will improve the appearance of old aluminium frames and provide great insulation value. But making frames from scratch takes time and skill. A much cheaper and simpler way is to use an off-the-shelf material like flyscreen framing. This is easy to cut, join and ‘glaze’, and is quite cheap to buy. The flyscreen frame is made of heat- A finished frame in position. There is a gap between the film/sheet and the original glass that traps air, acting as an conductive aluminium, but there’s a gap insulating layer. between the new frame and the original Image: Lisa Rime window, and the flyscreen frame is held in place with a foam strip, which acts as a Single-pane aluminium windows are great DIY double-glazing film is a clear plastic thermal break, so there’s no thermal bridging. for low maintenance, but they’re absolutely film, similar to cling wrap, which you can My friend Lisa Rime has had great DIY terrible for letting heat in and out of the home, attach to the window frame using double- success using these frames with clear with both the frames and glass being very sided tape. But this approach works best for tablecloth sheeting to insulate the windows thermally conductive. In winter, the warm air windows with timber frames—timber has a of her rental house in Hobart. You can apply inside meets the cold window and the result reasonable insulation value and the roughly the same concept using window film, even is usually streams of condensation which can 10 mm thickness of the frame allows an applying a layer to each side of the frame to damage the window frames and encourage optimal layer of air to be trapped. triple glaze your windows. The tablecloth mould growth. With aluminium windows, the frames are material is stronger than the window film, but too thin, allowing only around 2 mm to 3 mm isn’t as clear or wrinkle-free. DIY insulating films of air to be trapped. This is not enough to This approach is also rental friendly by not One solution is to apply a DIY double-glazing provide effective insulation, and also doesn’t applying any adhesives or fasteners to the film to the window to create an air gap that do anything about the frames conducting dwelling, and the frames can be easily and provides good insulation. heat. Some double-sided tape used in these quickly removed or modified if necessary. renew.org.au renew magazine issue 148 83 After measuring all four sides of the cavity, cut your frame pieces to size. The plastic corner pieces push inside the aluminium frames.

Images: Lisa Rime

They are also suitable for people considering Materials the four sides individually—this is particularly more expensive double glazing options (using • Aluminium flyscreen frames 25 mm x 2.5 m important in older houses where window glass or acrylic secondary glazing layers, or • Flyscreen frame corner brackets frames may not be square. replacing the windows with double-glazed • 6 mm thick foam self-adhesive door and The frame pieces have a gutter on one units) to see how much of a difference double window seal, such as Raven RP14 seal side, which you want on the inside edge of glazing will make. For vinyl method: the frame once it’s constructed. Cut each If the film or vinyl is applied well it can last • 6 mm rubber flyscreen spline (a ridged piece of frame to the required length with a several years, but it can easily be damaged— rubber tube); cheapest off a roll hacksaw and a mitre box allowing for about a however, replacing it is cheap and easy. Also, • Clear vinyl tablecloth cover, 1 mm 3 mm to 4 mm gap between the inner edges of because the film is flexible, it provides none thickness (available on a roll) the window cavity and the outermost tips of of the soundproofing benefits of rigid double For window film method: the flyscreen frame lengths, and cutting the glazing. • Pack of DIY window insulating film, ends at a 45 degree angle, so that the gutter including double-sided tape. is on the inside edge. A mitre box helps with How it works getting the angle right: it’s a three-sided box This approach uses thin vinyl tablecloth Method which is open at the top and the ends, wide sheeting or window film as a double-glazing enough to accommodate the width of the layer on the inside of the glass window. The --1. Estimate and purchase material to be cut. Slots cut in the walls of the vinyl or film layer is attached to a flyscreen Start by estimating and purchasing the right box at the angle at which the cut is to be made frame that is ‘friction fitted’ into the window quantity of materials. (usually 45 and 90 degrees) guide the saw. cavity. This method of frame construction will Carefully measure the window(s) you Push the corner pieces into the end of each work for windows that: wish to fit and calculate the quantities of frame piece to join them together. Take it to • are no more than 2.5 metres on their longer the flyscreen frame and vinyl/film you will the window cavity to check how it fits before side due to flyscreen material size require. Don’t just add up the total length continuing. It should be able to sit within the • are no more than 1.3 m on their shorter side of flyscreen framing and buy that much. cavity without friction, but with no more than for vinyl or 1.5 m for window film Flyscreen framing comes in 2.5 m lengths a few millimetres clearance between each • have enough depth in the window sill on which you will need to cut down to fit, so edge and the window cavity. the inside to insert the frame. there will be some wasted offcuts. With a bit Now do either step 3a or 3b, depending on of sketching and basic maths you can add up whether you are using vinyl or window film. Equipment the lengths required to use as much of each • A large clean flat surface to work on 2.5 m piece as possible, reducing waste. --3a. Attach the vinyl sheet • Measuring tape If purchasing vinyl, take care that it doesn’t Clean up your work surface or move to a clean • Hacksaw touch the floor or any dusty surfaces as it will one. The vinyl is prone to electrostatic charge • Mitre box (nice for neat corners, but not vital) pick up dust easily. It’s easiest to transport and will attract dust very easily but is hard to • Vice (not vital) when folded very loosely. clean. • Scissors Lay your frame down flat with the gutter • Pencil --2. Construct the frame facing upwards. Lay the vinyl on the top and For vinyl method: First, work out the exact length for each of flatten it out. Cut around it so that you have • Wooden clothes pegs the frame pieces. To do this, measure the 50 mm or so extra material around the frame. • Spline roller (not vital) window cavity at the point where you want You hold the vinyl to the frame using For window film method: the frame to sit; the ideal position is about spline rubber pushed into the gutter. But, • Hair dryer 10 mm to 20 mm out from the glass. Measure first, temporarily attach the vinyl to the

84 issue 148 renew magazine renew.org.au frame using the wooden pegs. This will make pushing in the rubber spline piece easier and yield a better, flatter result—the flatter the vinyl is, the less visible it will be. The aim is to stretch it flat, but not so tight that it warps the frame. A good technique is to put the first peg in the middle on one side (tucking the excess vinyl under the frame as you go), then in the middle on the opposite side, then do the same for the last two sides. Next pull at the corners and peg from the centre pegs out to the corners. Now it’s time to put in the spline rubber. Start at a corner and work along the shortest edge first. Use the spline roller to push the spline into the gutter so that the vinyl is held firmly in place. Remove the pegs as you go. When you have made your way around the entire frame, trim the remaining spline off. Trim off the excess vinyl with scissors, but leave a tab of vinyl at the centre of each side. These tabs can be handy for adjusting and removing the frame from the cavity later on. For the vinyl sheet method, you lay the sheet over the frame and hold in place with pegs.

-- 3b. Fit the window film Clean up your work surface or move to a clean one. Lay your frame down flat with the gutter facing upwards. Make sure the frame is clean and grease- free so the tape adheres well. Wipe down with some methylated spirits if necessary. Allow to dry properly before applying tape. Unfold the film ensuring that layers are not stuck together and cut roughly to the size of your frame, allowing at least 20 mm extra on all sides. You can trim the excess later. Remove one side of the backing paper from the double-sided tape and stick the tape Then lock the sheet into place using the flyscreen spline. For the Lastly, you attach adhesive weather seal to the frame, making sure there are no gaps window film method, you stick it to the frame with the supplied foam strip around the entire perimeter of where the corners join. Before removing the double-sided tape instead. the frame. other backing paper, press down with the Images: Lisa Rime back of a spoon to ensure the tape is firmly attached to the frame. --4. Seal the edges of the frame AUTHORS: Glenn Newman Stick the film to the tape, repositioning Stick the window and door foam to the outer Glenn has worked at the EnviroShop for more than and stretching the film to ensure there are edge of the frame, working your way around 12 years and has qualifications in Renewable Energy no wrinkles attached to the tape. Wrinkles the entire frame. Technologies and Building Design. He’s also been a rental and slack within the window frame are not a tenant in many terribly inefficient houses for more than 25 years. problem. Most people find it easiest to roll up --5. Fit the frame into the window the film, stick one edge and gradually unroll it Gently push your finished frame into your Lisa Rime down the frame. window cavity so that it creates a space Lisa is an artist who lives with rheumatoid arthritis in Remove any remaining wrinkles with a between the new frame and the glass of Hobart. Her invention is a product of her family’s need hairdryer by starting in a corner and working 10 mm to 20 mm. It should fit so that the foam to live in the cold climate on a low income—amid a state- wide rental housing crisis. In the past, Lisa has designed, methodically across the window, taking care is pressing firmly against the window reveal, drafted plans for and built a sustainable pole-house in not to touch the film with the dryer. Trim off sill and head, creating an airtight seal. Tasmania. any excess film beyond the line of the tape If you are making frames for corner with sharp scissors or a craft knife. windows, foam gap filler rod can be pushed If desired, turn the frame over and repeat into the corner to take up the space between on the other side for extra insulation. the two frames so that they sit firmly in place. It is available in various diameters to suit different windows. renew.org.au renew magazine issue 148 85 LETTERS Please limit letters to 350 words. Due to space restrictions * we can’t guarantee to publish all letters received, and letters published may be edited for clarity and length. SEND TO: Renew magazine, Level 1, 39 Little Collins St, Melbourne VIC 3000 or email [email protected]

Write to us We are always pleased to hear from you, whether it’s a comment on a Renew article or something you’re doing to live more sustainably.

IN SUPPORT OF GREENPOWER For very thin cracks or porous walls I have been painting the inside with a Davco product called Dampfast. The Dampfast seals the walls Following on from Rob Helstroom’s letter about GreenPower in Renew and is flexible and potable. 147, as another 20+ year GreenPower purchaser, I’d like to add my voice Concrete tanks are often made on site but all tanks that I have in support. observed show similar cracks and porous walls whether made on As Damien Moyse points out in his response, the price of LGCs site or off site. Possibly some of the faults can come from the stress (large-scale generation certificates) will decrease significantly over the of transport and lifting onto the site. Other possible causes of failure next 10 or so years (already at around $30) and so now would seem to are poor concrete quality due to poor gravel mix or insufficient be a good time to launch a new campaign. Although it’s not additional consolidation with poor coverage of the steel reinforcing. To be to carbon targets, neither is the Renewable Energy Target or MEPS for successful, on-site tanks must be made in one continuous pouring (no that matter, but these are necessary to reach that target. time for morning tea or lunch!). The key point is that GreenPower is additional to the RET, and I have found the concrete tank tops to be too thin to survive allows people to go that one step further, even if they have solar! without significant cracking such that it is dangerous to walk on them. Assuming about 15 kWh/day electricity use (and most people really — Robert Backhouse shouldn’t be using more than that), and LGCs at $20, 100% GreenPower would cost 30 c per day or $2.10 per week. This is about half the cost of a cup of coffee, which I’m pretty certain most people could afford! ROOFTOP SOLAR VS SOLAR FARMS — Dr Rob Passey, NSW Rob Helstroom posits that residential PV is not as effective as large- scale PV in his letter in Renew 147. CONCRETE TANK ISSUES I looked at this quite recently as a result of an online discussion around the same topic. Bearing in mind that residential solar comes Monier, a concrete manufacturer, made concrete tanks but stopped 20 with ‘free’ land and already has a grid connection then I guess I years ago. The tanks were well engineered, properly made and I have shouldn’t have been so surprised that the price for a kWh delivered had no problem with four that I have owned for 30 years. I own two to the street was similar in both cases—distribution and transmission other concrete tanks that are 40 years old and have given continuous costs are significant. For my dubious back of the envelope calculations, trouble. Both tanks developed major cracks that are mostly horizontal see bit.ly/2GNKkLF. and up to half way up the walls. One crack is five metres long and the — Andy Simpson, NSW other is seven metres long in two separate lines. These cracks are right through the wall but have not extended. My difficulty has been compounded as these tanks are buried in the REFRIGERANT GASES OVERLOOKED ground up to their tops because of the need to locate them on original soil. I can only repair leaks from inside the tanks and from time to Ian Garradd’s letter in Renew 147 really resonated with this subscriber. time, tree roots have back tracked seepage and grown into the tank. I too have been bewildered by the failure to give closer scrutiny to If looking for concrete tanks, check that the manhole cover is wide the issue of the global warming potential of refrigerant gases. It was enough for you to enter the tank. especially galling to see the issue so lightly dismissed in the heavily Initially I tried the recommended technique of using repair promoted book Drawdown, despite the fact that refrigerant gases were chemicals that are painted on the walls and supposedly grow into the identified as the number one source of warming potential. leak, sealing the crack, but I have not found this to work. The actual task of curbing the release of refrigerant gases was given I now use a repair system based on raking the crack out, filling the virtually no attention at all in that particular publication. There was a crack with Sikaflex 11FC adhesive/sealant which sticks very well to dry strange disconnect between the importance given to refrigerant gases concrete and will expand and contract with changes of temperature compared to the easygoing attitude to doing something about them. through the year without losing adhesion. Like Ian, I would like to see far more prominence given to this issue,

86 issue 148 renew magazine renew.org.au especially as so many experts in these pages continue to advocate LOW-E COATINGS for conversion to heat pump hot water systems and reverse-cycle air conditioning. In the absence of government leadership it is certainly I enjoyed reading the window and film buyers guide article inRenew time for a public advocacy group to drive better regulation in this sector. 143, as I am in the process of reglazing my 30-year-old solar passive — Patrick Hockey, Vic home in rural NSW. Most of the house will have double-glazed units with low-e coating on surface three, and the particular glass that I am using (Climaguard Premium 2) has a U value of 1.1, which is very good, SWITCHING AC LOADS as well as good daylight and solar transmission. I have been trying to find an answer to a technical question, which I am hoping you can help me identify a device I saw in Renew was alluded to in the article, relating to the reversal of the usual magazine. I have searched back through two years of mags believing it orientation (i.e. low-e coating on surface two) for windows in a warmer was in the products section but to no avail, so it must be somewhere in environment. Some of the windows on the upper level face north the main body of the mag. immediately above a metal roof that gets quite hot (faded Mist Green The device is an automatic changeover device with solar input and colour), and reflects a lot of sunlight. These windows don’t get direct grid power input with the ability to set a priority source input, e.g. if the sunlight in summer because of eaves, but they get a lot of radiant heat solar input is insufficient to run the loads it switches to grid and returns as well as reflected light. They are candidates for some form of sun to solar when sufficient solar power is available. control—tinted or low-SHGC glass on the external sheet, or reversal of Are you able to tell me what issue this device was mentioned in, the usual orientation of the low-e units. Of course, in winter we have or provide me with any details and/or contact details of a supplier or the opposite problem of trying to keep heat inside the house. manufacturer? If the orientation of the double-glazed low-e unit makes a difference I am assisting in designing a simple backup system for our to keeping heat out or in, based largely on whether the air/argon community radio transmission tower, so if the grid fails we can still gap warms up or not, then presumably there will be a difference in transmit using solar/battery/inverter and this automatic changeover the U value as well, for a low-e coating on surface two compared to device. Any help is greatly appreciated. surface three. I have never seen any reported U values for the ‘reverse’ — David Hamilton, WA orientation. If one sacrifices a lot of insulation value by reversing the orientation, perhaps it’s not a good idea. To quote the article (bottom Hi David, it sounds like you are talking about the Latronics of first column on p. 59) “A low-e coating on this surface [#2] will → AC transfer switch, which will automatically switch still reflect heat from the home back inside the room, so it also has a between two AC sources, see www.latronics.com.au positive effect in winter”. — Lance Turner Have you any information on U values in both orientations? — Peter Chandler

DIRECT SOLAR PV There is no discernible difference between these two → configurations. For a 4/16/4 double glazing (90% Argon, Do you know of a simple and cost-effective way to connect PV direct to “Planitherm XN” low-e coating on inside or outside) the Ug-value a standard hot water cylinder? More panels on the roof won’t do as I am is 1.1 W/m2K. However, the glazing solar heat gain coefficient is locked into a feed-in tariff and will risk losing it if I increase the array size. slightly different (0.62 (low-e outside) vs 0.65 (low-e inside)). In I am aware of the Easywarm unit (easywarm.com.au) advertised in an everyday scenario, this is barely noticeable. It would be much Renew, they are very helpful but the inverter costs around $1590. better to use triple glazing (4/16/4/16/4) where the U-value is I thought if there was an off-grid micro inverter available, that would 0.6 instead of 1.1. Here there is a noticeable difference in overall be a nice and simple install with multiple panel positions? Or a DC performance, energy loss and comfort at very little extra cost. relay direct to the element from the panels, operated with an AC relay — Steffen Walz, LAROS Technologies (Australia) Pty Ltd controlled by the tank thermostat? I know I can stay with my off-peak tariff, but more solar feels clean From the 1996 book Residential Windows—a guide to and free. → new technologies and energy performance by Carmody — Ross Collyer, QLD J, Selkowitz S and Heschong L, for a window of: outer pane clear, ½ inch argon gap, inner pane low-e (emissivity 0.2) with timber There are a few systems around, including the new or vinyl frame: U value is 0.33 (US units), solar heat gain factor → Plasmatronics unit, around $990 (plasmatronics.com.au), (fraction of solar radiation passing through) is 0.55. The same but the cheapest system we’ve seen is the Techluck controller window reversed has a U value of 0.30 and SHGF of 0.44. from Commodore Australia (commodoreaustralia.com.au). My numbers and Steffen (above) seem to suggest small (10%) or Legally you can’t connect a DC array directly to the original no impact on U value—conducted heat flow is about the same. The tank element of a mains-pressure tank as the over-temperature data I had shows the outer pane coating with SHGF of 0.44 (inner) cut-out (OTC) must remain in place and connected in series with compared to 0.55 (outer) (US units) while Steffen’s shows 0.62 the element, so whichever unit you use must feed AC (or chopped compared to 0.65 (EU units). DC) to the element so that the OTC can disconnect the element Both show that in direct sun, having the low-e coating on the safely. You can use DC on an open vented tank as they don’t inner pane trends a bit better, but both are less effective than require the OTC. external shading, which might cut direct sun by 80% or more. — Lance Turner — Alan Pears

renew.org.au renew magazine issue 148 87 Q&A

Ask our experts We welcome questions on any subject, whether it’s something you’ve read in Renew, a problem you’ve experienced, or a great idea you’ve had.

WATER FROM AIR concentrations) so it isn’t great, generally. It told that we needed to have a new regulator can be suitable in some situations but it uses installed on the wind generator. We did this — It would appear that there is a a lot of energy for pressure pumping etc, with no improvement and were advised Q surge in devices on the market for and the reverse osmosis membranes need to remove the wind generator from our collecting water from the atmosphere. regular maintenance. system, which we did. I noticed that an outback Australian Devices like the Hydropanels are As we have many overcast days in community had partly solved their uranium interesting, but are only for drinking water winter we find a wind generator helpful to contaminated water supply problem by really. To provide enough water from any keep our system fully charged. We have a using reverse osmosis technology to filter of these systems for a farm (irrigation or new Bergey 1000 wind generator with its out contaminants and were also using watering livestock) would take either a regulator. What is your opinion of using “Source Hydropanels” to supplement vast area of Hydropanels or a large, energy this in conjunction with the solar system In drinking water. hungry hygroscopic or reverse osmosis light of our previous problems? My questions are, has the technology system. There are companies that do such —Peter Askin, NZ reached a practical application point; do systems though, such as sivcorpsolar.com.au we have a selection of off-the-shelf units but I have no idea how viable they are available in Australia; and can we expect to price-wise. — Re your wind turbine, the controller see farmers and other water needy people For domestic and smaller volume uses A needs to be a diversion/dump using atmospheric water collectors in the the Hydropanels look like the best option. controller to keep the turbine output voltage near future? I haven’t priced them, but there are some within spec of the other components. With —Rynne Tanton, Tas installed in Australia, including at the most regulators, they use PWM or similar 60L building in Melbourne, so they would control and this involves switching the be able to give you some feedback on generation source on and off rapidly. For — There have been a few of these performance. solar panels, they have a limited output A popping up in recent years. Older —Lance Turner voltage under no load, but for turbines, domestic scale units were basically a voltage can increase dramatically if there is heat pump that runs the evaporator at a no load on the turbine. temperature below the dew point, with a lot It sounds like each time the charge of air flowing over it, and that produces a WIND POWER PROBLEM controller disconnects the turbine from lot of condensation. They aren’t a great way charging, the voltage spikes above the to get clean water though, and to get large — Our original system was made up of controller’s maximum allowed input voltage, quantities would require a large system and Q a Whisper 1000 wind turbine running causing the erratic behaviour. If the original a lot of energy use. Newer ones seem to use alongside four 110 W, 24 V panels. The Whisper load dump controller is still in place, hygroscopic surfaces to collect water (see regulator was a Morningstar with a Sunny- then it may not be operating correctly. accairwater.com for an example). boy 1500 inverter. This system worked well. If there was never a load dump The Hydropanels are an interesting one: We decided to increase our system controller in place, then it could be that the a self-contained solar powered version size adding four 310 W, 24 V panels, a new old Morningstar controller was operating using the same sort of tech, a hygroscopic battery bank and upgrading our inverter to as a load diversion controller but the new surface. SolarQuotes has an article on them, a Selectronic SP PRO with a Midnite Classic Midnite Classic isn’t. see bit.ly/sc-dwfa regulator. I can’t really diagnose further than that; Reverse osmosis is completely different We began to experience problems with you need to get a multimeter onto the of course, it’s how the big desalination plants the wind generator when wind gusts would various connection points and see what work, but it produces a more concentrated cause the inverter to have lights flashing the voltages are doing when the turbine waste water (high dissolved material all over. We sought local advice and were causes the problem. Bear in mind that

88 issue 148 renew magazine renew.org.au a multimeter just shows you an average use all of the standard chargers without WALL CLADDING AS INSULATION voltage, so it won’t show you if there is issue. Small, low cost inverters are common a peak voltage above the allowable limit for RV and automotive use, and it wouldn’t — My wife and I are in the process of because PWM switching is too fast for it. cost much to set up such a system really. Q buying a six-year-old house in the You need an oscilloscope for that, or even I would recommend a sinewave inverter Kiewa Valley, north-east Victoria. This area just a cheap scope adaptor. Your installer for reliability of the tool chargers (they has hot summers and quite cool winters. should have something like that. are designed to run on sinewave power). The house has an extensive brick wall I haven’t seen the new Bergey since they Excelsior Power has some lower cost units, facing north, so will have full exposure were bought out years ago and it all moved see inverter.com.au/pure-sine-wave-inverter to the summer sun. There is no room for overseas, but if the design is similar to the There was an article in Renew 63 that shade trees. old one, then it should operate as a parallel dealt with DIYing a small solar shed system, We were wondering if it is worthwhile charging source and work okay. It will have including a basic wiring layout, so you can cladding this wall with insulation such as its own charge controller that keeps the see how simple it is. Hopefully that will get foil board and external cladding so that the turbine loaded. The only issue might be that you started. summer sun cannot heat the bricks. sometimes when you have two different A small inverter would probably do it, We were also thinking of electric charge controllers on one battery bank, you but it depends on the quality of the chargers shutters for the windows in the north wall. can get some unusual interaction that might you have. Some have poor power factor Electric shutters would allow us to exclude require adjustment of charging parameters. that can play havoc with cheaper (and even the summer sun and let the winter sun in. —Lance Turner more expensive) inverters. If you are using The other question is that the roof has mostly battery chargers, which are generally no apparent ventilation such as whirlybirds switchmode devices, then it’s safer to or the like, are these recommended? oversize the inverter somewhat. If your total —Keith Boxer, Vic CHARGING TOOLS FROM SOLAR load is 100 W, then go for 200 W or better. Many plugpacks and chargers will have — I have several small devices, drills, a an output power rating on them, such as — Have you considered something Q mower, chainsaw, hedge clippers, and 12 V, 1 A (which is 12 watts), so you need A like a grapevine (or other deciduous an electric bike, all of which are charged to allow around 20% to 30% extra for vine) on that wall? It provides sun shelter with conventional 240 V chargers. Is there inefficiencies in the charger etc. Just add in summer but lets the sun hit the wall any way I can put the whole lot out in the up the total that you are likely to be using in winter. Another alternative is vertical shed, charging with a set of panels on the at the same time and size the inverter from sunshades made from shadecloth. They are roof of the shed? there. low cost, adjustable and effective. The devices themselves range from 14 V To run any off-grid style inverter, you You could clad that wall with insulation to 80 V, but the biggest battery is the 10 Ah must have a battery in the system. The and external cladding, but that’s by far the bike battery. Do I need a deep cycle battery battery acts as a current sink and source, most expensive and complex option. It will in the solar system if I only want charging providing peak currents that solar panels slow down the heat transfer, but not stop occurring when the sun allows? can’t. Also, when solar panels are lightly it completely, whereas shading prevents —Keith Pike, Vic loaded, their voltage is much higher than radiation hitting the wall at all. an off-grid inverter is designed for and it I had aluminium roller shutters on a will shut down or even be damaged. The house years back and they basically did — The simplest solution is to have battery prevents that by acting as a big filter nothing. They heat up and re-radiate A the panels charge a battery which for the system, keeping voltages stable. heat from the back, so it makes very little powers a small inverter. That way you can The second way to do this is to omit the difference. There are insulated versions, inverter and use a DC-DC converter for each but they are still quite thin and insulation charger in place of its original power supply. only slows the heat transfer somewhat. But this only works if your charger has a Again, shade sails or shade walls look like In Renew 147, the answer to Peter Blessing’s question on hybrid vehicles separate power supply that feeds DC to the the way to go there, or maybe adjustable contained an ambiguous sentence: “In charger. awnings or heavy outdoor blinds. These are relation to $10,000 for a replacement Because most devices use lithium all lower cost, simple and adjustable. battery, you can buy reconditioned batteries nowadays, you need to use the Regarding roof ventilation, roof cavity packs in Japan for early Leafs with a correct charger, you can’t just feed them temperatures can be very high, but battery about twice the size at around a DC voltage like you can with lead-acid whirlybirds don’t do much, especially if US$2600.” batteries. Charging has to be monitored there is no wind. You should be looking at This should have explained that and terminated when the batteries are full. solar vents like the Solar King or Solar Whiz the reconditioned battery packs Many chargers also monitor the battery units as they are much more effective and were around twice the size of a PHEV pack temperature and curtail or stop can be turned off in winter. battery, not twice the size of the charging if it goes above a set level. These —Lance Turner original Leaf pack. Nissan Leaf packs of are important safety features to prevent different sizes are not interchangeable battery fires and improve longevity, so you Send your questions to and the size can’t be upgraded by can’t bypass them. Any alternative charger swapping out the original pack. needs to incorporate those features. [email protected] —Lance Turner *Please limit questions to 200 words. renew.org.au renew magazine issue 148 89 THE PEARS REPORT

Meanwhile, the years tick by It’s time to speak bluntly about the harsh realities of our changing climate, says Alan Pears. Business regulators are getting the message, but much more is needed.

Scientists and global policymakers are finally overcoming Australian energy policy specifically recommended that their fear of explaining the harsh realities of a changing the Australian government should “introduce measures climate. The United Nations and Intergovernmental Panel for energy efficiency in business and industry building on Climate Change have spoken bluntly. The International upon the experiences from the Energy Efficiency Energy Agency has emphasised that its realistic scenario is Opportunities program and through Clean Energy Finance its ‘sustainable future’ one, not the ‘new policies’ scenario Corporation funding of projects that also reduce GHG that the fossil fuel industry misuses to pretend that emissions in industrial facilities.” demand for fossil fuels will remain healthy. More broadly, ACEEE’s ranking of Australia’s overall - Alan Pears, AM, is one of Australia’s best-regarded Australia’s business regulators, the Australian performance on energy efficiency slipped from 10th in sustainability experts. Prudential Regulatory Authority (bit.ly/2womr8S), 2014, to 16th in 2016, to 18th in 2018. In 2018, the IEA He is a senior industry Australian Securities and Investment Commission (bit.ly/ ranked Australian energy efficiency improvement since fellow at RMIT University, advises a number of ASIC-CRD), Reserve Bank (bit.ly/RBA-CCE) and even the 2000 second last out of 15 countries, only above Brazil. industry and community regulator of business auditors (bit.ly/ITB-ACR) have made Our improvement since 2015 has, if anything, been worse. organisations and works very strong statements to company directors and senior IEA’s 2017 study ranked Australia 24th out of 28 countries. as a consultant. He writes managers. Take climate issues seriously. Explore a range of There is something seriously wrong here. a column in each issue of Renew magazine: you can scenarios. Be transparent with your shareholders and the buy an e-book of Alan’s public. Think long term. I wonder how long before fossil Tasmania—Australian leader in electric vehicles? columns from 1997 to 2016 fuel businesses will see their asset value trashed? There is a lot of excitement about Tasmania as the ‘battery at shop.renew.org.au. of our nation’, based on its excellent renewable energy Australian industrial energy and carbon policy is potential and substantial opportunities for pumped hydro embarrassing (likely cheaper and sooner than Snowy 2.0), but this In 2014 the Abbott Coalition government shut down one comes with a need to build more undersea cable capacity. of the world’s most effective industrial energy efficiency Investment linked to the national electricity market is programs, Energy Efficiency Opportunities. This was fraught with risk—for any investor, not just Tasmanians. delivering millions of tonnes of abatement at an average Tasmania seems to have a less risky option: shift road cost estimated at minus $95 per tonne of CO2 avoided. An transport, including freight, to electricity. Tasmania has independent review recommended it continue. the advantage that trip distances are relatively short: Since then governments around Australia have been for example, it is only 200 kilometres from Hobart to too frightened to implement effective industrial energy Launceston. So range is much less of an issue than on efficiency and emission reduction programs. They had the mainland, even for heavy trucks. Fuel cost would seen the ruthless ‘search and destroy’ efforts of powerful be slashed. Risk of cheaper competition from other businesses aided by an ideologically obsessed government energy options would be low. EV-related businesses (see my submission to the parliamentary enquiry into the could be attracted. Electrified transport would protect repeal of the EEO legislation at bit.ly/PER-EEO). the Tasmanian economy from the risk of oil supply Recent international surveys have highlighted this interruptions and price volatility. enormous gap in Australian energy and climate policy. As Australian businesses, farmers and households The American Council for an Energy Efficient Economy shift further south to dodge climate impacts, Tasmanians (ACEEE) ranked Australia 22nd out of 25 countries have many opportunities—if they can avoid exposure to on industrial energy efficiency in its 2018 survey. The bushfires, inundation by sea, floods, extreme heat events International Energy Agency’s (IEA) 2018 review of and governments that over-invest in the wrong options.

90 issue 148 renew magazine renew.org.au Personal electric vehicles and our future While media coverage focuses on electric cars, most EVs will be scooters, bikes and trikes, which use very little electricity. They can be Smaller personal electric used for short trips and reduce money tied up in little-used cars now parked all day at public vehicles, that can be taken transport stops—taking up valuable space that could be much better used. on public transport and Bikes compete for limited space on used at both ends of the crowded trains. This is made worse by poor seating layouts that leave bikes obstructing trip, will be increasingly passengers. And, at least in Victoria, bikes can’t be carried on buses and trams. The Swiss seem important. to have worked out how to do bus bike racks. So smaller personal electric vehicles, that can be taken on all public transport modes and used at both ends of the public transport trip, will be increasingly important. times. We may even belatedly drive action on Battery, motor and control improvements energy efficiency, the International Energy are underpinning innovation. But speed and The Swiss have worked out how to carry bikes on buses. Agency’s ‘first fuel’. Experience will show how rapid acceleration are creating safety issues. a clean energy economy offers more jobs, What do we really need? Share scooters are industries—though it’s amazing how long rising spread more widely and across broader skills. expensive, bulky and heavy, and must be tides can be held back. There will be intense State governments will continue to over-designed to operate all day, withstand battles within the Coalition and its supporter play a crucial role in supporting energy rough treatment and go fast enough for longer groups as perceptions of reality evolve. transformation through targets, reverse distance travel or thrillseekers. I want to buy We will see attempts to support coal- auctions and other policies. But they must a light, compact, limited-range, moderate- fired power generation and expansion of also focus on demand-side efficiency, speed, reasonably priced e-scooter. coal mining. The fossil gas industry will flexibility, ‘firming’ (using storage, demand- We need ‘smarts’, so personal e-vehicles can aggressively develop new supply. But three side management and flexible generation) interact safely with pedestrians and cars. All years is a long time. By then, the coal industry’s and productivity to ‘keep the lights on’. the sensing and control solutions exist, having inevitable decline will be more visible. State and local governments may also lead been developed for cars. Failure to do this Investments in gas will look increasingly on transport by driving urban restructuring, soon and competently will create unnecessary risky. A lot of money will be lost and assets public transport and provision of infrastructure conflict, injury and delay in adoption. left stranded. Coal miners may realise that for safe low-speed personal vehicle use and highly mechanised new mines will cannibalise electric vehicles. But, with federal government A new dawn for climate policy? their jobs. Coalitions between increasingly support, they will waste billions of dollars on What can we expect to see after another three concerned environmental advocates and new roads. Maybe they can be repurposed for years of Coalition government? Pressure from adversely affected businesses such as farms trackless trams, buses and e-bikes. business will build for more certainty on and tourism enterprises will apply pressure. Energy market operator AEMO, supported energy and climate policy. But real certainty Costs of renewable energy and storage will by CSIRO and other analysts, and emerging can only be based on practical realities, keep declining. Existing coal power stations businesses that are proving their worth with not ideology and propping up favoured will keep breaking down at critically important delivered outcomes, will continue to drive energy transformation. Market rule maker AEMC is finally speeding up from its past glacial progress on adapting to a diversified, demand-side and distributed energy future. In 2002, the Parer Review (p.34) declared: “The current Code provisions for demand- side participation are unworkable … The key problem is that the demand side cannot capture the value it brings to the market.” Let’s hope the AEMC ice dam is melting. It will be interesting to watch how international negotiators react to Australia’s cynical and outrageous behaviour, such as plans to use ‘Kyoto carryovers’ (see bit. ly/TC-CCCO) in the next round of climate negotiations. And, of course, the federal Flow diagram showing climate-related financial risks, opportunities and impacts that regulators expect Australian government will continue to claim credit businesses to evaluate and report. for emission reductions driven by others. Source: Recommendations of the Task Force on Climate-related Financial Disclosures Report, December 2016 Meanwhile, the years tick by. renew.org.au renew magazine issue 148 91 Glockemann Water Pumps Ten Years Warranty. Unlimited Alpha Magnetics Earthship Eco Homes application. Magnets and industrial magnetic Self-sufficient buildings with low Please view equipment. Many industrial and hobby environmental impact and low www.glockemannwaterpumps.com uses. Strong Neodymium Rare Earth or running costs. 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92 issue 148 renew magazine renew.org.au renew.org.au renew magazine issue 148 93

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92 issue 148 renew magazine renew.org.au renew.org.au renew magazine issue 148 93 MEMBER PROFILE

As much as we try to claim all of Lance’s time for Renew, he has a rich life in Tasmania with his partner Mia, chickens, ducks (including Freddie) and numerous other pets, many of them rescue animals enjoying a happy retirement. 100 not out In a special member profile, we celebrate technical editor and long-time Renew member Lance Turner’s significant milestone: 100 issues ofRenew magazine.

Over the years Lance Turner has been assistant solar gadgets described in Soft Technology application is real, it works, I’ve tried it out editor, co-editor and for the past two decades magazine (now Renew) plus others of his own myself. And here’s how you can too.” What technical editor of this magazine, first called design. He was perfect. better way to change the world? Soft Technology, then ReNew, and now Renew. Lance moved to Melbourne and This was the era of the early climate Through his articles, buyers guides, Q&A commenced a long and distinguished change deniers. They denied not just what responses, product reviews and DIY explainers, career of reviewing articles about terrific was happening to our environment, but he has not only inspired but empowered DIY electrical devices, perpetual motion also that any number of creative technical households to become a major part of the global machines (that really worked??), plus some solutions were possible. They shrouded their transition to renewable energy. brilliant innovations from our imaginative denials behind condescending engineering- We’ve asked six of Lance’s closest past members. Along the way we were harangued speak with the message “You just don’t collaborators to reflect on his contribution to with techno babble with way too much detail, understand how it works” to the average the magazine and public debate. And we’ve and exposed to regular raves about stupid person who wanted to make a difference in gathered some stats on his published work (see politicians ... and that’s continued for 100 how they lived in their own small corner of box), which has been important, but just a part issues. Well done Lance. Great work. the planet. Well, Lance unpacked that—and of what he’s given to the Alternative Technology then he brought the early public internet and Association (now Renew) over the years. Suelette Dreyfus, associate editor, web presence to ATA to share his unpacking. issues 40-66 And so it has come to be that 100 Mick Harris, ATA founder and managing From the magazine’s earliest days when magazine issues later, hundreds of thousands editor until issue 50 I worked as a feature writer and associate of people over the years have come to rely on It was 25 years ago. No one had grid editor, Lance took on the naysayers of —and be inspired by—Lance’s hands-on reality connected solar, there were no LED lights and renewable and conservation technologies testing of ‘The Possible’ and ‘The Practical’ on no one even dreamed of a world without coal. with a practical approach of “Really? But why renewable technology’s frontiers. I was managing the Alternative Technology can’t we do this?”—and then he’d go build it in Association and we needed a technical editor/ his garage that weekend. After all, if you could Michael Linke, editor, issues 56-70 writer. This guy called Lance Turner applied. build it, or take it apart and then reassemble it I came to the Alternative Technology He was living in Adelaide so we did a phone to understand it, then you knew not just how Association in 1996 at a pivotal moment interview. It was clear from the start he was it worked, but that it worked. And you could in its history. The overall finances were a geek who knew how to hold a soldering tell the magazine’s readers, yep, it’s passed fairly grim and there were a number of big iron. He was already building electronic and the Lance Reality Test: “The technology questions to resolve about the direction of

94 issue 148 renew magazine renew.org.au the organisation. One of the first decisions we circuit boards which we published as DIY took was to change the name of the magazine projects in the magazine to enable readers from Soft Technology, which was constantly to install their own efficient lights at home. mistaken in newsagencies for a computing His contribution to the transition to LEDs has Lance is the real deal when magazine—and so ReNew was born. been significant, and I bet some of those kits During this time of change, only one are still in use today! Lance is the real deal it comes to sustainability. member of staff stayed on throughout: Lance when it comes to sustainability. He absolutely He absolutely walks the talk Turner. When I started as editor, I knew very walks the talk in his own life and I think that little about the ATA, and next to nothing has shone through in Renew. It’s been my in his own life and I think about the diodes, cathodes and capacitors privilege to work with him in two stints over that make renewable energy technology the past two decades. that has shone through in function. Lance, as technical editor, became Renew. my guide to this new world. I couldn’t have Donna Luckman, editor, issues 85-99 asked for a more patient or knowledgeable During my years as editor you could feel the teacher. Lance remains the most focused momentum building of ‘why’ we needed to colleague I have ever worked with, and for the make our homes, cities and communities great good fortune of Renew’s readers over the more sustainable. We were in the midst of years, he is also generous with his knowledge. the millennium drought which put water on The fact that Lance is celebrating his 100th the agenda; at Renew we led the way with driest years, and some of its hottest years issue is testament to this generosity and Australia’s first greywater trial for households, too. Australians were concerned about the perseverance, and I hope he’ll still be sharing and research and information on water effects of climate change, demanding action with us for many years to come. capture, storage and saving. Around the time and wanting to find out what they could do that Al Gore’s movie ‘An Inconvenient Truth’ at a household level. We started to see solar Kulja Coulston, editor, issues 71-84 was released in 2006, the headlines in the installations hitting new highs as households When I joined the magazine as editor in late newspapers changed from drought to climate took up solar rebates and generous feed-in 1999 it was when large-scale commercial change and we had the first ‘climate change tariffs. wind and solar farms were first being built in election’ in 2007. With the growth in solar, Lance was Australia, and grid-connected rooftops were Lance had his eye on the future, and it excited about what could happen next. still a revolutionary new idea. It was the middle was during these years that he started writing He was always keeping track of changes in of the Howard government era which delivered about electric vehicles and advances in battery battery technology, saying that when batteries the first big renewable energy policies, technology that would make them possible. became more affordable then everything including the Mandatory Renewable Energy A round-up on the electric vehicles available would change again for solar households. His Target (MRET), and the beginnings of house on the market overseas—and commentary content for the magazine was often trying to energy ratings. But broader action on climate on what was not available in Australia and bridge these gaps in the market. He produced change was missing—after signing up to Kyoto lack of government incentives—were regular a lot of off-grid articles, featuring households in 1998 the Australian government decided it features in the magazine. This continues today that had gone solo for electricity and water would not ratify the protocol into law. with this sustainable transport themed issue! use, before hybrid battery setups were so As the ATA responded to the new political Lance’s passion, integrity and loyalty make readily available. He also loved the potential climate, Lance as technical editor was him a loved and revered member of the Renew of electric vehicles and was frustrated (and focused on moving Australian households community and he has helped so many people still is) at how slow they were to advance in and businesses over to light emitting diodes make a difference through his 100 issues of Australia. He produced a number of DIY EV (LEDs). He believed these were the lighting Renew magazine. articles, where readers took an old car and solution of the future, and he was so right. converted it to electric, always showing what From our little office at CERES environment Jacinta Cleary, editor, issues 100-120 could be done instead. park he built and sold lighting kits using When I started as Renew editor in 2007 imported LED components, and designed Australia was experiencing some of its

Lance Turner in Renew

For many years the magazine Products reviewed: 1082 was published from the ATA’s solar workshop at CERES Q&A responses: >386* Environment Park—the bluestone building in the background. Lance was a Buyers guides: >78 driving force behind greening the building. He’s pictured DIY articles: >60 here circa 2003 with ATA staff and volunteers, on founder General interest articles: 137 Mick Harris’ electric milk float. *with thousands more unpublished

renew.org.au renew magazine issue 148 95 Say Goodbye to Gas!

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