rooftop solar Archives - Zero Emissions Solutions

Thank you for your interest! With electricity prices and petrol prices rising we enjoyed discussions with over 100 people and families keen to save money and reduce emissions.

Net Zero Information Stall

Solar and Net Zero House, Strata, Businesses and Schools Info and Q&A

Marieken, Louise, Narween, Kate and Jane answered many questions and gave out our Guides on ways to reduce emissions and save money on bills. We love explaining that you can approx halve your household emissions simply by switching to a renewable energy company! Find out more

We ask would you like to save money on energy bills for 25+ years? We had many discussions about rooftop solar. Costs have come down, prices are from approx $1k per kW. Warranties have gone up, some panels have 25+ year warranties. Solar can repay your investment in as little as 3 years, and provide you with free renewable energy for many more. We have guidance, case studies and videos for Solar My House, Solar My Strata and Solar My Business.

Electric cars display and Q&A

Q&A about Hyundai Ioniq 5, Tesla Model 3 and Toyota Corolla Hatchback

Our car owners David, Milo, Narween and Alan answered many questions about electric cars, range, features and charging at home and out and about. It was a cold day and Ursula and Narween were glad to make Ioniq-powered-Ecoffee and tea for guests.

Our next car will be electric, it’s great to see options and sizes, hear what it’s like to own one, and understand what real life range is like and how often we need to charge, thank you – David & Felicity

Hyundai Ioniq 5 SUV is an electric SUV with a 72.6kWh battery and approx 450 km of range, charging to 80% in approx 18 minutes at a fast charger.
Tesla Model 3 Sedan is an electric sedan with a 62.3kWh battery and approx 450 km of range, charging to 80% in approx 20 minutes at a fast charger (Standard Range model).
Toyota Corolla Hatchback is a hybrid with an electric motor and a petrol engine, giving greater fuel efficiency and with less emissions than a petrol only car.

Electric bike conversion workshop

How to convert your push bike to an electric bike

Chris and Gill brought their E-bikes and answered many questions about speed, range and price. Chris converted his pushbike into an E-bike using a DIY Swytch E Bike conversion kit and explained how easy this is to do.

The E-bike conversion kit looks small and easy, a great option for people that have a bike and want the option of electric assistance – Michael

What’s next?

Our next Info Day and EV Display is in September, let us know if you’d like to be part of our volunteer crew. we provide a T-shirt and coffee 🙂

If you can’t come along, you can access all of our info online, and you can pledge your low carbon switches and win a signed copy of Saul Griffith’s new book The Big Switch here.

After a nutty first six months of the year for Zero Emissions Solutions the idea was to slow things down a little in July and August.

Hmm. About that… Here’s how the diary ended up looking.

July 20: Solar My House Webinar, with David Veal of Solarpro (recording here)

July 19: Mosman Council delivers our Sustainable Living Guide to 30,000 households

August 3: Mosman Council Climate Action Community Committee

August 4: Zero Emissions Schools Network – Mosman, hosted by Beauty Point Public School

August 5: Solar My House Webinar, with Ruth Irwin of Mosman Council (recording here)

August 17: Ann-Charlott spoke with Nigel Howard and Joeline Hackman of War on Waste Northern Beaches, discussing what local residents can do to reduce emissions (recording here)

September 9: Ursula spoke with Jo Taranto at Good for the Hood‘s Communities Reducing Emissions webinar (recording here)

September 21: Our Switch to Renewable Energy program launched at another BZE community, WinZero, in Wingecarribee Shire.

Zero Emissions in the news

Sydney Observer, September edition

Zero Emissions Schools Network in Mosman Living

But wait there’s more

Representatives from Zero Emissions Solutions also attended seminars and meetings with (in no particular order) Vote Earth Now, Infinite Australia, AEVA, Groundswell, BZE Renewable Industrial Precincts, the Climate Council, 350.org, 1millionwomen and C4C. In particular, we recommend Professor Lesley Hughes briefing on the IPCC report, in conjunction with Australian Parents For Climate.

We worked with Arnies Recon to launch free EWaste Community Collection days for the Northern Beaches including Avalon 2 Sept, Dee Why 9 Sept, Manly 13 Sept, Mosman 16 Sept.

Finally, we continue to work with Clean Energy for Eternity on a major project to create an urban renewable energy zone – watch this space!

So you’re interested in volunteering? In doing something meaningful and fun? In working with dynamic and inspiring people?

We’d love to have you.

Zero Emissions Solutions is an all-volunteer run community organisation working in Mosman and the Northern Beaches LGAs. We’re all about practical ways to take action on climate: things we can do that will have a real impact. No-one is going to solve the climate crisis on their own. Working together for zero emissions has to be the way forward.

Where to start?

Choose from a range of activities to match your skills and/or interests.

Solar My House is Zero Emissions Solutions flagship program. We’ve run over 30 events since 2019, reaching more than 300 households, creating guides, videos and case studies, and attending forums, local expos and online events. We’re always looking for people who are passionate about rooftop solar to get involved with organising events and taking this exciting program forward. You don’t need special skills, just enthusiasm for making a difference. If you can help, please contact Ann Charlott.
Zero Emissions Homes working group meets regularly and creates resources to save energy and emissions at home. They produce Council/LGA specific Sustainable Living Guides, the first was the Mosman Sustainable Living Guide provided to Mosman LGA’s 30,000 residents in mid 2021. They promote switching and supporting renewable energy to approx. halve household emissions. They also look at sustainable solutions including new house design, renovations, appliances, pools and policy. If you are interested in ecosmart retrofits, building trends and energy savings, please email Ursula on electric@zeroemissionssolutions.org

Out and about

The Zero Emissions Markets team launched our first market stall at Mosman in October last year. Since then, they’ve held 7 events. In 2022, their sights are set on exploring markets in the Northern Beaches. It’s a fun opportunity to meet like-minded volunteers and to have meaningful conversations with the local community. No experience required, just a big smile and an hour or two of your time! If you’re interested, please contact Lesley.

Our youngest volunteer, Theo, demonstrates how to measure household energy consumption.

Mosman Markets group: Louise, Lesley, Fay

Zero Emissions Schools is run by Jenni Hagland and Liz Migliorini. They are responsible for the guides on our Schools page and they convene the Zero Emissions Schools Network (Mosman). If you’re involved in education, or if you’ve got school age children and want to get your school involved in sustainability, they would be keen to hear from you. Lots to do, from researching resources to project managing events. Please email Jenni on schools@zeroemissionssolutions.org

Worksheets to download

Zero Emissions Schools Network Mosman: Mosman Public

Zoom zoom

Zero Emissions Transport is run by Ursula and the Zero Emissions Transport working group. They’ve put together great resources and guides to help electrify your transport on our Electric Vehicles and Electric Bikes pages. They’ve reached over 250 households with Zero Emissions Transport info sessions, and held 7 E-Transport Markets show and tells with electric cars, bikes, scooters and motorcycles. They’ve investigated second hand EVs, hosted a test-drive day, compiled a report on Councils installing chargers, and are creating case studies on many EVs. If you have an EV or are interested in EVs, and would like to be involved, please email Ursula on electric@zeroemissionssolutions.org

Zero Emissions Transport: E-Scooter

Good storage space!

And finally…

If you’re good with words, pictures, sounds, and any other form of story-telling, Harriet wants your help. She puts together the newsletter, website, this blog, marketing materials, and tries to keep up with social media. If you’re an introvert who wants to save the world, or a wordpress genius, if you’re an instagram maven or a budding film maker, a demon proof reader or someone who just likes a yarn, just say hello to Harriet on hello@zeroemissionssolutions.org

We look forward to hearing from you!

Take a bird’s eye view of Brookvale and help us with an exciting new project.

Brookvale is home to the largest commercial area within the Northern Beaches and it’s also a powerhouse for renewable energy. Large and small, owner operated or rented, retail, service and light industrial; businesses of all shapes and sizes are taking advantage of low interest rates and high returns to go green and boost their bottom line at the same time.

We all know about regional solar farms but can it be done in a city? This article suggests yes. Who knows, maybe we can build a solar farm right here on the Northern Beaches!

Brookvale currently has nearly 7000 solar panels covering around 5% of suitable roof spaces. The Northern Beaches Council’s 2030 target of covering 50% of suitable roof space would see Brookvale become a virtual power station, producing 20MWp. That’s equivalent to the Royalla Solar Farm, Australia’s biggest solar farm, which can generate clean energy equivalent to the consumption of around 4,500 homes in the area.

How do we know this? Because Zero volunteer Chris Lee has spent hours counting them.

Now he’s onto the next phase of the study. It can all be done from your computer, so if you can navigate a spreadsheet and use Six Maps, we would love your help. You can do as much or as little as you like. Just get in touch with Chris and he will send you instructions on how to take a bird’s eye view.

Students and teachers from Beauty Point Public School played host for the third meeting of the Zero Emissions Schools Network (Mosman) on August 4rd. With greater Sydney in lockdown, it had to be online but, thanks to some video magic, we still got a tour around the school’s environmental trail.

The trail takes you past the vegetable gardens, with built-in watering systems, the cosy home for stingless native bees, the worm farm and the birds and bees highway.

The BPPS Green Team was launched in 2020. They have many ideas for improving sustainability around the school. The school has a water tank and it installed solar panels in October 2020 with assistance from Solar My School. Some of the students’ favourite activities are tree planting and biodiversity initiatives such as the birds and bees highway. Last year grants from Greening Australia and Sustainable Schools have funded planting including 6 large trees and 150 small tubestock trees.

The most colourful sustainability initiative is their rainbow lorikeet mural, which brightens up the playground while reducing UV reflection.

You have all achieved so much. I love what the schools are doing and proposing. Our schools and children are key to getting our community onboard and meeting our net zero target.
Mayor Corrigan

All Mosman Schools were represented at the meeting. It was a great opportunity to exchange ideas and cheer each other on. Thank you, Beauty Point Public School, for hosting, and for giving us a wonderful virtual tour. We look forward to our next meeting on 27 October at Sacred Heart, Mosman.

For more information on family friendly sustainability tips check out Zero Emissions Schools on our website or contact Jenni Hagland, Program Leader. Interested in a school network in your area? Get in touch!

BPPS biodiversity — Learning outside is much more fun

We know we need to do things differently to reduce our emissions. We know we need to change. But how? Kid Power, that’s how.

“It’s really difficult to talk to adults and ask them to change,” says Jenni Hagland, leader of Zero Emissions Schools program. “I had this epiphany one day at the bakery. There was an adult in line with his bread bag. I said, ‘Oh, that’s amazing,’ and he said, ‘My kids make me do it, I don’t want to.’

“It made me think: get the kids doing it, then their parents will change. It’s so much easier to get adults to change when their kids are involved.”

Jenni Hagland is new to ZESN but no newcomer to change-making. She has worked on sustainability for more than a decade. In 2006 she began working for the Carbon Disclosure Project, a global NGO based in London, followed up by work for the CDP in Hong Kong. She moved to Sydney in 2016 and started the Mosman Public School Sustainability Club in 2018.

Small beginnings

The club started small, fundraising for recycling bins, having ‘nude lunch’ challenges, turning off lights and installing LEDs. Then this April, after a year of planning and fund-raising, the school installed 50kW of solar panels on its roof. The system will provide 25% of the school’s electricity needs, saving $8,000 a year.

New to Zero Emissions Solutions

Now Jenni has joined Zero Emissions Solutions to work on sustainability in schools across the region, starting with a new range of resources available from the Zero Emissions website. There are practical, step-by-step guides to forming a school sustainability team, revving up your recycling and active transport, and making sustainability a part of the curriculum. Plus there are inspiring case studies from Mosman Public School and Manly Selective showing how young people are making change happen, and benefitting their schools and communities at the same time. Kid Power rocks!

“People overlook the impact kids have on their parents. You’re changing their behaviour at an early age, making them aware of the problem. These little people are going to turn into adults. I think it’s really important to make that not new or weird. It’s a part of their behaviour, and that will rub off at home, their parents will change, small business will respond to that, community will change.”

If you are inspired by these stories, if you want to help your school save money and carbon emissions, please get in touch.

Cool but sunny. A perfect day to show off two solar installations in Manly. Many thanks to generous householders John and Dof, who welcomed people to their homes and answered all the questions about batteries, solar panels, renewable energy and reducing your carbon emissions.

How much did it cost to install solar panels? What do they look like? How much space does a battery take up? How long did it take to install? What are your bills like? Did you get a solar rebate? Would you recommend your installers? Would you do anything differently? And how do I get that amazing app?

Thank you to all the people who came visiting and we hope you found it useful. Hopefully this can be the first of many Solar Open Days. And if you’ve got rooftop solar and would like to demonstrate it, let us know.

I have discovered a secret weapon in my quest to persuade people to make the switch to renewable energy. It’s called GADGETS!

We’ve had solar panels for nearly ten years now. 18 months ago we bought a Tesla 2 battery for $11,500 (which, as I now realise, was quite a bargain since prices have gone up this year). The installer, who did a great job, showed me how the app tells you exactly how much electricity you are consuming at any moment, and where that electricity is coming from.

I didn’t realise at the time how powerful that insight could be. Three pictures

A sunny day in November 2019

The big yellow mountain is solar energy, collected from our rooftop panels. The jagged line is our household energy consumption. (You can see that I made a cup of tea just before 8 a.m., and I ran the dishwasher and the washing machine in the morning.) Below the horizontal axis shows how the battery works: when the sun comes up excess solar energy feeds into the battery. It’s full by noon, so the grey area is excess energy flowing back to the grid (and earning a feed-in tariff). And you can see that, on this day, the battery powered the house right through till sunrise, so we were 100% self-powered. ☺

Of course, the sun doesn’t always shine

But this screen shot shows that across 2019 we offset our usage — 8166 kWh — with 5473 kWh solar power from our roof. So a 67% reduction in our electricity bill and a 67% reduction in our carbon emissions. The retail price in NSW per kWh is 33c. So *furrows brow, doing sums* that’s $1806.09 in savings in 2019. Nice.

What’s happening here?

This is a screenshot from March 2020 showing where our power is coming from. We’re in the middle of a powercut. The Tesla battery automatically takes over, so that the house can be independent of the grid, using power from the solar panels and, if needed, from the battery. WFH with no grid? No problem.

We love checking on the app to see how much we are saving. But above all, this funky little app, with its visual representation of real time household electricity usage, is an amazing communications tool. Household power bills aren’t sexy but gadgets totally are. Therefore, my husband, even though he is not involved in environmental campaigning, gets a real kick out of showing his friends how we are helping ourselves to free energy (and helping the environment at the same time).

Do you have a battery? Do you have a story to tell about your journey towards zero emissions? Let us know by [best way to connect]