Monthly Archives: July 2010

solar-e.com is Near the Head of the Class!

22 July 2010
(Updated on 15 September 2010)
 

In a brand new report generated by HubSpot’s Website Grader, solar-e.com received a high distinction with a website grade of 95 out of 100 in terms of its marketing effectiveness when compared to the millions of websites that Website Grader has evaluated previously.

Website Grader presented a detailed analysis on how well solar-e.com is doing based on 50 different variables. Examples of variables include such measurements as approximate website traffic, search engine data, website structure, site performance, and social media popularity.

Highlights of the report include:

1) a ranking in the top 4.17% of ALL websites that have been ranked by Website Grader so far.
2) an Alexa traffic rank in the top 1.6% of ALL websites.
3) 285 inbound links: Inbound links are one of the most important measures for a website. It tells us how many other sites are linking to solar-e.com. These links are an indication that solar-e.com is trustworthy and contains good content.

The report clearly demonstrates that solar-e.com is moving in the right direction. We are looking forward to having more people join us in our quest for a brighter future.

Note: HubSpot is an online marketing and web analytics company based in the USA.

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Solar Energy Enthusiasts Needed to Spark New Generation of Knowledge

19 July 2010

Jacinta Goerke
Journalist

THE WA branch of the Australian Solar Energy Society (AuSES WA) is calling for solar energy enthusiasts to provide mentoring services to students completing engineering, architecture and science degrees.

Interim president for the WA branch Mr Garry Baverstock said interest in solar energy was at an all time high yet knowledge was low.

“We are at a turning point where demand for renewable energy sector workers is higher than what can be supplied,” said Mr Baverstock.

“At AuSES WA we are doing what we can to prepare students for the future, but now need more help from external specialists,” said Mr Baverstock.

Mr Baverstock said AuSES WA’s main mandate has been to educate and mentor tomorrow’s scientists, engineers and architects, but tomorrow’s world had come a few days early!

“The imminent effects of climate change requires today’s and tomorrow’s engineers, scientists, architects and mathematicians to competently and quickly design, build and implement structures and processes which will make life more sustainable and comfortable for humans and ‘planet earth’ overall,” said Mr Baverstock.

Mr Baverstock said solar energy was the source of all energy – renewable and non-renewable and we now needed to shift our dependence from non-renewable to renewable and other innovative forms of reliable, efficient and socially responsible energy.

He said he joined the Society in the late 1970s during the peak oil crisis because he wanted to make a difference to the way energy was sourced and used.

“After WWII many world leaders, including President Eisenhower of the USA, realised fossil fuels would last about 100 years and a plan was needed to discover and implement suitable alternatives,” said Mr Baverstock.

“Not long after this realisation the International Solar Energy Society (ISES) was established which included an Australian and New Zealand division called ANZSES although today it is referred to as AuSES,” he said.

Mr Baverstock said he was extremely fortunate to have been a member of the Society because as a young architecture and engineering student he was mentored by well known solar specialists such as John Riley, Clarry Small, Dr Bob Lawrance and the late Ron Brown.

He said the Society’s main mandate of providing mentoring support to students was again high on the agenda due to research that confirms a positive correlation between coal-fired power stations and climate change.

Mr Baverstock said people who can help can contact him on 0419 965 227 or Dr Bill Parker on 0403 583 676 or go to www.auses.org.au.

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Australia’s Largest Energy Chamber Turns Eight

11 July 2010

Ray Wills, CEO
Western Australian Sustainable Energy Association Inc. (WA SEA)
Website: www.wasea.com.au
Email: info@wasea.com.au

The Western Australian Sustainable Energy Association Inc. (WA SEA), established on 11 July 2002 to promote the development of a sustainable energy industry as a solution to reducing Australia’s greenhouse gas emissions, turns eight years old today.

The first meeting of the Association in 2002 set a target for WA SEA membership of 100.

As of our birthday, WA SEA now has over 330 members, making WA SEA the largest energy industry chamber in Australia.

WA SEA has a very diverse membership from architects and builders, urban and transport planners, engineers and energy efficiency consultants, lawyers and greenhouse auditors, all the way through to renewable energy manufacturers and generators. In addition, WA SEA has a whole raft of customers who are buying those goods or services and that are interested in seeing a strong market develop to ensure the availability competitive pricing and a diversity of providers, says WA SEA Chief Executive, Prof. Ray Wills.

The diversity of WA SEA membership is reflected in our corporate members & sponsoring members, including the key energy players in Western Australia, make the largest financial contribution to the advocacy work of the Association, ensuring WA SEA is well resourced.

On our birthday, WA SEA acknowledges our Corporate Members: AECOM, Alinta, Austech Solar, BGC, BHP Billiton Iron Ore, Carnegie Corporation, Curtin University of Technology, Edardes Solar Hot Water, Enhance Group, Gull Group of Companies, Horizon Power, Landfill Gas & Power, Mitsubishi Motors, Pacifichydro, Perth Energy, Rio Tinto, SMA Technology Australia, Solahart, Swan Energy, SunPower Corporation, Synergy, Toyota WA, The University of Western Australia, Wesfarmers Limited, Western Power, and WorleyParsons.

We also acknowledge the important support provided by each and every WA SEA Member, many of whom also contribute their time to assist in policy development and advocacy work, says Prof Wills.

This includes many founding members & businesses large and small such as SolaKleen Smalls Solar, Outback Energy Supply, Solahart, Solar Dwellings, Perth Energy, Fremantle Ports, Pacific Hydro Ltd, WA Solar Supplies, Alinta, the City of Gosnells, Exibit, the City of Melville and many more of our earliest supporters who helped establish WA SEA.

WA SEA now gets on average two new membership applications every week, with growth across a broad spectrum of industry and across whole supply chains, a reflection of the strong level of support from the business community to see policy settings from government for urgent and strong action on reducing greenhouse gas emissions to create a strong stimulus in the development of sustainable energy as a part of the solution.

Indeed, our success in growing up to be Australia’s largest energy chamber reflects business desire to see action from all Australian governments to deploy sustainable energy solutions and support measures that reduce Australia’s greenhouse gas emissions, explains Prof Wills.

Leveraging new and existing technologies can make use of Australia’s endless supply of renewable energy & energy that will grow Australia’s energy security and economy without adding to carbon emissions in Australia, says Prof Wills.

WA SEA continues to expand its range of activities with new initiatives including:

– A “Green Fleet Day” in November this year to be run in partnership with WA SEA members, WA vehicle fleet managers and all motor vehicle manufacturers;

– a major international conference: Energising South East Asia conference to be held in Perth 23-26 March 2011;

– facilitation of a bid to create in 2011 a Cooperative Research Centre on electrified transport infrastructure in both urban and regional settings inclusive of both private and public transport, as well as commercial, industrial and mining applications. Key themes of the proposal are network interface and performance, transport mobility and usability;

– WA SEA’s continuing partnership with the Federal Government’s Enterprise Connect program through our delivery of complementary services to the Clean Energy Innovation Centre, not least of which is extensive value chain research on diverse elements of the sustainable energy sector: these include to date algal biofuels, biomass, building energy management, energy efficiency, energy storage, electric transport infrastructure, electric vehicles, microgeneration, solar hot water, solar PV, and wind turbines with many more planned; and

– Skills gap analysis on the sustainable energy sector in Western Australia, work supported by the Western Australian Government that will help support growth of the sustainable energy industry in Western Australia.

And of course WA SEA continues its numerous activities in advocacy and networking, focusing in particular on contributing to the Western Australian Government Strategic Energy Initiative (Energy 2030) consultations.

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Eco Architect on the Old Hospital Site – Crime to Pull it Down

7 July 2010

Jacinta Goerke
Journalist

ONE of Australia’s most well known eco architects has said it would be a crime to pull down the old hospital building in central Bunbury.

Mr Garry Baverstock of Ecotect-Architects said the old hospital was well built, solid and benefited from passive solar energy because it faced in a northerly direction.

“The building is a good size, located in an excellent position and would take little effort to transform into a practical and aesthetically-pleasing structure,” said Mr Baverstock.

“It would take between six and 12 months to renovate and costs could be recouped within seven years from rental income or quicker if sold off as strata titled units,” he said.

Mr Baverstock said part of the building could be turned into a specialist research and outreach university centre with the remainder adapted into single and double storey apartments suitable for retirees and executives.

“A roof top garden could be installed with wind turbines and photovoltaics and the domineering white balconies could be enclosed to include conservatory-like rooms with sliding glass doors,” said Mr Baverstock.

“A floor to roof-top atrium in the middle of the building would bring in more natural light, enhance cross ventilation and be complemented with plants and water features to ‘bring the outdoors in’.

“It’s really lateral thinking that is needed to make the building adaptation and retrofit work visually and in a sustainable manner while also being economically feasible,” he said.

Mr Baverstock said a climate sensible approach to the site would add 100 years to the life of the building and be an environmental showpiece for locals.

“Bunbury people are aware of the impact and interrelationship between weather, the environment and built structures,” said Mr Baverstock.

“They have experienced the terrible effect of tornados, strong winds and storms and this has seen an increase in interest for new and existing buildings to comply with climate sensible design principles.

“Country people, particularly farmers, do not like wastage and if a building can be reworked into something clever and practical then it would win their support,” said Mr Baverstock.

Mr Baverstock said Bunbury was a well appointed seaside city with good access to major hospitals, government departments, sporting and recreational facilities, schools, shopping districts and was not far from Perth.

He said the old hospital site was also a short walk to the library, post office, banks, cafe strip and the soon-to-be completed Catholic Church.

Mr Baverstock said he understood the current owners of the site had planning approval for a multi-use building, but works had been held up due to financial constraints.

“Perhaps if they revisited their plans and included climate sensible approaches then they might be more likely to secure financial support,” said Mr Baverstock.

“It would be worth investigating these ideas at a schematic level and for a detailed feasibility to be prepared,” he said.

Mr Baverstock said the cost to pull the building down and start again would be two to three times the cost of a major renovation – not to mention environmental costs associated with embodied energy.

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