Tag: climate change

How freezing temperatures affect batteries

Posted on by Linda

 

 

Recent sub zero temperatures in Victoria have caused problems with liquid in solar panels and batteries freezing.

Plumbers and solar installers say they have struggled to keep up with unprecedented demand for help as temperatures plummet. Cold weather can cause water in solar panels to freeze and expand, resulting in snapped and split panels and broken frost valves. Naturally this problem is worse in cheaper products or products that aren’t installed properly to allow for temperature extremes.

We have also heard of several instances of batteries freezing as well. Most lead acid and lithium ion batteries only operate effectively between around 5 – 35 to 40 °C which is problematic on days when the temperature gets very cold or even is below freezing as we experienced in Melbourne recently. Continue reading “How freezing temperatures affect batteries” →

How much battery capacity do you need?

Posted on by Linda

 

When people start looking at energy battery storage one thing they often ask is I have “x” kW solar on my roof at the moment, how much battery storage do I need?

This isn’t an easy question to answer and there definitely isn’t a one size fits all answer. If someone tries to sell you a battery without asking about your lifestyle and what your needs are then walk away. Chances are they are just trying to sell you their battery and not really working towards what is best for you. The cheapest battery upfront may turn out to be more expensive in the long run if the battery technology isn’t matched to your needs.

The amount of storage isn’t really related to the amount of solar you have on your roof (although it is definitely part of the equation) but it is more to do with how much power you use on a daily basis, how long you want backup power for and what appliances you want to operate from the battery. Continue reading “How much battery capacity do you need?” →

Voters say yes to renewables

Posted on by Linda

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A recent poll found that almost two out of three people agree that more renewable energy is the solution to future energy needs, and a similar amount approve of Labor’s 50 per cent renewable energy target. In other significant findings 71 per cent think the Federal Government is not doing enough to ensure affordable, reliable and clean energy for households and businesses and 45 per cent blame blackouts on failures of the energy market during extreme weather.

Key findings of the Essential Research survey of 1006 respondents conducted online from February 16 to 19:

Climate change: 60% (up 6% since December) agree that climate change is happening and is caused by human activity and 25% (down 2%) believe that we may just be witnessing a normal fluctuation in the earth’s climate. By age groups, those aged under 35 split 70%/15% and those aged 55+ split 47%/40%. People with higher education were more likely to think climate change is happening and is caused by human activity – those with university degrees split 72%/19%. Continue reading “Voters say yes to renewables” →

100 Ideas for a Sustainable Lifestyle

Posted on by Linda

There are lots of pieces in the puzzle of combating climate change and every little bit helps and most of the actions taken are by people taking a stand and taking action.

SAMSUNG

It goes beyond building environmentally friendly buildings with renewable energy, including storage to all aspects of your life including your diet.

There are so many great ways to contribute to a healthy planet. Some steps are larger than others; some are quick and some eco-friendly ideas take substantial planning. We’ll eventually talk about all these ideas at length but just to get you thinking here are 100 various ideas that can help your family go green.

  1. Buy less stuff. Continue reading “100 Ideas for a Sustainable Lifestyle” →

You think global warming is a sham because ‘climate has changed before?’

Posted on by Linda

A timeline of Earth’s average Temperature

since the last Ice Age glaciation.

Randall Munroe posted an XKCD comic  that so perfectly sums up the illogical nature of the most pervasive argument against the existence of man-made global warming: “The climate has changed before.”

Let me complete that fallacy with its obvious conclusion: The climate has changed before, therefore man cannot be causing the climate to change now. This is kind of like saying “Wildfires have happened naturally before, so man cannot cause a wildfire.”

Yes, Earth’s climate has waffled around for as long as the planet has existed. But it has happened slowly over the course of millennia. Right now, our climate is changing faster than it ever has in 22,000 years, and we know why: we’re pumping carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gas into the atmosphere. We have known that these gases cause warming since the early 19th century. This is not a new science. But for some reason we’re still arguing about it.

Enough from me, though. Please just consider this comic. I hope you find it as funny and thoughtful as I did.

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Continue reading “You think global warming is a sham because ‘climate has changed before?’” →

We are on the crest of an unstoppable wave that will link renewable energy, batteries and smart energy systems.

Posted on by Linda

unstoppable_wave

 

It’s not technology or science that is going to save us on this planet.

What will save us is the ethical transformation of our societies.

This is so true and why we see so much interest in community power and so much other grassroots action. This is why, in Australia, domestic solar and energy storage is growing so much faster than government projects.

It’s time to transform energy generation in your society. Do your bit.

As Margaret Mead says “Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world; indeed, it’s the only thing that ever has”

Continue reading “We are on the crest of an unstoppable wave that will link renewable energy, batteries and smart energy systems.” →

Majority of Victorians support urgent shift to renewable energy, poll finds

Posted on by Linda

A ReachTEL poll commissioned by Friends of the Earth shows 68% of the state, including a majority of Liberal voters, want to see an end to reliance on coal.

Hazelwood power station in Victoria’s Latrobe Valley is one of the dirtiest power generators in Australia. A majority of Victorians would now like to see a shift away from coal power towards solar, wind and other renewables. Photograph: David Crosling/AAP
Hazelwood power station in Victoria’s Latrobe Valley is one of the dirtiest power generators in Australia. A majority of Victorians would now like to see a shift away from coal power towards solar, wind and other renewables. Photograph: David Crosling/AAP

The vast majority of people in Victoria – and even a majority of Liberal voters – support the state moving towards 100% renewable energy “as a matter of urgency,” a new poll has found.

The polling comes as the state government works to rewrite the Climate Change Act, including pre-2050 emissions reduction targets.

More than 68% of Victorians said they agreed or strongly agreed that “Victoria needs to transition its energy use from coal to 100% renewables as a matter of urgency”, according to the ReachTEL poll of 1,137 people conducted on 4 August and commissioned by Friends of the Earth. Continue reading “Majority of Victorians support urgent shift to renewable energy, poll finds” →

2015 was the hottest year on record

Posted on by Linda

global-land-and-ocean-temperature-anomalies-noaa-2015

On 21st January 2016 the US based National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) confirmed that 2015 was the hottest year on record with the average global temperature climbing to 0.9oC above the 20th century average of 13.9oC. This follows the previous record in 2014 of a 0.74oC increase.

2015 was the 39th consecutive year of above average annual temperatures and 2015 saw 10 months exceeding previous records for that month.

Sometimes people forget what the push for renewables, including energy storage is really about. It’s about making the world a more equitable place for all, humans, plants and animals alike rather than just making it an easy way for some people to make money.

When contemplating battery energy storage people should really be looking on it as a way to protect the earth for their children by limiting the use of fossil fuels in order to protect the environment.

Continue reading “2015 was the hottest year on record” →

Interview with John Ballis GridEdge CEO

Posted on by Linda

Below is a short extract from an interview by Tracy Cromwell with John Ballis, the CEO of Grid Edge Pty Ltd:Interview with John Ballis GridEdge CEO

Tracy : Why did you choose the FIAMM SoNick battery as your preferred storage medium?

John B: The FIAMM SoNick battery was chosen because it addressed all of our concerns and was the only battery that ticked all the boxes for a truly ethical and renewable product. We looked for a product that would not only address the needs of today but also what we may require in the future. The FIAMM SoNick battery is 100% recyclable with a recycling end-of-life program already in place and approved by the European Union. As we say “a battery safe enough to store under the dining room table of your home”. This is a battery that can handle a large operating range and can operate under extreme conditions, and also importantly, a battery which doesn’t use any of our precious metal resources.

 Tracy: How do GridEdge storage systems compare on price to other systems. 

Continue reading “Interview with John Ballis GridEdge CEO” →