This Wednesday 17 February representatives from every school in Mosman come together to attend the inaugural meeting of the Zero Emission Schools Network – Mosman. The aim: to take action on sustainability. The Mayor of Mosman, Councillor Carolyn Corrigan, will launch this exciting initiative to help schools establish sustainability programs.
The aim, says Zero Emissions Schools leader, Jenni Hagland, is to motivate each other by sharing ideas and promoting best practice. Most importantly, the initiative aims to develop more schools sustainability action for communities and bring about broader awareness regarding the climate crisis.
Mayor Corrigan – Mosman Council Mayor, Loani Tierney – Environment Education Officer, Jenni – Zero Emissions Schools Network leader, and Ursula Hogben – Zero Emissions Solutions Co-Founder, will be at the launch, along with all of the Mosman LGA schools.
Mosman Public School students announcing the installation of solar panels on their roof.
Find out more
Watch this space to hear how the meeting goes and how the plans unfold. Meanwhile, you might want to visit Australian Parents for Climate Action. This national group campaigns for funding for solar on schools and childcare centres.
Harriet here, aka hello@zeroemissionssolutions.org. Do you want to volunteer for Zero Emissions? I’ll be setting up a jobs page on this website as soon as I get the time but, for now, a quick blogpost about some specific roles we’re looking to fill in our brilliant Zero Emissions Solutions community.
I wish, I wish for…
1. Tent wrangler
What: Packing up our market stall and driving the kit to local storage.
How long: 1 hour
How often: Once a month
On the first Saturday of each month we have a stall at Mosman markets. We pack up around 2.30pm, and we are looking for someone to help. Ideally, you are handy, fit, don’t swear too much, and have the use of a car so that you can help our volunteers dismantle the tent, pack up the bits and pieces and drive them to our storage spot round the corner in Mosman.
What: Curate our instagram account with fun pictures, sassy comments and links to our events / programs
How long: A few minutes a day and a fortnightly meeting on zoom
How often: 4 or 5 times a week
Social media is central to how we keep in touch, network and promote our activities, and at the moment we use Facebook, Instagram and Twitter. Our brilliant insta curator, Camilla Tilly, has gone to Sweden to work with the groundbreaking agricultural cooperative Lantmannen. It’s a tough act to follow, but if you take good photos, want to make a difference, and don’t mind checking in with our comms manager (me) once a fortnight, please get in touch.
What: create video case studies to bring our solar stories to life
How long: Not gunna lie, I know this is very time-consuming. Every bit helps.
How often: completely up to you
Video case studies are incredibly useful for articulating how adding solar to your roof makes sense. We have some budget to pay for video services, but not nearly enough to create the five videos clips we are aiming in 2021. This is a big ask, but it also makes a big impact.
What: help out program leaders when they’re overwhelmed. Might be making cups of tea or picking up printing or sending some emails or walking a dog…
How long: how long is a piece of string?
How often: up to you, but a couple of hours a month would be great
If you’re between jobs, between uni studies, or just have a bit of time now and then and are happy to put your hand to anything, we’d love to hear from you. Volunteer with Zero Emissions Solutions.
Can solar panel systems cause rooftop fires? A front page article in the Sydney Morning Herald today suggests there has been an increase in rooftop fires in recent years. Fire and Rescue NSW Superintendent Graham Kingsland says fires start in the direct current (DC) isolator switch, usually because of water getting in. The cause of rooftop solar fire risk is faulty installation or manufacture.
We asked David Veal, owner of Clean Energy Council-accredited company Solarpro, whether solar panel owners should be worried.
David’s take:
There are two reasons these isolators catch fire. First, water gets through the fitting because it is badly glued or not glued at all. Second, the wiring is not done correctly and left loose, or the polarity has been crossed.
Take a look at these two roof top isolators.
The isolator on the left is the cheaper of the two by almost $30. I have put some of the fittings below it. These are screwed and glued into the little glands above them. The cables are then fed into the fittings and manually wired into the isolator. This is fiddly and time-consuming. It is a perfect trap for human error.
All cheap companies use these isolators because they are scrimping and saving every dollar. Plus the contractor pays for the extra time wiring them up.
Quality costs a little extra and the devil is in the detail!
The isolator on the right is factory pre-wired, so it is guaranteed to be wired correctly and will not leak. At Solarpro we use these as our standard rooftop isolator and have done since they became available in 2014. With pre-wired ones the installers cannot get it wrong.
The conclusion: a badly-installed, cut-price DC isolator could be a rooftop solar fire risk. But if you use an experienced CEC-accredited installation specialist you can rest assured it will be well-installed and of good quality.
Zero Emissions Solutions runs regular information sessions, via Zoom and in person, hosted by volunteers. We design them to help people make the switch to using renewable energy and rooftop solar.
Our next Solar My House Info Sessionis on Wednesday, February 24, from 6.30-7.45pm. David from Solarpro will be our expert guest speaker. Attendance is free but places are limited, so sign up here as soon as possible.
Some things are hard to talk about. But that’s no reason to stay silent. That’s where Climate for Change comes in.
Climate for Change is the only organisation in Australia specifically focused on helping people to have better discussions with their peers on climate change. Social research now recognises this as key to building public support for the action we need.
C4C has identified Northern Sydney as an area which could have significant impact on public sentiment, so it is focussing efforts here early this year to test potential for growth.
C4C is inviting residents of Northern Sydney to host a Conversation or train as a facilitator. They held an information session last Saturday, 30 January. To catch their next one, subscribe to their newsletter.
This is a real opportunity to help build the climate movement in the North Sydney electorate. We can increase constituent pressure on our elected representatives, and help build the political will to act at scale and speed.
From a C4C participant:
I felt like I was taking a huge career risk, but it’s had a hugely positive effect on my career. Very senior people now know who I am and see me as a major thought leader within our organisation.
The C4C results are impressive: for every 10 people who attend a Climate Conversation, 7 change at least one behaviour. 8 talk more frequently about climate change with people around them and 3 divest. 2 change power companies, 4 make changes to their lives, such as eating less meat, and 5 contact politicians more frequently. Plus 5 increase their volunteering and donations to climate organisations.
Subscribe to their newsletter or explore their website to find out more. And look out for more news from us on how we are partnering with great organisations like C4C.
January 2021. President Biden takes the US back into the Paris Agreement. Then he signs executive orders to pause oil and gas leases. Then he announces a Leaders’ Climate Summit to take place on Earth Day, April 22, 2021. Climate action, at last.
Meanwhile, in Australia, we are still hearing statements like ‘gas-lead recovery’. Moreover, neither of the two major parties acknowledge we are in a climate crisis. Politics schmolotics. But there is some good news from Canberra. Zali Steggall’s Climate Change Bill is inching forward.
The Climate Change Bill represents a significant step on the long road to breaking the political stalemate around taking action on Climate Change. Over 6500 people and businesses made submissions to the enquiry, and the hearing begins on Friday, 29 January 2021.
The impacts of Climate Change represent the greatest threat to our national security, our economy, our health and our environment. But if we implement an effective plan now, we can create a safe and prosperous future for ourselves and our children.
Zali Steggall, OAM MP
Friday’s session included Professor Lesley Hughes of the Climate Council of Australia and Dr John Van Der Callen, from the National Chair of Doctors for the Environment. Monday’s session will hear from the Law Council of Australia, and the ACTU. We are proud to see fellow BZE organisation, Wingecarribee Net Zero Emissions (Winzero), making a stand.
Listen in here, read more about the bill here, and sign up to Climate Act Now for updates on this important national movement.
The pictures tell the story. In just a year, Zero Emissions Solutions has held more than 20 Solar My House parties and webinars, two Electric Vehicle webinars and a Solar Open House day. Our volunteers have attended Mosman markets, delivered flyers and hosted parties. After lengthy research, we have partnered with two businesses with renewable energy at their core.
We’ve built a core group of volunteers and found friends and colleagues across local government and not-for-profit organisations. We’ve won two grants and helped people put more than $250,000 worth of solar panels on houses in the Northern region of Sydney. This is roughly equivalent to planting nearly 5000 trees, or saving of nearly 2 million kilometres of fossil-fuelled driving!
All that remains is to say thank you to all the brilliant people and organisations who have walked alongside, including:
Our Advisory Team and all the individuals and businesses who have said ‘yes, sure, what can I do?’ And last but definitely not least, a heartfelt thanks to all our amazing volunteers, many of whom star in the video.
We are a not-for-profit association of volunteers working across the Northern Beaches and the North Shore. We operate as part of the national Beyond Zero Emissions network. Our focus is on practical projects that will accelerate our transition to net zero emissions.
“What happens if my electric car runs out of electricity?”
It’s a question Anton Vikstrom, sustainability champion, electric vehicle expert and co-founder of the Good Car Company, has answered many times. He doesn’t hesitate.
“You pull over and call roadside assistance,” he says with a wry grin.
That’s before he explains that it’s quite hard to run out. The car gives realtime updates on your remaining mileage, and you can use various apps to plan your route. Australia has a growing network of fast chargers. Plus in an emergency, unlike a petrol car, you can recharge at any standard powerpoint.
Electric cars aren’t going to fix climate change on their own but they are an important part of a zero emissions future. They’re also really smart pieces of technology. There’s something very exciting about a car which is virtually silent, needs little maintenance and runs on sunshine. If you join our community bulk-buy you could be driving one sooner than you think.
Please contact Ursula Hogben with any questions: electric@zeroemissionssolutions.org
It’s going to be a fun journey.
Community is an amazing thing! When Mosman Council decided to restart its arts and crafts market (after a COVID hiatus) a team of ZESN volunteers sprang into action by organising a low emissions market stall. Our transport volunteers brought three electric cars on display across the day, and we had electric bikes available to try out. Chris demonstrated how the variable speed pool pump can save money and Theo gave demonstrations of an energy audit kit. HUGE THANKS to everyone who worked so hard, especially Mosman Council. 10/10 would recommend!
The Sunglasses Team: Louise, Lesley and Fay
Jenni takes notes
Chris and Graeme all kitted out
Kate shows off the variable speed pool pump
Camilla, Lesley, Di and Jenni
Graeme from Bikebuffs Sydney Bicycle Tours is taking someone for a ride
Tania and Rob’s Tesla on display
Our youngest volunteer, Theo, demonstrates how to measure household energy consumption.
For other low emissions market events please visit our events page. Or why not sign up to our newsletter and get regular updates! We are a not-for-profit association of volunteers operating as part of the national Beyond Zero Emissions network. Our focus is on practical projects designed to accelerate our transition to net zero emissions.
We offer webinars and information sessions so that you can reach your own low emissions goals.
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.
As a partner with local real estate agency Cunninghams, Georgi Bates is often asked for advice on house builds, layouts and renovations. Should we put on solar? Should we have a battery? Does solar increase the value of my house?
When I drop by to talk about sustainability trends in real estate, the answers are clear. From the street, Matt and Georgi Bates’ house looks much like its neighbours: a weatherboard cottage with a picket fence and a bullnose verandah. But walk out the back and it’s all happening. There’s a new garage going up on the back boundary, complete with solar panels to heat the new pool. There’s an electric car charger, batteries and a green wall, ready to plant.
“We’re pretty much off the grid,” says Matt. “The oven’s running off the battery and we’re feeding to the grid. We have about 6kW [of panels] on the roof, providing about 5.5kW per hour. We realistically only need about 3kW per hour for our charging and usage.
“We’ve got a Tesla [car]. We’re putting in a pool. That’s going to have heating costs, but we’re not going to run it on gas. We’re putting more solar and another battery on. We will run it on the sun and the battery.”
Matt and Georgi’s top TV tips: Ewen McGregor’s Long Way Up, a rollicking adventure through South America on *electric* Harley-Davidsons!
A self-confessed sustainability nerd, Matt has driven the research and design of their renovation. Georgi, meanwhile, has driven the Tesla.
“I’m not a car person. But particularly during Covid, working from home, the Tesla is another office, another workspace. I recently got into a petrol car and it felt like a dinosaur. It was a nice car, but it’s amazing the difference of the sound and fuel compared to battery operated.”
Housing trends
Beyond their own home, Georgi is seeing interest in solar power, sustainable building and energy efficient housing growing.
“It starts with someone [putting on solar] in the street then everyone is curious. They all speak to Matt and ask about the benefits. And I’m starting to see more of a shift with people wanting to put green gardens on their garage roofs, or looking into rooftop gardens.”
New energy rating scheme
This trend is set to strengthen with recent developments in the building codes. At the moment the Nationwide House Energy Rating Scheme – aka NatHERS — requires new houses to score at least 6 out of 10 for energy efficiency. In 2021, NatHERS is set to be extended to existing homes, so that when you buy or sell, just like household appliances, each property will come with an energy efficiency star rating. At which point it’s not just about saving money on a power bill: it directly affects the value of your house. So Matt and Georgi are not just champions for sustainability: they’re smart investors. Does solar increase the value of my house? Yes.
“I think sustainability is the future of real estate. It will become one of the must haves.”
Georgi Bates is a partner at Cunninghams Real Estate. Whether you are looking to buy or sell, or just to find out more about the market, she’s happy to hear from you. And if you want to find out more about rooftop solar, explore our website or come to one of our free webinars.
