Renewable Energy
 |
Victoria is fortunate to have a world class wind resource, suitable for the establishment of commercial wind farms. Solar energy may be used for both electricity generation and for producing heat. Biomass is generation of electricity and heat from the energy stored in plants and vegetable waste. Small scale hydro does not require large water storage dams, with electricity generators installed in either existing dams and weirs or water pipelines.
GreenPower
Not everyone has the opportunity to invest in their own solar power system or wind turbine, but by signing up to buy GreenPower from your normal electricity supplier, you are increasing the proportion of renewable energy, purchased on your behalf, that enters the supply network.
GreenPower is accredited by government authorities and strictly audited to ensure that the small additional premium you pay for GreenPower is used to buy electricity only from approved renewable energy generators. It can cost less than the price of two cups of coffee per week to source 100% GreenPower for your home.
Contact your electricity supplier or go to the Green Power website.
Solar Hot Water
Solar hot water heating is a very efficient option for homes in Victoria. Installing a solar hot water heater will save up to 75% of your water heating costs. A range of rebates exist for replacing or retrofitting electric or natural gas hot water systems with solar hot water heaters. Go to Grants and Rebates for further information.
Solar Bulk Buying - Power in Numbers
Council has received requests from the public to investigate a bulk buying program for items such as solar, solar hot water, and even water tanks. Community bulk buying schemes aim to offer competitive prices for solar hot water and solar power systems, combined with information and advice on choosing the best system.
In order to assist our research into this, we need an idea of numbers. Expressing interest is not a formal commitment, it simply gives us an idea of numbers to see if it is worthwhile to proceed with research into the program.
Please email your name, phone number and postcode to environment@frankston.vic.gov.au or call 9784 1747 to let us know whether you are interested in:
- Solar power for your home or organisation
- Solar hot water for your home or organisation
- Water tanks for your home or organisation
- Other alternative energy opportunities
- Workshops to help you better understand your energy usage, solar and solutions
Have any other great sustainability ideas, or achieved something at home already? We'd love to hear about it.
Privacy statement: The personal information requested is being collected by Council for the purposes of communicating with you in regards to the development of an energy and water bulk buy program. This information will be used solely by Council and will not otherwise be disclosed without your consent or as required or permitted by law. You may access your personal information by contacting Council on 1300 322 322.
Am I ready for Solar?
 |
A few simple ways to calculate if you are choosing the right sized system is to work out your average daily usage in kilowatt hours (kWh) from your bill, by subtracting your last meter reading from your most recent reading, and dividing that by the number of days.
The average Australian household uses 10 to 15 kWh of electricity a day, which would require approximately a 3kW solar system.
To calculate how much electricity your solar system will generate, you need to multiply the size of the solar system (e.g. 1.5kW) by the number of hours of sunshine (according to the Bureau of Meteorology it is an average of 4.8 hours per day). So a 1.5 kWh system x 4.8 hours of sun = 7.2kW your system will produce each day. This could be higher in summer and lower in winter, and is just a guide.
If you are still confused or need advice on simple ways to reduce your energy usage, you can contact Council's Climate Change Officer, by emailing environment@frankston.vic.gov.au.
 |