Presented by Energy Matters team member Virginia, we take a look at some of the stories from Australia and around the world recently added to our renewable energy news section.
This week, Virginia reports on Australia’s Renewable Energy Target under review, Australia leading the world in home solar installations in 2011, the solar powered toilet, coal costing Australians big bucks and NSW regional residents hit with 154% electricity price increases over the last 7 years.
In this episode:
– Australia’s Climate Change Authority has released its Renewable Energy Target issues paper for industry and public comment. The paper heralds the beginning of the Authority’s statutory review of the Australian Government’s renewable energy scheme, to be completed by the end of this year. The Authority is inviting public submissions in response to the issues paper by September 14. Read more.
– Last year Australian households installed more residential rooftop solar power systems than any other nation. Approximately 392,000 new systems were activated in 2011 according to data from the Clean Energy Regulator and the International Energy Agency. Close to 18 percent of all Australian families have now installed solar power, solar hot water or both. Read more.
– Solar power could be the answer for the 40% of the world’s population who do not have access to safe toilet facilities. Caltech’s solar powered loo has won the Reinventing The Toilet Challenge, an initiative of the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation. The design uses a solar panel to provide the energy for an electrochemical reactor, which breaks down water and waste into fertilizer and hydrogen. Read more.
– A briefing paper prepared by the Climate and Health Alliance and The Climate Institute says coal fired power in Australia burdens the community with a human health cost from lung, heart and nervous system diseases. Brown coal in particular is weighing heavily upon us, with external costs of fossil fuel in the region of 60 dollars per megawatt hour. The report has been supported by the Australian Medical Association and Australian Healthcare and Hospitals Association. Read more.
– An investigation by Business Day has found the average electricity bill for a regional NSW customer has risen 154% since 2005. Bills in regional areas are now around $2520 dollars, in comparison to the average city customer’s bill of around $1800. Read more.
