Coolmob November Newsletter No. 23

No. 23 - December 2011

Merry Christmas from the COOLmob

In this edition:
COOLmob's yearly wrap up - Merry Christmas and Have a Cool 2011!
Have you thought about giving a green present this Christmas?
Check out the new transport facilities at Coolalinga
A green home is a valuable home! Do you want to help COOLmob do some research?
Thermal comfort - What is your breaking point?
Use an accredited Green Painter for your next paint job
How well are rooftop solar PV panels performing in Darwin?
Wind powers a community at Alpurrurulam
How much do you know about biofuels in Australia?
Become a low carbon leader and join our Sustainable Apartments Project!
A great day at COOLmob's Top End Swap Party

Merry Christmas and have a COOL 2011 from the COOLmob team

As the planet heats up, so too does the busy team at COOLmob!
Here’s a summary of a few things we have been up to over the past year.

We have launched our new web site which we hope you find useful and we welcome any feedback to improve it further. We launched Steve’s Design for the Tropics booklet which has received fantastic responses. Our sustainable apartment program is progressing and we are discovering some substantial savings that can be gained for body corporates through modifications and better management of power and water.

In the New Year we will also work with rental agencies to help tenants to live more efficiently and save money while renting. We will continue to expand our special buys program to deliver the best price on efficient appliances, be they large items like solar hot water systems and pool pumps or smaller devices such as eco switches and flush misers.

With the passing of the Carbon Price Legislation there is renewed motivation for us all to live in a more sustainable manner. COOLmob is working on seeking funding for a project to scope the best way to assist low income earners to save on increased living expenses as a result of the climate price.

We also have some new initiatives which we hope to get off the ground in next year if funding is approved …so watch this space!

Green Christmas Gift Ideas

The production of normal, every day items often requires a huge amount of energy and water, not to mention the carbon emissions from the use of fuel to transport goods. Why not consider some 'greener' alternatives this Christmas that will reduce your impact on the environment? There's plenty of products going around that reduce the amount of waste you produce (as a result of using less disposable products like food wrap, plates and cups), use less energy in the home (like energy efficient appliances and lighting), help you grow your own food (reducing your food miles) and reduce your fuel bills!

Buy your Christmas presents this year from COOLmob's Green Christmas Shopping List:

Christmas Ideas	Where?	How much?
Flush miser that easily fits all toilets and saves over 20,000 litres of water for a house of 4 people per year!	COOLmob	$15
EcoSwitch so turn of all your switches at once	COOLmob	$15
LED light fittings to save hundreds of dollars on your energy bills (and you can claim 50% back in rebates - www.energysmart.com.au)	Lighting Shops	$10-$40
Battery charger and re-useable batteries	Shops	$10+
Fair Trade Food	Local Markets or Greenies	$10+
‘One Less Car’ shirts - for when you walk, ride, bus or carpool around the place.	COOLmob	$20
Worm farm	Darwin City Council or Hardware shops	$70
Mini herb garden	Hardware shops or local nurseries	$20+
Natty re-useable lunch wraps for your sandwiches	www.onya.com.au	$15
Fruit and vegetable bags that you can buy, weigh, wash and store your fruit and veg in	www.onya.com.au	$14
Trendy Cappuccino mugs to carry with you always	Greenies	$13+
A solar kettle or solar oven for fun outdoor cooking	http://suncooking.com.au/	from $35
A pool cover to save hours of work and lots of money	Pool/Rubber shops	$200
An energy efficient pool pump to cut power bills	COOLmob	$850
A cool solar powered roof ventilator (1 ventilator moves the same amount of air as whirleys)	Eco Options	$1,100
Some lattice and a climbing plant to keep your wall, veranda or air conditioner shaded	Hardware shops	$50
A solar hot water system (including rebates)	COOLmob	$3000+
Bike or electric bike	Bike shops or the internet	$300+

For more information on any of these products please contact COOLmob

New parking and cycling facilities at Coolalinga 'Park and Ride Facility'
The Coolalinga park and ride facility on Girraween Road offers passengers a dedicated place to park their cars or bikes and catch the bus. Services include:

Free parking for cars and motorbikes
Drop off and pick up area, undercover seated area
Public amenities
Secure bicycle enclosure with lighting and security cameras.

Bus routes 28, 440 and 445 operate to and from the facility and service the rural area, Darwin and Palmerston. For timetable information please visit the Public Transport website at www.nt.gov.au/publictranport or phone 8924 7666.

You can also use the NT Government's Online Journey Planner which gives you information on:

Available bus services
Bus route map
Bus stop locations
Landmarks and points of interest
Description and estimated travel time
Links back to full timetables

Tips on using the journey planner are provided on the NT Government Transport website:
http://www.nt.gov.au/transport/public/journeyplanner/index.shtml

A green home is a valuable home
Going green increases value of offices: study
AUSTRALIA'S valuers have confirmed the hype - going ''green'' definitely increases the value of an office building.

The buildings worth the most are those that have the best energy rating, the Australian Property Institute found in a report it said was the first rigorous assessment of green office buildings in the nation. Buildings with low energy ratings lost value.

The study said office buildings with a five-star NABERS (National Australian Built Environment Rating Scheme) energy rating created a premium of 9 per cent, while three to 4½ stars delivered a 2 to 3 per cent premium in value. The Green Star rating showed a premium of 12 per cent.

Read more: http://www.theage.com.au/environment/energy-smart/going-green-increases-value-of-offices-study-20111122-1nsr1.html#ixzz1fzxubN8C

What to consider when choosing your next home:
The Federal Government is planning to introduce a form of mandatory disclosure which will assist home buyers to understand the running costs (power and water use) of a home they are planning to buy. So it is important to think about how much you will be paying quarterly in utility bills to live in your home and think about these ongoing costs when choosing where to rent or where to invest in.

Remember to think about:

The orientation of the house (do any walls or windows receive direct sunlight?)
Does your home have good ventilation for cooling after dark and in the roof cavity?
Shading (Are air conditioners, brick walls and paved areas shaded so they don’t radiate heat?
Building structure - Will your home need air conditioning? If yes, then is it well insulated and shaded? Or are you going to aim for a light weight construction so the house cools down quickly at night, meaning less energy is needed to cool it down?
Try to choose a home with solar hot water (and solar power) to save on power bills.

If you are living in a home that is a 'hot house', and you are renting or not in a position to modify, retrofit or purchase a new home then DON'T WORRY! There are still plenty of things you can do to make it cooler.

Improving the amount of shade and ventilation in the home is the best place to start, and making sure you are 'cool' as well as your house. Follow the tips below and feel good that you are doing something to reduce energy and water consumption:
Shade walls and excess paving with creepers and trellises or hang shade cloth from eaves to shade walls

Clean fly screens (or remove them), have louvers horizontal when not raining, open as many windows and doors as possible to allow breezes to flow through when home
If you use the air conditioning, turn the room fan on and turn the thermostat up
Have a cold shower or jump in the pool before you go to bed or whenever feeling hot
When going out, leave a radio on rather than a TV for security reasons. A radio uses much less power
Dress in minimal, light, non synthetic clothing in the humid months

For more information on sustainable housing design, check out our Design for the Tropics handbook

Thermal Comfort - What is your breaking point?

COOLmob is very interested in finding out about our community's 'thermal perception' when living in the tropics. Thermal perception is what an individual considers 'comfortable', 'tolerable' or 'intolerable' conditions, and of course is different for each person.

For example, a person who has been living in Darwin for 30 years may consider temperatures of 28 degrees Celcius and 70% humidity 'comfortable', while a newcomer to the area may find this 'intolerable'. Thermal perception is very important when talking about an energy efficiency rating scheme for Top End housing, as different people are comfortable in different conditions.

COOLmob is now conducting a 'Comfort Level Survey' to monitor temperature and humidity levels. COOLmob wants to find out what the individual temperature/humidity trigger point is for our comfort levels at home and in the office. We are also looking for some volunteers to take some recordings in their home, using COOLmob's Temperature and Humidity Monitoring device.

If you would like to assist please contact us on 8981 3642 for more information. You can download a form from our website to help you keep track of your thermal perception and threshold (Thermal Perception form) and give us a call to arrange pick up of the monitoring device.

Find an accredited Green Painter

During November painters in Darwin were given the opportunity to become an accredited 'green painter' by attending a course held in the Northern Territory. Painters learnt:

Waste-water minimisation techniques and technology
How to advise you on which eco-preferable paints to use
Adhering to Environmental Code of Practice
How to ensure their clients save you money and help them reduce carbon emissions

If you are looking for a painter for your next job, use a Green Painter. For a list of accredited green painters in the Northern Territory go to http://www.greenpainters.org.au/Find-Green-Painters/NT.htm

Rooftop Solar PV Performance in the Top End
In November, Elizabeth Overend, Sustainable Energy Engineer at Power and Water gave a talk on the performance of rooftop solar PV systems in the Darwin. At present, 800 homes in Darwin (1.6%) have solar PV panels installed on their roof. Of these, 300 were used to assess the performance of solar PV panels in Darwin.

The study found that most systems, over 70%, performed well, producing between 3.0 and 4.5 kWh, per kW installed capacity (or system size)

Some factors which may affect output performance have been:

temperature
the type of panel (e.g. crystalline vs. thin film)
orientation
sunlight hours
age of the panels
owner maintenance
panel manufacturer

The samples studied in Darwin however showed very little difference in output performance between different types of panels or their orientation. It is no surprise that solar PV panels produce more electricity in the Dry Season, but the type of panel and its orientation had very little effect in this study.

At this stage it is unclear why some systems have difference output performances. It is likely that the main contributing factor is owner maintenance and age, where dirty panels produce less electricity compared to new, clean ones. If you have rooftop solar panels the best way to ensure they have optimal output is to keep them clean and maintained. Also, ensuring there is no shade on any part of any of the panels will optimise the whole system's performance.

If you are thinking of installing solar PV panels on your roof then make sure you consult COOLmob's Design for the Tropics handbook. The simple roof line of an elevated house with east-west orientation will be suitable. Minimal high vegetation on northern side ensures that solar equipment receives maximum sunlight between 10am and 3pm, the most productive sunlight hours.

Greening the Territory: Wind turbines power a community in Alpurrurulam

Three 15kW wind turbines have been installed at Alpurrurulam (Lake Nash); the only Territory community that will use both solar and wind power to generate electricity.

These turbines are part of a major Territory Government project to use renewable energy to generate electricity in the remote Northern Territory communities of Alpurrurulam, Ti Tree and Kalkarindji. Once commissioned, there will be a solar and wind power station at Alpurrurulam, while Ti Tree and Kalkarindji will have solar power stations, and these will supply around 20 to 30 per cent of the total electricity for the communities. The three facilities will deliver substantial savings of around 1,200 tonnes of greenhouse gas emissions every year.

The $14 million project includes funding of $5 million under the Australian Government Renewable Remote Power Generation Program, $4 million from the Northern Territory Government under the Climate Change Policy and $5 million private equity. This solar and wind project is a collaboration between the Northern Territory Government and Power and Water.

The facts on Biofuels in Australia
Biofuels are liquid fuels which have been derived from other materials such as waste plant and animal matter. There are two main types of biofuels: bioethanol (used as a replacement for gasoline/ULP) and biodiesel (used as a replacement for diesel).

Biofuels are important for a number of reasons. The most obvious being that our transport industry is dependent on finite fossil fuels such as oil and petroleum so it is important that we move towards more renewable and sustainable fuels. And secondly, transport is the third largest emitter of greenhouse gases in Australia, so alternative fuel sources such as biofuels will significantly reduce our carbon footprint.

Did you know that Rupert Diesel, the inventor of the diesel engine, created the engine to be powered by peanut oil? So the capabilities of biodiesel have been known for a very long time.

Biodiesel is produced from renewable plant or animal feedstocks containing fatty acids. It can be used in any cars that take diesel, heavy transport such as trucks, machinery, construction equipment and ships,

In Australia, the main feedstocks used to make biodiesel are tallow, used cooking oil and oilseeds. The CSIRO estimate that converting all used cooling oil, tallow exports and oilseeds could potentially replace 488% of petrodiesel consumption.

Is biodiesel safe?
There are many myths surrounding the use of biodiesel (including ethanol and biodiesel), such as

Myth: Biofuels use valuable food resources -
Fact: Biofuels are produced from waste streams and by products
Myth: I need to convert my car before using biofuels -
Fact: Biofuels are compatible with all vehicles, but if you are still unsure, then check with the manufacturer
Myth: Biodiesel is bad for my vehicle -
Fact: Biodiesel and diesel burn similarly. In fact, biodiesel has some added advantages such as better lubricity, reduced engine and fuel pump wear and tear, and even a longer engine life
Myth: Biodiesel will destroy fuel lines and gaskets -
Fact: Biodiesel is in fact a good solvent and will clean out bad diesel residueI
Myth: My vehicle has less power if I use an ethanol blended fuel -
Fact: Ethanol has a much high octane rating than gasoline and at higher blends there can be significant increases in power.

Biodiesel is usually blended with petrodiesel to make different concentrated blends (for example B20 or B100). Biodiesel is compatible with virtually all models of equipment and vehicles currently in production, and in some cases has been quoted as an effective agent in clearing out fuel tanks of debris contained in regular petrodiesel.

Where can you get biodiesel in the Northern Territory?
Fryerfuels, located in Winnellie, is a registered commercial Recycled Biodiesel Manufacturer. Fryerfuels is a cleaning and waste oil management/recycling company. The use waste cooking oil from around the hospitality industry in Darwin.

Fryerfuels is a 2011 Melaleuca Award Winner and is selling biodiesel this week at $1.10/litre.

For more information fo to the Fryer Fuels website

COOLmob Sustainable Apartments Project

COOLmob is still looking for apartment complexes to be part of our Sustainable Apartments Project. This project is aimed at improving the overall environmental performance of apartment blocks and flats throughout Darwin and suburbs. We aim to make individual dwellings more sustainable, save dollars on your power and water bills and also create a positive environmental ethic throughout the whole building.

By participating in this project you will:

Reduce power and water bills for your own home
Improve environmental performance of the whole building
Improve the living conditions of the entire apartment block
Become a leader in creating low carbon communities.

If you live in an apartment complex and want to be a part of this project, contact Bridget on 8981 3642

Top End Swap Party
On November 11th COOLmob and Darwin City Council held the Top End Swap Party as a part of Planet Ark's National Recycling Week.

The day was a success with a crowd of people turning up to swap their style. The 'pick of the day' was an interestingly ancient and well-travelled version of the sitar (a plucked string instrument), hauled down the main streets of Darwin to be snatched up virtually as soon as it arrived to the party.

A swap party is a fun and frugal way to catch a bargain and reduce waste in your home by preventing items going to landfill. An item of clothing also takes a huge amount of energy and water to produce, so using re-used things also helps to reduce the environmental impact of the production of new things.

Thank you all for your contribution. Your support is much appreciated.

Best Wishes,
The COOLmob Team.
Don't forget to check out our Facebook page for regular updates, environmental news and competitions!

Thanks to COOLmob’s sponsors

Power and Water Corporation, NT Government and the Community Benefit Fund. The content of this newsletter does not necessarily represent the position of our sponsors.

We’d really love to hear your feedback on the information we have provided. If you’d prefer not to receive any future COOL e-newsletters and be taken off the COOLmob email list, please let me know. Please feel free to pass this newsletter on to anyone you think may be interested or leave it in a “waiting room” (with permission).

Stay Cool,

Robin Knox, COOLmob Project Manager