MASH-wide news Archives - Page 48 of 53

Interest high in switching to a greener electricity company

Dissatisfaction with the dirty three energy retailers – Origin, AGL and EnergyAustralia – is proving common amongst participants in the MASH+ solar panels bulk-buy. The Hub Foundation is receiving a steady stream of enquiries from people who want to move to a green electricity retailer that publicly supports the Renewable Energy Target and generate all, or most, of their electricity from renewable sources.

Greenpeace has recently published ‘The Green Electricity Guide’, an independent study which they say has been developed to “help inform Australians about which electricity retailers really are as ‘green’ as they say they are.”

“Up till recently, Australians concerned about where their electricity comes from and who is selling it haven’t had much of a choice. And in some states and territories that’s still the case, with no choice at all”, according to the Green Electricity Guide.

“But increasingly many of us have the choice to purchase from a range of electricity retailers with very different environmental credentials. There is a growing difference between the old retailers which still remain dominant and rely on burning fossil fuels in the power stations they own, and a newer breed of more forward-looking companies that are providing cleaner energy in smarter ways.”

Here in Victoria, we are fortunate to have the greatest choice of green electricity retailers. The top four green retailers in Victoria, as identified in the Green Electricity Guide, are:

#1 Powershop
#2 Diamond Energy
#3 Momentum
#4 Red Energy

The seven criteria that all retailers were ranked on can be viewed here, they are:

Investment in renewable energy
Emissions intensity
Greenpower options
Whether they offer a good deal for solar
Position on Australia’s Renewable Energy Target
Coal seam gas investments
Whether they are prepared to rule out purchasing electricity generated from burning native forest vegetation

The electricity companies that get a green rating in this report receive high scores on most of the above 7 criteria. “They typically generate all or most of their electricity from renewable sources, do not invest in or undertake coal seam gas activities, do not burn native forests for electricity generation and mostly are advocates of expanding Australia’s Renewable Energy Target”, according to Green Electricity Guide.

100 cyclists at Ride to Work Day Brekkie 2014, Castlemaine

Wed 15 Oct, 2014: Around 100 people donned helmets and rode to the Hub Plot in Castlemaine this morning to enjoy the Ride to Work brekkie and show their support for cycling.

Braving the frosty morning, the cyclists enjoyed the delicious food provided by CAKE Catering and The Good Table – an inspired granola yoghurt combo and homemade foccacia with vegies from local wicking beds.. There was plenty of bike-themed interest too, with people having a go on the electric bikes from the Bike Vault as well as bike jokes and awards from MC, TimTim.

Everyone was encouraged to hear Jason Taylor, Director Sustainable Development at Mt Alexander Shire Council talking about the positive steps being taken to implement the council’s walking and cycling strategy. It was also good to see representatives from Castlemaine’s Walking and Wheeling Action Group (WAWAG) at the event.

“We were pleased to have so many people come to the brekkie and help to make it such a lovely community event,” said Heather Barrett, Director of The Hub Foundation. “The feedback we got was really positive; there’s no doubt that cycling is alive and well here in Castlemaine.

“Cycling is so much better than driving on so many counts. If this event encourages just a few more people to ride more regularly, then we will consider it worthwhile”, continued Heather. “Of course, more can and should be done to make cycling safer in and around Castlemaine.”

Ride to Work Day in Castlemaine

If you never ride to work, sometimes do or brave the elements every day, Wednesday 15 October 2014 is a great day to ride your bike to work.

To start the day in style, join other cyclists between 7-9am at the Hub Plot on Templeton Street, Castlemaine for a delicious free breakfast and bike-themed fun.

There will be awards for the best decorated bike, the greatest distance travelled to the event and the funkiest bike. There will also be free bike safety checks, a chance to try an e-bike and find out what plans are afoot to make Castlemaine a more bike-friendly town. (Free brekkie for 1st 100 to register; paid-for options available for others).

“Biking to work is a really positive way to start your day, build exercise into your daily routine and it helps make you more alert”, says Jo Kaptein of The Hub Foundation.

“And there’s a huge plus for the environment because for each kilometre you ride your bike instead of driving, you are saving around 0.3 kg of CO2 emissions – that’s a bit more than a standard pack of butter. Definitely worth it, we reckon!”

“It really doesn’t matter what your work is – an office job, outside job, ‘looking after kids job’ or student – the main thing is that you give biking a go and want to join in”, says Jo Kaptein.

The Hub Foundation, Castlemaine, and MASG (Mount Alexander Sustainability Group) are hosting the breakfast. It is free of charge for the first 100 people who register at www.hubfoundation.org.au/ride2work.

This event is sponsored by Mt Alexander Shire Council and the Bike Vault. Food will be prepared by The Good Table and CAKE Catering using locally sourced ingredients, including vegies from the footpath wicking beds. Coffee is provided by Coffee Basics.

Please register online at www.hubfoundation.org.au/ride2work in order to claim one of the 100 free brekkies or by calling Jo Kaptein at The Hub Foundation on 0455-589-065.

Solar matters, week 8

Read Neil Barrett’s column in The Midland Express (week 8, 26/8/2014) on the MASH+ solar truck arriving in Castlemaine; leasing vs buying; ‘goodies and baddies’ in electrical retailing; and latest stats on global temperatures . Here’s an extract:

“The MASH+ project has suggested people who are strapped for cash enquire about a loan from the Community First Credit Union at just over six per cent. Early indications are that the folk at CFCU have been great to deal with. If paid off over 10 years a loan for a 3kW system will cost $52 per month in repayments and interest. Contrast that with the benefits: put simply, a family paying 29c per kWh from the grid and using 50 per cent of the solar it produces, should save around $60 per month on its power bills.”

“Three big electricity retailers – Origin, AGL and Energy Australia – have recently been strongly opposing the Renewable Energy Target. This has led Greenpeace to set up the Green Electricity Guide to help consumers figure out who are the ‘goodies’ and the ‘baddies’ in the battle over renewable energy. The ‘goodies’ according to Greenpeace include Powershop, Momentum, Diamond and Red.”

Read the full article here.

Letter in The Age by Neil Barrett

“Talk of Roskam’s elevation should be a worrying sign for Victorians”, says Neil Barrett of The Hub Foundation in a letter published in The Age today. John Roskam, director of the Institute of Public Affairs, has confirmed he is considering running for Liberal Party preselection in Ted Baillieu’s prized seat of Hawthorn.

“The mischievously named Australian Environment Foundation and the Australian Climate Science Coalition, both set up by IPA staff and funded, at least in part, by the IPA’s fossil-fuel industry backers, are just two of the organisations set up to confuse the public,” writes Neil.

What’s more, a former IPA director, Mike Nahan, now the Minister for Energy in WA, has been running a determined anti-solar campaign for the past year. Talk of Roskam’s elevation should be a worrying sign for Victorians.”

Read full letter here in The Age, ‘Who will be in charge?’

3,500 tonnes less CO2 emissions for our region

Thanks to the first 50 MASH+ customers, there will be 3,500 tonnes less CO2 emissions in our region over the next 20 years.

A truck delivering around 700 panels for the first 50 paid-up customers for the MASH+ solar panels bulk-buy scheme arrived in Castlemaine today (Friday 22 August, 2014). This first bulk order under the MASH+ (Mount Alexander Solar Homes) project will save our Shire and neighbouring Shires 175 tonnes of greenhouse gas emissions each year or a total of 3,500 tonnes over the lifetime of the panels. It’s also equivalent to the greenhouse gas emissions generated by 100 people driving their car 11 kilometres each day over the period of one year.

Further ‘batch orders’ will be placed in the coming weeks in smaller lots of around 10 systems at a time, in order to ensure that customers get their solar panels installed on their homes as quickly as possible. With now over 270 householders registered for the MASH+ solar panel bulk-buy project, we are focussing on the installation process to make it as smooth as possible for MASH+ customers. Stephen Breheny, our lead installer for MASH+, has 3 installation teams trained up and ready to start installing systems from the start of next week.

Registrations for the MASH+ project will close on Sunday 31 August, 2014, so anyone in Mt Alexander Shire or neighbouring Shires who is interested in ‘going solar with MASH+’ should visit the website at www.hubfoundation.org.au and complete the no-obligation registration form before that date. Alternatively, call Jo Kaptein on 0455-589-065 to register or if you have any questions.