Renewable Energy Generation & Storage

Regardless of how efficient a home is, there is always a need for electricity supply - either through on-site generation such as solar, or electricity purchased from the grid. Renewable electricity generated on-site at home, for example through rooftop solar, offers a range of benefits:

• Financial savings through reduced grid electricity use
• Reduced household carbon footprint, since solar systems do not create any GHG emissions
• Reduced reliance on grid electricity
• The addition of battery storage can provide further benefits, making electricity available to a household or a vehicle when the sun is not shining

Quality solar panels last at least 25 years, so the initial investment should repay itself several times over compared to the cost of buying electricity from the grid. To ensure the highest standard of products, workmanship, and system sizing advice when purchasing rooftop solar PV arrays for your home or business, and to be eligible for any Solar Victoria rebates, be sure to check that you choose a Solar Victoria Authorised Solar Provider using Solar Victoria approved products.

To determine the payback period and ongoing financial benefits of installing solar at your home, use the Solar Calculator on the Victorian Energy Compare website.

Purchase GreenPower

Another way for homeowners and tenants to reduce their carbon footprint, with the added bonus of no on-site infrastructure requirements and therefore no upfront cost, is to purchase 100% renewable electricity.

Many electricity retailers in Australia offer renewable electricity contracts. See the GreenPower Accredited provider list for a list of Australian Government approved 100% renewable energy providers. Switching electricity providers can help to bring more renewable electricity into the grid, and reduce demand for coal and gas.

Greenpeace’s Green Electricity Guide is another useful tool when considering the switch to a green electricity provider. This Guide highly ranks those providers bringing more renewable energy to Australia’s electricity system, while big climate polluters holding Australia back from achieving a renewable energy future are ranked poorly.

Note that a number of smaller energy retailers are subsidiaries or partners of providers on the approved list. Be sure to do your research before ruling out small community-owned renewable energy retailers, also known as Community Energy Networks.

Going electric, or home electrification, refers to gradually upgrading fossil-fueled appliances in your home to more energy efficient replacements that are powered by electricity instead of gas. Gas is a fossil fuel that produces GHG emissions; electrical appliances are generally more efficient than their gas alternatives, and when powered by renewable energy generate zero GHG emissions.

The main sources of energy used in a typical Australian home are heating, cooling, hot water, refrigeration, and electrical appliances. Typical household gas appliances include water heaters, gas heaters, ovens and stovetops. Switching to electric alternatives can lead to energy efficiency gains, financial savings from energy bills, improved comfort of your home, and reduced emissions - especially when appliances are powered by renewable energy such as on-site solar.

Broadened applications of heat pump technology have rendered it an affordable and extremely efficient heating and cooling technology that is increasingly used across Australia. Induction cooktops can also be used to replace gas cooktops without the traditional disadvantages of electric cooktops.

Appliance Energy Rating

Certain appliances sold within Australia must carry energy rating labels, which use a star rating system with more stars meaning higher efficiency. When purchasing new appliances it is important to consider energy efficiency along with upfront purchase cost, as inefficient appliances will cost more to run and can end up being more expensive. The Australian Government’s Energy Rating Calculator can be used to compare the total cost of ownership of various types of appliances.

Further Tips & Resources

The State Electricity Commission (SEC) of Victoria has released a state-wide campaign to help Victorian households save on their energy bills and electrify their homes. SEC's Electric Home Planner walks users through a short survey about their home, and then tailors a personalised plan to cut energy bills by going electric. The digital planner includes suggestions for suitable electric appliances, including indicative costs, return on investment, government rebates, and emissions reductions.

Even if the building you live in is already highly energy efficient, the way you live will have a significant impact on your energy use. Sustainability Victoria offer simple tips for reducing energy usage in your home, including areas such as heating, cooling, water heating, cooking, lighting and whitegoods.

When renovating a home or designing a new one, there are many affordable design considerations that can significantly improve its energy efficiency, as well as improve indoor comfort for occupants. Putting a bit of extra thought into a building at the design stage can drastically increase the energy efficiency of your home for very little (and sometimes no!) upfront cost.

These considerations include:

• Orientation and zoning of your living spaces
• Using high thermal mass materials
• Window performance – glazing and frames
• Wall, roof and floor insulation
• Minimised thermal bridging
• Air tightness and ventilation
• Shading
• Condensation

The Australian Government’s Your Home website is an informative and reliable source of publicly available information on environmentally sustainable building design principals. Hard copies of this book can be borrowed from our Libraries.

Deakin University and the City of Greater Geelong have developed an informative resource on sustainable home design and retrofitting called MOTIIVES. The eight-part video series offers practical tips and expert advice on creating a more sustainable, comfortable home.

There are many ways that renters can improve energy efficiency and ultimately save on energy bills:

Lights and appliances

• When purchasing new appliances, prioritise energy efficiency - look out for the energy rating label.
• Turn off lights and appliances when they are not in use.
• Maximise natural light by opening curtains or blinds when it’s light outside.
• Change light globes to efficient LED globes - these also last much longer.
• Wash clothes on a cold water setting, and hang clothes to dry instead of using a clothes dryer where possible.
• If you have a second fridge or freezer turn it off when not in use.
• Only boil as much water as you need.
• Only run the dishwasher when it has a full load.
• Heating and cooling:
  • Set heating between 18°C and 20°C in winter and 25°C and 27°C in summer for optimal energy efficiency.
  • Seal gaps and cracks around doors and windows, with weather seals and draught stoppers to stop air leaking.
  • Close doors to rooms you are not using and only heat or cool the rooms you are using.
  • Shut curtains and blinds at night and on extremely hot days to keep inside temperatures stable.
  • During summer, open windows during the cooler parts of the day to allow airflow and natural cooling.
  • Choose fans over (or with) air conditioners.

Further details and tips for renters can be found at the Australian Government’s Energy website.

Council have Home Energy and Water Efficiency Kits and accompanying resources available for hire from our libraries, which can be used to identify energy efficiency opportunities in your home.

These kits can be borrowed by anyone interested in investigating ways to save energy, reduce their household GHG emissions, and improve the comfort of their homes. An easy-to-read guide is provided with each kit, to make carrying out your assessment so simple it can be done by both adults and school aged children (some safety restrictions apply).

The Home Energy and Water Efficiency Assessment Guide, which accompanies the kits, can be downloaded here.

Hardcopies of the accompanying resource Your Home are available to hire through our libraries.

Sustainable Gardens

Establishing a sustainable garden can be rewarding in many ways, including reducing your carbon footprint. Below are some ideas to consider when enhancing or establishing a garden:

• Consider planting natives and/or drought tolerant species to minimise the need for watering.
• Worm farms and/or home composting provide great garden fertiliser, in addition to the benefit of diverting food scraps from landfill and reducing greenhouse gases. Read more about home composting here.
• Garden trees provide localised shade in your garden, in townships they have further benefits like improving the air quality, reducing stormwater pollution, and enhancing biodiversity.
• Indoor plants can create a healthier indoor environment by absorbing carbon dioxide and removing toxic chemicals from the air.
• Biodiversity in a garden has many benefits, ABC’s Gardening Australia has a great factsheet about Backyard Biodiversity
• If you don’t have space or time for a garden of your own, consider joining your local community garden, which is also a great way to meet like-minded people.

Drought Tolerant Gardens

There are many ways to achieve a garden that uses minimal potable water, including:

• Plant species that do not require much water, such as Australian natives
• Use drip irrigation instead of traditional water sprinklers to minimise evaporation and ensure targeted watering
• Consider wicking beds to minimise water wastage in garden beds; you can buy these or there are many ways to make them yourself
• Use mulch around plants to reduce moisture loss
• Use rainwater harvested on site for garden watering where possible

Grow Your Own Food

Growing your own food saves on the transportation, packaging, and cost of store-bought food, which can greatly reduce the carbon footprint of your food.

Growing your own food has many environmental and health benefits. There are many fruits, vegetables and herbs that can grow well in our climate across different seasons. This North East planting guide provides local guidance on when and what to plant. You might also consider keeping chickens, which can provide a fresh source of eggs, among other benefits such as eating organic scraps and providing chicken manure to fertilise your garden.

Using less water saves money through reduced water bills, and can also lower electricity and gas bills associated with reduced hot water use and reduced need for pumping.

The Australian Government’s Your Home website is an informative and reliable source of publicly available information on Environmentally Sustainable Building Design principals, including water use reduction and recycling.

Water Efficiency and WELS Ratings

The Water Efficiency Labelling Standard (WELS) is a nationwide scheme that rates the water efficiency of fittings, fixtures, and appliances. All products regulated under the scheme are labelled with their water rating information, allowing homeowners and businesses to make informed purchasing decisions. The WELS website is a great resource for searching for water efficient products.

Water Collection and Use

Rainwater that is collected and treated in a suitable way can be used for all domestic uses; however, it is generally recommended that mains water supply be used for drinking and cooking where it is available.

Rainwater collected in a rainwater tank and reused on-site can lead to water bill savings, and can also provide water for gardens during periods of imposed water restrictions caused by regional droughts.

Greywater can be used to water gardens by connecting a hose to your washing machine and pumping it out to your garden; however, ensure greywater suitable washing detergent is used.

Rebates Available for Energy Efficiency Improvements

A number of rebates and discount opportunities for energy efficiency upgrades are available to homes and businesses through accredited providers of home upgrades, appliance improvements, solar PV installation, and other services. Information is available on the Victorian Energy Saver website and the Solar Victoria website.

Victorian Government Rebates

The Victorian Government provides rebates to reduce the cost of installing household solar generation and storage technology through a number of programs; details of these programs can be found on the Solar Victoria website.

The Solar for Apartments Program offers rebates for solar PV installations at apartment buildings (including strata townhouses and units) under the control of an Owners Corporation.