DID YOU KNOW?

Recycling 1 soft drinks can could save enough #energy to run a TV for 3 hours!

Renewable Energy Law Passed in Australia

The Australian Parliament has now voted for the 20% renewable energy target.

Finally Australia is making a big step towards a brighter, cleaner energy future. This is the first substantial piece of climate legislation passed by the Australian Parliament.

This is a big win for the environment and a big win for clean energy jobs. Independent economists estimate that this will unleash up to $30 billion in investment and 26,000 new jobs for Australians.

This means that more and more of the energy we use in Australia will be coming from renewable sources, such as solar, wind and geothermal, and we can accelerate the move away from dirty fuels.

The key to this victory has been the great public support for renewable energy and strong action on climate change.

By being a supporter of ACF, you’ve played a big role in making this happen. It couldn’t have happened without you!

ACF has been working vigorously for this since 2004 and we’re finally there. The renewable energy law is not perfect – we are disappointed more compensation has been granted to big polluters – but it’s a great start and we’ll keep working for higher targets and stronger laws to speed up the transition to a clean energy economy.

Now we can focus our efforts on the next big piece of climate legislation, the one that puts a price on greenhouse pollution, the Carbon Pollution Reduction Scheme (CPRS). It needs to be strengthened and passed in time for Australia to play a leadership role at the Copenhagen climate negotiations in December.

We’ll keep you posted on developments and how you can help our campaign over the next crucial few months.

Thanks again from all here at ACF.

Don Henry

Solar Energy Myth Busters: Why You Should Invest

Julie Jones wrote: In my quest for continuing education in living “Green”, I discovered an article written on Solar Energy and the positive rewards for taking that leap into energy change. (I’m reminded of Sesame Street’s Kermit the Frog singing, “It ‘Aint Easy Being Green.) Here’s an opportunity to change that myth.

Robert Alcock is the founder of GREEN Building Products. His company is local and is fighting climate change through building efficiency products and renewable energy systems. Robert believes the basic problem in the world of home energy productions systems is that most people don’t know much about them.

Robert insists you can’t compare the cost of a home-based solar energy system to your FPL (or local power) bill, because there is no comparison. He likens the contrast to buying a car vs. a bus ticket.   Inquirers usually want to know the costs and payback for their investment. He believes where a power bill is a liability, a solar power system is an asset. Here are some facts:

A good-size solar energy system (typical for a 5KW system) is about $50K. Payback is about 12 years. (Payback from an industrial power plant is decades.)

Also, look at the cost benefits of such a system, based on California–the US’s most mature solar market:

1. The state of Florida offers a renewable energy rebate of $4/watt. This equals $20,000.

2. The Federal government offers income tax credit of 30% of the system. (Approx. $15,000 based on type of accounting.)

3. Value of your home/building increases by approximately 120% of the value of the system ($60,000).

So, basically, after the initial investment of $50,000, best case scenario for the effective cost of the solar system could be earning up to $45,000 back in rebates and tax credits—or worse case scenario, the cost of the system amounts to $15,000 with values and credits.

These numbers do not factor in savings on energy bills, reduced heat absorption to the roof, resale value of the home, and the priceless value to our environment.

So, check your roof space, think over your options and best of all, calculate your years of bills paid to your local power company and ask yourself, shall I continue to invest in my local power company, or shall I invest in my own home?

Robert Alcock is available for further questions at ra@greenbuildingproductsfl.com or 954-270-1754.

Alternative Energy Contract Signed in U.S. Virgin Islands

Our Luxury Partner in California, Jim Walberg, writes:

TapIt – Refill Your Water Bottles for Free

Once upon a time it was considered “cool” to only drink bottled water.

The opposite is now true, as the effect of single use water bottles on the environment is being increasingly taken seriously.

TapIt is an initiative in New York that allows consumers to refill their water bottles at participating cafes for free.

Using either their website or a handy iPhone application, New Yorkers can not only find out where the cafes are but also information on the water itself (for example, whether it’s room temperature or chilled, or whether it’s filtered or not).

This is such a simple idea that can surely be undertaken anywhere!

Simon Turner

Positive Energy – Compare with your Neighbors & Reduce Household Usage

Positive Energy is a new US-based company that provides a social pressure factor to reduce your household energy usage.

By providing information on your energy bills of what your neighbors are using, you are given a like-for-like comparison to see how much power you are using relative to those households in your immediate area.

This is a clever cocktail of behavioural science, marketing techniques and modern information technology that believes in community’s working together being a better mix for success, than distant governments or utility companies telling you to reduce.

And with the financial incentive being that if you reduce your usage you reduce your bills, there seems plenty of reasons to take part.

Simon Turner

Get Paid for Reducing Your Carbon Footprint.

It’s always nice to come across environmental innovations that can be used worldwide.

The website MyEex provides a monetary incentive for consumers to reduce their carbon emissions.

A simple carbon exchange program, all you have to do is reduce your carbon footprint and subsequently be rewarded with credits that can be converted into pure hard cash. As much of us all may want to improve our footprint, the colour of money is sometimes a bit more powerful than relying on ones conscience.

All you need to do to participate is create a user profile on their site (free, of course), and using data from your last 12 months of energy bills (electricity and heating) the site will calculate your base usage.

From this point, using numerous tips and a variety of information sources (including participating in a very social manner) you seek to reduce your energy bills. Each month you’ll enter your power usage and you’ll subsequently have any reductions certified and awarded with Certified Emissions Reductions (known as CERs) which are tradable on the Voluntary Carbon Market (VCM).

Working on one CER being equal to one ton of carbon reduced (at a price of between $10 – $25 USD), your earnings will be paid via Pay Pal.

Definitely worth a try!

Simon Turner