SwitchedOn Australia

SwitchedOn Australia episodes:

• 06.23.2024

  How to make a house carbon negative and displace other people’s fossil fuels as well as your own

  Two years ago Brody Kenrick embarked on a journey to not just make his late 60s house carbon neutral, but carbon negative. He wanted to make sure his own house had zero carbon emissions and also displace emissions from the...

  
• 06.16.2024

  Why consumers won't join virtual power plants when we have EVs with bidirectional charging

  Australia’s Energy Market Operator predicts that in the future over 30 per cent of Australia’s electricity generation and flexible demand services will come from VPPs. And many energy retailers are literally banking on consumers signing up to one. VPPs are...

  
• 06.09.2024

  Energy retailers make money by keeping consumers disengaged and the energy market complex

  Most energy retailers make money by accessing the wholesale energy market, whacking on a big mark up, and then selling power to consumers. The more energy we use, the more money they make. But Amber Electric is not playing the...

  
• 06.02.2024

  E-bikes & their essential role in net zero transport, but not with poor quality bikes

  Electric bikes are taking Australia by storm as more people recognise they can be used for commuting. Bike advocates argue e-bikes, and active transport, should have a large part to play in our transport future. 50% of all trips across...

  
• 05.26.2024

  Free electricity for every household’s essential energy needs could deliver energy equity

  A popular refrain of the renewable energy transition is it will deliver an energy system that is more democratic, as well as decarbonised. That the political power of generating energy will shift from big power companies to households, as a...

  
• 05.19.2024

  A missed opportunity to deliver permanent energy bill relief and plug the looming gas supply gap

  In the last couple of weeks the Federal Government has brought down a budget that does nothing to help householders electrify, and a gas strategy based on the premise that fossil “gas is needed through to 2050 and beyond.” Whilst...

  
• 05.12.2024

  Community batteries are failing to deliver value for energy consumers, or reduce bills

  As we embrace the renewable energy transition there’s a growing interest in ‘community’ batteries – they’re seen as a way for local communities to share energy resources, especially with people who can’t afford their own batteries or solar. But Tristan...

  
• 05.05.2024

  We’ve barely scratched the surface of how much energy efficiency can help the energy transition

  Amory Lovins has been writing and talking about energy policy, renewable energy, sustainability and energy efficiency for over 50 years. His views have been crucial to our understanding of energy efficiency. Lovins has advised major firms and numerous governments, authored...

  
• 04.28.2024

  Australians need new energy standards to make informed decisions about our home appliances

  Australians are installing an estimated 940,000 new gas appliances and 800,000 new resistive electric appliances -panel heaters, oil heaters and older style electric hot water systems - every year, which are locking in significant long-term costs for heating and cooking....

  
• 04.21.2024

  NZ is one of the first countries to reach an electrification tipping point

  A recent report from Rewiring Aotearoa has shown the rising cost of petrol and gas in New Zealand now means electric homes and EVs are more affordable than fossil fuel alternatives. Even accounting for higher upfront costs, and the interest...

  
• 04.14.2024

  Labor’s strategy to reduce energy bills and emissions – too much planning, not enough doing?

  The federal government recognises electrification and energy efficiency can save householders money, make our houses more comfortable to live in, and reduce emissions. But some energy experts say their National Energy Performance Strategy (NEPS) lacks the details on regulatory reform,...

  
• 04.08.2024

  Community focused energy projects more likely to win hearts and minds for the energy transition

  While suspicion and resistance to big renewable developments is growing in some regional areas, local community energy projects around the country not only provide additional renewable energy to the grid, they enable communities to feel involved and directly benefit from...

  
• 03.28.2024

  Australia at risk of being flooded by cheap, inefficient ‘faux’ hot water heat pumps

  Australia is currently seeing a massive increase in hot water heat pump installations, largely fuelled by government incentives and rebates. But concerns are growing that Australia is at risk of being flooded by cheap, unreliable products, installed by inexperienced operators,...

  
• 03.24.2024

  Low-cost Government loans for all Australian residences could help everyone electrify

  Even those of us who want to electrify our homes and cars can’t always do so because of the high upfront cost of buying efficient electric machines. Rewiring Australia has come up with a plan to help every Australian household...

  
• 03.18.2024

  How First Nations communities are solving long standing energy security problems with renewables

  In the Northern Territory remote First Nations communities have to battle power outages, a reliance on diesel, and mandatory prepaid metres for their electricity that are regularly disconnected when residents don't have the money to top up their power cards....

  
• 03.11.2024

  Developers are locking customers into inflated energy prices they can’t escape from for years

  Embedded networks allow for the bulk purchase of energy – electricity, gas, or water - from an energy retailer usually at a discount. The number of embedded networks are growing rapidly and being installed in apartment blocks, caravan parks, retirement...

  
• 03.03.2024

  Why a home battery is a good idea to buy this year if you have rooftop solar

  Australia has around 3.7 million solar rooftop systems but only a small fraction of them, about 180,000, also have a battery. Electricity networks have been reducing the feed-in tariffs they pay solar owners in recent years and will soon start...

  
• 02.25.2024

  'I was sick of spending all that money, and sick of being cold' - how Sarah electrified

  Sarah Aubrey lived in her federation house in the inner west of Sydney for 12 years before she embarked on her electrification journey. By then she was fed up with being cold in winter and paying ever increasing energy bills....

  
• 02.18.2024

  Rooftop solar, batteries, EVs and heat pumps could save Australians $19 billion in energy costs

  Urgent, courageous action is needed to better integrate consumer energy assets into our electricity system if we want to underpin Australia’s future economic prosperity with lower electricity and transport costs, and eliminate our dependency on gas. A new report by...

  
• 02.08.2024

  Fight climate change - become an electrician!

  Every time a sparkie walks out of a house, chances are they leave it more energy efficient than when they walked in. But Australia has a shortage of electricians. And we will need 35,000 more sparkies than the 170,000 we...

  
• 12.18.2023

  From 100% dirty diesel to 70% solar powered, Lord Howe Island is going electric without wind

  Former conservative energy minister Josh Frydenberg kyboshed Lord Howe Island’s plans to build a wind turbine which would help reduce its reliance on dirty, expensive diesel electricity generation. But the world heritage island community kept pursuing plans for renewables and...

  
• 12.10.2023

  A 'renovation wave' could be the least costly pathway for our energy transition

  The Climateworks Centre has modelled ways for Australia's leaky homes to become 'climate ready' using thermal upgrades and electrification, which would enable us to avoid building an oversized energy grid. Gill Armstrong, the Project Impact Manager for the Climateworks project...

  
• 11.26.2023

  How a health check for your home can help upgrade its energy efficiency

  Lucinda Flynn is a home energy efficiency assessor working in Melbourne who has conducted hundreds of energy assessments that have saved householders thousands of dollars. She explains why your reverse cycle air conditioner feels blowy, why old homes can be...

  
• 11.19.2023

  Electrifying our cars and energy storage must include plans for end of life batteries

  The anticipated exponential increase in battery electric vehicles and battery storage systems over the next decade means lithium-ion battery recycling will become imperative if we're to get to net zero. Gavin Collis from the CSIRO discusses the future of Australia's...

  
• 11.12.2023

  It takes a village to build a nation’s energy efficiency and electrification program

  Ireland is developing one of the most sophisticated residential energy efficiency ecosystems in the world, built on a foundation of serious government funding, pilot projects & trials, grants, mandatory efficiency standards, financing, and one-stop-shops. Josephine Maguire from the Sustainable Energy...

  
• 10.29.2023

  A 'one-stop-shop' making finance and installations possible for more households.

  When Katherine McConnell started her finance company Brighte, her mission was to get more solar panels on rooftops – to make more houses sustainable - by offering zero interest loans. Brighte has since evolved and grown into a one stop...

  
• 10.23.2023

  What Australian householders can learn from the US Inflation Reduction Act

  Sage Briscoe, Director of Federal Policy for Rewiring America, discusses the landmark US $500 billion Inflation Reduction Act, which is designed to help electrify American households, revolutionise how they interact with energy, modernise the electricity grid, and reshape American manufacturing.

  
• 10.15.2023

  Lending regulations need to be modified to finance household electrification at scale

  Gordon Noble from the Institute for Sustainable Futures at the University of Technology, Sydney, discusses why we can't rely on government grants to electrify and green retrofit our homes - we need accessible finance from lenders.

  
• 10.08.2023

  Why choosing an induction stove is a gateway decision for getting rid of gas from our homes

  Chef and kitchen consultant Luke Burgess on why induction stoves are so efficient and why he thinks they are unlikely to be superseded any time soon.

  
• 09.24.2023

  Australia could save $8 billion every year by changing more light globes

  Half of Australia's lighting is still inefficient 'tubes and bulbs'. Harry Verhaar from Signify, the largest lighting company in Australia, discusses how efficient LED lighting is one of the easiest, ready-to-implement technologies that can help transition to a low carbon...

  
• 09.17.2023

  How energy efficiency will save money and decarbonise the grid faster

  Rob Murray-Leach from the Energy Efficiency Council discusses how we can get to net zero faster, easier and cheaper if households adopt energy efficiency measures like insulation and efficient electric appliances.

  
• 09.10.2023

  Distrust of the energy industry could slow the rollout of all-electric households

  Dr Hedda Ransan-Cooper from the ANU discusses her focus group research that shows many people don't trust private companies with vested profit interests when it comes to energy technology and electrification. But they trust other householders on the same energy...

  
• 09.03.2023

  The future of energy is local, in our smart all-electric homes

  Rather than a ‘hub and spoke model’ where all our power generation is centralised, and the home is just a consumer, we hear how the all-electric home of the future could become 'intelligent.' Raghu Belur, the Chief Product Officer for...

  
• 08.27.2023

  We can't build cities around cars, even if they're electric

  Professor of Sustainability at Curtin University and lead author on transport for the IPCC, Peter Newman, says electric transport not only provides an opportunity to produce healthier, net zero vehicles, it enables us to rethink and build healthier, better cities.

  
• 08.20.2023

  How a Republican Mayor in the US uses local government powers to electrify his city

  For the last 14 years Mayor R. Rex Parris has led Lancaster's transition to net zero. Lancaster has built solar farms, made it compulsory for new homes to have solar panels, challenged the power of the energy utilities, put solar...

  
• 08.13.2023

  Stop laying gas traps for the uninformed

  Independent energy consultant and founder of the My Efficient Electric Home Facebook page, Tim Forcey, discusses why people would never consciously choose gas for their new home if they knew how dangerous, hazardous and expensive it is.

  
• 08.06.2023

  Put a date on gas and stop digging a bigger hole for us all to get out of

  Alison Reeve from the Grattan Institute discuses how banning new gas connections now will mean dealing with a bounded problem, not a growing one, and enable householders, policymakers and the gas industry to plan for an all-electric future.

  
• 08.06.2023

  How the WA town of Esperance transitioned off network gas in just 12 months

  Stephanie Unwin, the CEO of Horizon Power, discusses how 400 residential and business customers had just one year to electrify after the local gas distribution company made a business decision to cut the gas off to the town of Esperance.

  
• 07.30.2023

  A renewable energy and energy efficiency company offering a 'one stop shop' for electrification

  One-stop shops like Mac Trade Services are seen as one method to help households navigate the process of electrifying their homes. Merrily Hunter, the company's CEO, discuses the crucial role of trades and best practice.

  
• 07.30.2023

  Not knowing all the answers is not a reason not to start - the ACT's plan for an all-electric future

  The ACT is small enough to be a test case for Australian cities wanting to electrify, but big enough to manifest the challenges the rest of the country will face. Shane Rattenbury, the ACT Minister for Energy, shows how the...

  
• 07.23.2023

  Communities taking back the power

  Kristen McDonald and Francis Vierboom from Electrify 2515, one of the local community groups in Australia working to become fully electric. Their big vision is to swap out all the household machines in their postcode, 2515, that run on fossil...

  
• 07.23.2023

  Difficult, confusing, annoying and expensive - an energy expert's experience of going all-electric

  The process of fully electrifying his own home was difficult, but it helped, Jon Jutsen, the CEO of Race for 2030, identify the challenges we must overcome to scale up Australia's electrification journey.

  
• 07.16.2023

  We can electrify the smart way, or the slow and expensive way.

  Craig Memory from the Public Interest Advocacy Centre on why Australia needs a plan to ensure everyone benefits from the electrification journey, and the most disadvantaged who are least able to pay aren't left connected to the gas network.

  
• 07.12.2023

  Heat pumps are the most efficient heating technology ever invented

  Dr Jan Rosenow from the global think tank, Regulatory Assistance Project, discusses why electric heat pumps are the most efficient heating technology ever invented, why overall energy demand will reduce by 40% if we electrify everything, and why energy efficiency...