saveenergysavewater

Summer, What's Happening This Year?

7/12/2016

Climate Outlook

This summer the Bureau of Meteorology (BOM) says, after such good spring rains, the dial has moved on the climate tracker for Australia to neutral or inactive.

Neutral means this summer is not likely to be very wet nor super-hot but possibly hotter than previously thought.

The latest video from BOM gives a good overview of what we may expect to see this summer.
http://www.bom.gov.au/climate/outlooks/#/overview/video

The Indian Ocean and the Pacific Ocean continue to influence our Australian climate as they have for the last several hundred thousand years.

Gardens Starting to Dry Out? Try Stones

More people are trying out stones to protect their gardens from the sun beating down on the soil around their favourite garden plants. This is happening particularly where the sun is hottest in the garden. A stone layer (the "new black" in mulching) of 50 mm as a minimum thickness helps stop our soils from 'drying out' and can be more effective than dark wood chip or compost mulches.

Many residents are using white stones to reflect heat away from the soil around their plants in all or just the sunniest parts of their gardens. Standard wood chip mulch can add nutrients to the soil but often the soil can still be baked hard by the sun as the mulch is too thin a layer.

Many standard mulches need to be at least 100 mm thick or more in sunny parts of the garden. The thicker the mulch the more heat is absorbed but no heat reflection occurs using standard mulch.
Some standard mulches can add viruses and parasites to the soils that particular plants may be vulnerable to. Some plants therefore can be trying to manage two events (heat and viral attacks) at the same time.

Standard mulching lasts a while but strategic placement of stones can:

last a lifetime
look very attractive as part of the whole setting
better control heat absorption of the soil
reduce virus and parasites risks.

Stones placement, being so effective, can also add some efficiency to the great job of gardening by allowing more time to be spent in other parts of the garden.

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Solar Product Sales Continue to Rise in Australia

New records were established in the residential market in 2016 - over 1.5 million installations Australia-wide. The photo shows a twin panel, USA-made titanium product 51% more efficient than the standard panels.

This means a significant saving on roof space occupied by panels than with previous designs. The two panels generate more power than three of the older panels (which are still on the market) yet they take up less space on the roof. In 2017 this panel will be made in Victoria.

The 325 litre water tank, located at ground level in this residential setting on the central coast NSW in 2016, can be heated to optimum temperature in 1.5 hours by the twin panels. The system comes with controls to monitor heat temperature. The latest pump technology uses only 20 watts/day average energy cost.

This residential installation attracted $1,406 rebate from the Australian Government to the owner at $37/ REC. There were 36 REC's generated by the purchase. Net cost $4,150 and 25 year warranty.

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So, the year draws to a close...wishing everyone a relaxing Christmas. Thanks for reading our posts this year, we hope they've been interesting, informative and helpful.

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Wipes not for Toilets and Pipes

29/7/2016

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We're going to hear a lot more about this one - WIPES. They're building up at an alarming rate in our waterways and clogging our sewer systems. Let's have a look at what's being said about this issue:

FROM CHOICE MAGAZINE

The latest information from Choice magazine is that flushable wipes are not actually flushable. Choice has tested the latest wipes and they are not passing the tests for being flushable.

Flushable means the wipes break down in a reasonable time and do not clog the pipes. The opposite is happening wipes are not breaking down fast enough to stop clogging up the pipes under our streets. See the Choice magazine for more detailed information.

As of 16th June 2016 Choice has been asking people to join their campaign of raising awareness of the costs to the community of flushing wipes down pipes and throwing them into waterways for fish to eat.
To join the campaign visit Choice's Flushbusters page.

FROM SYDNEY WATER

Sydney Water, in their latest flyer May-July 2016, is strongly encouraging people to do the right thing and put wipes in the rubbish bin and only the rubbish bin. Their latest community flyer says a healthy wastewater system is good for the environment and good for our health.

Our rivers, lakes, streams and beaches need to be in good health. Most people think wastewater is mainly 'poo' but, believe it or not, 99% of wastewater is water.

Sydney Water has stated that 'whales' of wipes are being extracted from our pipes every year. Sydney Water says flushed wet wipes are causing 75% of sewer blockages.

Many water authorities are now charging the owners or tenants for unblocking wipe-blocked pipes.
Click here and read more about wet wipes and pipes.

So please try and remember, No Wipes in Toilets and Pipes

FROM OUR WATER AND ENERGY GROUP

Here at Water and Energy Group we've created the Factsheet below for many regional councils to help people in regional areas take action and put used wipes in rubbish bins not the toilet.

A safe way to help the environment is to put wipes so-called flushable wipes all in the rubbish bin. Bin them all and don't risk the health of our environment.

Avoid putting these in our toilets and pipes:
wipes, nappies, cat litter, oil, rags, chemicals, cotton buds, sanitary products, dental floss and cigarette butts

Remember: Think Before You Flush, If It's Not Natural Don't Flush It!

WET WIPES BOX SAYS FLUSH. NEW YORK’S SEWER SYSTEM PEOPLE SAY DON’T DO IT

People in New York are being told one message from product makers of wet wipes and authorities are saying the opposite. Play it safe and bin the wipes. A New York Times article states that the New York City Department of Environmental Protection says don't flush wet wipes, put them in the rubbish bin.

Read our August blog post for more tips and ideas on water and energy...

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What is a Dzud?

19/6/2016

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What is a Dzud?

With the relatively sudden drop in temperatures here, it tells us winter has arrived. But spare a thought for people in Mongolia, the 19th largest nation on the planet (compared to Australia the 6th largest) during some of the last 9 months they experienced sub-zero temperatures (down to -50C) with snow and ice covering over 70% of their country. Summer, Autumn, Winter and into early Spring April 2016 were very hot to very cold with no rain - a duzd.

''Mongolia is experiencing a natural disaster called a dzud. The phenomenon, unique to the country, usually occurs after a summer drought is followed by heavy winter snowfall that makes already scarce pastures inaccessible to livestock.'' Read more here...

A dzud event leads to many people's lives and livelihoods being lost. This last 9 months 1.5 million livestock have died and in 2010, the last Mongolian dzud killed over 9 million livestock.

When Mongolia is in the middle of a dzud event, the very-hot-no-rain then very-cold-no-rain weather pattern spread over several seasons is a multiple natural disaster. The summer drought results in inadequate pasture and production of hay, followed by a dry spring, very heavy winter snow, winds, no rain and lower-than-normal temperatures.

In Mongolia The dzud event has increased in frequency in recent decades, possibly due to changing climate, increased and over-grazing among other reasons.

Water Stations

More and more water stations are being installed in parks and other public places to help our communities enjoy fresh water.

These popular modern stainless steel water stations have a water fountain, bottle refill and some even come with a dog bowl.

People can fill their reusable water bottles at these stations plus have a drink of fresh water. This helps us reduce litter and waste by reducing the number of non-reusable water bottles that are bought.

La Nina is Back?

La Nina (wet weather) is coming Back and the El Nino (dry weather) of the last 6 months seems to have gone. The Australian Bureau of Meteorology (BOM) says we are in for above average rain in winter and a gathering La Nina.

A coldish winter is coming. The Bureau of Meteorology (BOM) says we are in for above average winter rain this year, some low temperatures and possibly a number of what is called traditional East Coast Lows. These Lows bring storms with flooding rain, high winds and low temperatures. The heavy rainfall can be very intense over a short time.

Dr Tupper, Director, Australian Government Bureau of Meteorology National Operations Centre says these East Coast Lows form over southern/eastern Queensland and northern NSW and spread quite quickly. On average seven (7) of these events occur mostly between May and August each year. Often these Lows extend from north Queensland to as far south as Tasmania.

Visit www.bom.gov.au to see the latest forecast

Leaf deflector installed in downpipe

Leaf Deflectors

If you live between Queensland and Tasmania it's a good idea to think about installing Leaf Deflectors before the East Coast Lows arrive and if you have got caught in the first East Coast Low you can always install the Leaf Deflector before the next one arrives.

Cleaning your gutters and drains and installing leaf deflectors in the downpipes to help reduce blockages makes sense.

With these intense heavy rains and wild winds a lot of leaves end up in your gutters, even with leaf guards in place especially if you have lots of trees around and/or there are lots of trees in your suburb.

The leaf deflector allows you to hose down the gutters and downpipes flushing out leaves, sticks and dirt instead of blocking your water downpipes which can then be blocked underground.

When you hose down your gutters the water flushes leaves, sticks and dirt into the downpipe. The leaf deflector pushes the leaves, sticks and dirt out of the pipe and onto your lawn so it prevents the downpipe getting clogged.

You can see one installed here in this photo, about 3/4 of the way down the downpipe.

Keep watching for more info and tips on saving water and energy in our next post...

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Batteries and Solar go 'Hand in Hand' - Cutting your Electricity Bill

9/4/2016

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If you're reading the latest about what is happening with solar energy you will notice even more innovation with solar panels and batteries.

We are seeing more powerful solar panels being developed getting more energy from our sun and making more electricity. Also we are seeing new more powerful batteries that are able to store more electricity in your home.

Later this year new products will enable you to make even better decisions that could reduce your electricity costs.

ABC Catalyst recently (February 2016) ran a program
Battery Powered Homes devoted to new technologies. Independent living for more people is closer than ever before.

In the last few months:

Lithium batteries, used for cars has expanded significantly
Electric car sales have risen signficantly world wide
Gallium is used for space satellite solar panels and
Several alternatives to silicon, used in solar panels, has been developed. These new alternatives are better at turning sunlight into electricity

So What's Next?

Our earth is bathed in Sunshine - about 1,366 watts of energy/square metre of earth each year.
Capturing the sun's energy efficiently is the task that 1,000's of people world-wide are working to achieve. Each year brings new breakthroughs and replacing or using only 1/2 the amount of Silicon per solar panel is a real possibility.

Also, panels with both Silicon and Gallium Arsenite use different parts of the sunlight hitting the solar panel resulting in a 100% increase in efficiency or double the electricity generated for each solar panel.

Lithium batteries, for house energy storage or electric car storage, could be in competition with Zinc Bromide Gel batteries within the next 12 months. Zinc Bromide Gel and other products are showing far greater efficiency in trials than Silicon.

Read more in the fascinating book: 'Abundance' by P. Diamandis and S.Kotler

The Big Story - Alkimos Beach to go 'Off-Grid' by 2020
6,000 Homes, Shopping Centre and Businesses to be Completed in a New Perth Suburb by 2020

ABC Catalyst 2nd Feburary, 2016

Alkimos Beach just north of Perth, Western Australia, is Australia's largest residential development of 6,000 homes powered by solar and storage batteries.

Development started in 2012 and completion is due 2020. Residents, schools, businesses will all be off the mainstream electricity supply and all using the sun. 100% of the homes are being built with solar panels.
It is the first time community-level Lithium battery storage will be tried in an urban residential environment.

How it works for you!
Instead of giving electricity back to the grid under old solar system, the electricity here will be generated by the sun and stored in batteries and used in the homes when they need power.

The developer also benefits, saving more than $100,000-$500,000 by not connecting to the normal electricity supply. The battery system can store up to 1.2 megawatts of power or over 1,000 horsepower.

Residents can save between $10,000 to $20,000 purchase cost per home and their on-going energy bill is less. Charging your phone and/or electric car can all be done at home.

What does this mean?

If more and more Australians are using solar then this reduces the demand for electricity.Therefore our commercial, manufacturing, mining, retail industries and local councils have more opportunities to obtain electricity at lower prices. Many industries and councils can be more self-sustainable. Lower energy costs may mean more jobs. A win for jobs and a win for the environment. A very exciting future prospect!

Lots to consider

See you next time for more of the latest news on all things solar!

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Better Water Better Jobs - World Water Day

24/3/2016

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Tuesday, March 22 - World Water Day 2016
Theme: Better Water, Better Jobs

World Water Day is celebrated each year on March 22 coincides with the Autumn Equinox - the day our sun moves north to bathe the northern hemisphere with more sunlight than we get here in NSW and Australia. We now get less sun in the south hemisphere for the next 6 months..
World Water Day focuses on the importance of fresh water and supports sustainable management of freshwater resources.

The day was declared at the United Nations in 1992 and 24 years later it's still as relevant as it was back then. Each year the day focuses on a different water issue.

World Water Day highlights the need to improve access to WASH (water, sanitation, hygiene) facilities in deveolping countries.

Now for the not so good news:
1. 1.8 billion people around the world lack access to safe water.
2. Globally, a third of all schools lack access to safe water and adequate sanitation.
3. The World Economic Forum in 2015 said water crisis as the No. 1 global risk.
4. The incidence of children suffering from stunting and chronic malnutrition — at least 160 million — is linked to water and sanitation.
5. More than 840,000 people die from a water-related disease each year.
6. 82% of people who don’t have access to “improved” water live in rural areas.
7. More than one-third of people worldwide lack access to a toilet, more than the number of people who have a mobile phone.
8. Women and children spend 125 million hours collecting fresh water every day. Individual women and children spend as many as six hours collecting fresh water daily.
9. Every 90 seconds a child dies from a water-related disease.
10. Universal access to safe water and sanitation would result in $18.5 billion in economic benefits each year from deaths avoided alone, a return of $4 for every dollar spent on safe water access.

Courtesy of Water.org

Drinkable book image courtesy of Snapzu

Now for Some Good News!

1. New technology to filter poor quality water is being developed at a fast pace and is being used in parts of Africa, South America and Asia. Examples are:

nanotechnology
paper books to read then use the pages as filters (see our previous blog post)
more efficient delivery of water
mobile phone expansion to better communicate

These are helping more people than ever before. The task is still big and is complicated by internal conflict in some countries but lots of progress is being made and that's good news!

Your bedtime water drink - why does the taste change?

You may have noticed that if you drink water left by your bedside overnight, it can taste different by the morning.
Is it you or the water?

You might think it's because you've just woken up or you might think the strange taste is all in your head.

But the truth is that water actually does change its taste overnight (and no, it’s not dangerous).

While you sleep, the water absorbs some carbon dioxide, and some of the water becomes carbonic acid.
‘Some carbonic acid then forms bicarbonate respectively.’ This makes the water a bit acidic, changing the taste.

Is it safe to drink? Yes

The only risk posed to humans by a glass of water is if it is left out for a much longer period of time and is exposed to bacteria as a result.

Look out for our next post on all things energy and water!

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Innovation on The Home Front

24/2/2016

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Complete LED Light Unit Requires no wires to transformer as no transformer is needed. No heat cover required. Low risk of roof fire

Innovation on the Home Front
In early 2007 we added an extension to our home. We put 15 halogen down lights in the ceiling, small lights with a transformer, and wired in. All lights needed a heat insulation cover to reduce the risk of roof fire.

Cost per down light $27
Heat insulation cover $4

Total = $31/light + electrician time.

Fast forward to 2016, we decided to update our lights. Why? Because with the previous halogen lights we had our electrician round to replace 2-4 lights every 18 months. He advised us that new innovation and technology existed to reduce maintenance and energy bills and offering a 5 year warranty, and better brighter lighting!

We bit the bullet. We paid $21/light incl GST, no heat insulation covers were needed, no separate transformers were needed and all were 'plug ins' so a good handy man could safely change the lights as each down light was plugged into a power point in the ceiling like plugging an appliance into a wall power point.

The electrician advised us to keep all dockets for the 5 year to retain warranty - in that time you could travel from Earth to Mars and back 3 times or three quarters of the way to Pluto!

Now Comes the Really Interesting Part, Comparing Costs

LED Lights compared with halogen lights:

Lower maintenance by 30%,
Lower light cost by 30%/light.
Massive fire risk reduction.
Electrician visits reduced by 50% over 5 years.

In 2007 the energy use for 15 halogen lights was 750 watts/hr

In 2016 the energy use for 15 LED light was 144 watts/hr

A massive 80% reduction in energy costs 2007 and 2016 and better quality lighting.

Total savings using 15 LED lights approximately $1,484

(lights on 5hrs/day x 350 days/yr at 28c /KW) over 5
years.

Amazing!

And this is only at current innovation levels as at 2016.

There will be many many more innovations in lighting over the next 5 years.

Space, Energy and Cost Saving Innovation in the Laundry - Maybe

Innovative appliances can now do both washing and drying in one. In Australia, laundry space has always been much bigger than in many other countries who for years have incorporated the laundry into the kitchen. More Australians are now living in smaller spaces as unit and apartment living expands dramatically. Smaller laundries with smaller or no tubs is the new norm.

Not long along laundries had 70 litre tubs - big enough to wash a dog or small child. These days even 45 litre tubs are less common with many laundries not being defined as laundries anymore but are just a space provided with no tub.

Washing machines are becoming smaller too and yet still providing 3 or 5kg washing capacity. The savings are in the size of the motor its efficiency.

Moving on from this is the new wave of combo units to hit Australia in 2016. These washing and drier combinations claim to do a 5 kg wash and dry in less than 60 minutes. Only one power point is needed. Several machines are now priced under $980. Many machines also only come with cold water connection now.

However there are a number of issues to take into account before making the decision to switch.

Check out this article 'The Ultimate Laundry Convenience?' in Choice in 2014 before deciding if the washer-dryer route is the one for you.

Photo Attribution: By Sae1962 (Own work) [CC BY-SA 3.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0)], via Wikimedia Commons

Drinking Water Fountain, Lausanne, Switzerland. Three people can refill their bottles at once

On the World Wide Trail of Water Fountain Design and Location

A recent visit to Switzerland and in particular Lausanne revealed water stations from the 1800's still actively in use like in Paris where 1870's water fountains are still in use (See our earlier blog post).

In water drenched Europe, community water stations still exist and are extensively used by residents.

Recently, I gave a lecture on Sustainability at the University of Technology, Sydney to a class of students from Michigan State University. During question time they highlighted their disbelief that in the centre of Sydney there were very few water or no water fountains in the streets or on university campuses in a hot, dry country like Australia.

Water fountains are everywhere overseas including Michigan USA, where these students lived. They expected that in sunny Sydney there would be water stations everywhere.

In over 15 states in the USA there are laws now that require every floor level of commercial buildings over a certain size to provide drinking fountains at least one per floor in the building. Water for Health is a big push in parts of the USA.

Australia does not have any such laws.

Enso Tracker, Feburary 2016 Bureau of Meterology, Australia

Further easing of El Niño

On the 2nd February the Bureau of Meteorology (BOM) issued an update.

El Nino is reducing and rains are expected over the next few months . The history since 1990, even though a short time shows that of the 26 El Nino events (hot and dry times) the following year there was a 40% chance of wet time (La Nina) and 50% chance of neither too hot or too wet with only a 10% chance of another El Nino.

Have a look at 'El Nino in Australia' a PDF education poster giving lots of El Nino facts about Australia

May be time to buy a brolly while there is no rush

That's all for us for our first post of 2016, watch out next time for more articles, tips and info about all things energy, water and sustainability....

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XMAS 2015 - What Presents are Possible?

15/12/2015

Innovation has Hit Centre Stage in Australia -
The Pathway to AUSTRALIAN SUSTAINABILITY

The Prime Minister, Malcolm Turnbull, has outlined a vision we can strive to fulfill as a way of achieving a new economy that doesn't depend on mining and selling raw materials to China.

Innovation is the way for us not to rely on energy sources like 'brown coal' which is a very high greenhouse gas emitter and is used to power the most polluting power stations like Hazelwood in Victoria. A whopping 65% of the energy in Victoria comes from 'brown coal' and Victoria uses more brown coal than all the other states of Australia combined!

As a nation we are awash with excellent ideas and some of them have been developed to prototype stage. What we lack is the ideal structure to encourage our innovations to become commercial successes here in Australia. Plus we need more innovations.

The 'new innovation package' announced this week has a vision for a clever Australia getting ready for its future expansion. We lag behind most western nations in getting our ideas made into things we can use. But we are a national full of smart and creative people with lots of energy. We need to encourage them as much as we can.

Here at Water & Energy Group we are always looking for news about innovative ways to save water and energy.
Everyone wants cheaper prices but also have products that are efficient.
A wave of change is sweeping Australia which will lead the way in energy efficient ideas, inventions and designs.

The New Wave

In science we know that, actions lead to reactions and everything living and non-living creates energy when the actions and reactions happen. A new wave of technology is being developed to, believe it or not, capture energy every time you use your Wifi!!

Will Wifi one day power your home?
Not this Xmas but before 2020!!

Often when actions and reactions happen waste energy is created. Wifi is no different.

When you use your Wifi, energy is created as waste (by-product). No Wifi use - no energy created. So when you use your wifi the waste energy can be taken from the radio waves of Wifi and made into electricity that could then power your home.!

Four sites to see for the change happening with wifi. There are 100's in this innovation space now.

To read more, click the links below...
Free Energy from Radio Waves Could Power the Internet of Things
Lord Drayson turns WiFi signals into usable energy

We Must Not Forget our Brothers and Sisters Overseas Still Struggling With No Drinkable Water in 2015

We still have over 700,000,000 people in the world with no drinkable water!

Our previous blog talked about the 'Drinkable Book' which uses nanotechnology using particles (one millionth of a millimetre) to filter poor quality water.

We can now create and use energy so effectively but we are still a long way from creating water but we do at least have new ways of filtering poor quality water.

COP 21 in Paris

Alongside the terrible and tragic events which hit Paris there has been a meeting working towards international agreement on climate - so what is COP 21?

'COP’ stands for Conference of Parties. ‘Parties’ means the countries signed up under the United Nations agreement to work to agree on world climate controls.

Currently there are 196 countries signed up.

The 21 refers to the years since the conference began - 1994.

Every year since 1994, the ‘parties’ meet to discuss a global agreement to cut emissions of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere.

The current Paris meeting is the 21st since the United Nations agreement was made so ‘COP 21’ for short.

As we write this blog the Paris conference is closing and we wait for outcomes that may affect our future in Australia.

This is our final blog for 2015 - we will be back in 2016 and until then have a happy and relaxed Christmas and New Year from all at Water and Energy Group!

Water Thoughts...

7/12/2015

Original water fountain, Paris, France

Water Fountains Come in Many Shapes and Sizes

150 years ago when elegant water fountains like this one in Paris were a common site, very few parts of the world had piped water in their homes and businesses.

These beautifully crafted pieces were so heavy they were almost impossible to knock down - surviving both World War I and World War II, however the limitation was and still is you can only use them to fill a bottle, one person at a time.

Today in Australia our water is managed by councils, county councils and government owned water corporations with very limited private sector ownership. This is a similar pattern of ownership to France and much of the USA. In the UK all water was privatised by Government in 1989. Whether privatised or in public ownership, many of these water providers across the world have introduced modern water fountains for their communities.

Old Idea, New Design

This up-to-date stainless steel water fountain design lets people do much more than just fill their bottles.

It also features:

An antibacterial tap holder
A drinking fountain
2 bottle filling points - this means 3 people can use the fountain at the same time
An animal/bird bowl for your dog, cat, camel or budgie to have a fresh drink of water

Water fountains mean people buy less throw-away bottles this means less waste and litter.
The new designs of refillable water bottles are BPA-free which means they can be used over and over again and chemicals from the bottle won't dissolve into the water.

It's claimed that a BPA-free bottle can be used up to 10,000 times and still be safe.

That's 3 refills every single day for almost 10 years!!

Your refillable bottle will become your trusty companion for a long time so maybe you'd like to name it,
here are some suggestions: PETTLE or BOTTLEMATE or LIFEGIVER or WATERMAID.

Using a trigger nozzle and timer saves water when gardening

Keep Track of Your Watering Time
Ever thought of a timer for your trigger nozzle (the hand held water nozzle)?

Simply attach the timer to your hose next to your trigger nozzle.
Then you can work out exactly how long you are watering for.
Follow the times below and you can water your garden pretty quickly: making sure your plants get enough water without wasting any.

TALL PLANTS: 2 - 5 metres - 2 minutes/plant

MEDIUM PLANTS 1 - 2metres - 1.5 minutes/plant

SMALL PLANTS 0.5 - 1metre - 1 minutes/plant

GROUND COVERS Up to 1/2 metre - 45 seconds/plants

These watering times will make sure your plants get enough water without wasting any

The Heat is On

We've had a few very hot days now.
In many part of Australia there's been 1 day 40 C or above per week for the last 3 weeks.

A taste of summer has now arrived.

Will this increase so that there are more days per week are above 40 C this summer ?

EL Nino
The Bureau of meteorology (BOM) is still saying that the Pacific Ocean is warmer and warmer and that more rain and more heat is likely.

BOM says that the high temperature years of 1982-1983 and 1997-1998 are the sort of heat levels we can expect this summer .

Check in with this blog and we'll keep you posted on the latest predictions for summer temperatures this year and ways that you and your family can keep cool and reduce your water use .....

Rats, Bugs and Drips

23/11/2015

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Top Six Tips for Water & Energy Savings Around Your Home
Adding up to a Water & Energy Efficient Home & Garden

Your bathroom - use a 5 minute shower timer, a great water saver combined with a 3 star AAA shower head delivering 7-9 litres of water per minute, save up to 15 - 20% water use
Your kitchen - if you’re buying a dishwasher, consider a water efficient model and use your dishwasher on the eco setting to save between 5 - 10% on water use and 10% on energy costs
Your laundry - if you’re buying a washing machine, try a water efficient, front loader and save up to 10% water use and 10% energy costs.
Check regularly for water leaks in your home and garden, and check your taps for drips
Use a trigger nozzle for watering to reduce over-watering and a water timer connected to the hose and save up to 10 - 15% water use
Plant your garden with plants that need little water and are drought resistant and save up to 20% of watering

("Nacktmull" by Roman Klementschitz, Vienna - Own work. Licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0 via Commons (Wikimedia)

Not Your Average Pet
The Naked Mole Rat might not win the prize for the most good looking creature but it is an amazing little rodent. It can survive and thrive underground where the concentration of CO2 (carbon dioxide) is 5% (50,000 ppm) compared with above ground where mole rats and humans breath a concentration of 0.04% (400 ppm), this is the level of CO2 we currently breathe .

The CO2 concentration difference between the two places where the mole rat lives (5%) and where they scurry around on the ground (0.04%) is 125 times.

According to the World Health Organisation (WHO) humans can survive and work well in a CO2 concentration up to 0.5% or 12 times the current concentration at our earth's ground level.

Bug Killing Book image courtesy of Snapzu.com

The Bug Killing Book
New technology can help us to do more and more things for ourselves. New technologies can help remote communities that face serious economic and environmental challenges. These places often have harsh climates and extended droughts. Some of these innovations help to reduce the amount of fresh water that needs to be trucked in to these areas from the outside. The trucks use a great deal of petrol/diesel (energy) to carry the water because water is so heavy to transport.

This has led to some really fascinating new ideas, here's just one!
Jonathan Webb, Science reporter, BBC News, Boston wrote on 16th August 2015 that The Bug Killing Book looks like a standard book but there's a big difference.

After you've read a page that tells you what to do, you tear it out of the book and follow the instructions to filter water to get rid of harmful bugs. The book's been tried at 25 contaminated water sources in South Africa, Ghana and Bangladesh the results are in and it's working.

The paper successfully removed more than 99% of bacteria!

Dr Teri Dankovich showed how the new product uses nano technology to trap bacteria so the water is cleaned in a matter of seconds. Dr Dankovich is a researcher at Carnegie Mellon University in Pittsburgh has developed and tested the Bug Book technology for several years.
Her team's results were presented to the 250th National Meeting of the American Chemical Society in Boston, US.

According to Dr Dankovich's tests, one page can clean up to 100 litres of water so just one book could filter one person's water supply for several years.

The books could be dropped from planes and safely land in communities where there's no water.

Potentially many of the 700,000,000 people who have no clean water will have a chance to have a brighter future. Now that's good news!

Drip, Drip, Drip
One drip doesn't seem much but a dripping tap can add up to
30 litres per tap per day

This adds up to 3 buckets of water per tap per day or
210 litres per tap per week or
840 litres per tap per month

Save water and save money by checking your taps -
Time to get the spanner out!

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Summer's Coming Are You Ready?

30/10/2015

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We Are Water
We range between 45% and 73% water during our lifetime depending on our weight, age, sex, health and background.

We're made of water and most of us love water. Many people have a strong affinity with water and many do not but we all need it.

Our water suppliers (councils, water corporations, county councils) provide it in an excellent efficient way bringing us top quality drinkable water (potable water) in a clean safe state.

Blue Whale

Keeping Our Pipes Clean Reduces Our Bills

Sydney Water, Sydney has a current campaign about the significant concern about the rise in wet wipes in its sewers.

Sydney Water states that in Sydney last year 500 tonnes of flushed wet wipes were removed from their sewers equivalent to 4 blue whales each over 30 metres long!

We need to all watch what we put down our toilets, showers and sinks as it costs us more money if the wrong things get washed down and away - out of our sight but firmly in the sights of your local water and waste water corporation, county council or council.

Keeping our pipes free of nappies, cat litter, wet wipes, oil, chemicals, rags, cotton buds, dental floss, cigarette butts and plastics means your water provider uses less water to fix problems.

The more problems with rubbish in the pipes - the more water has to be used cleaning the pipes and that means less water for us.

Worth keeping an eye out for what you think you may flush away!!
Remember: Think before you toss and flush. If it's not natural - don't flush it!

Bureau of Meteorology predicts an El Nino

this could mean a long hot summer in some parts of New South Wales so the more simple ways we can find to use less water the more we can all help to conserve our precious supply.

Image Courtesy of BOM, Enso Tracker

Tank Checking Time
Check the valve at the bottom of your tank to see if water is running freely
Take a sample of the water from your tank and check that it is clear
If it is cloudy or has wrigglers (mosquito larvae) in it then do a tank check to see what could be causing this.
Cloudy water can also be caused by sediment and tank cleaning should fix this.

Basic Tank Check Checklist:
1. That all downpipes are joined securely to the tank
2. Mozzie proof screens (1mm or less mesh) are across each outlet
3. The first flush diverter is working
4. Gutters are clean
5. You have filters at the inlet and outlet
6. No sun shines into your tank - sunlight can lead to slime forming inside your tank

Clean Tank Helps You and Your Plants
Before cleaning your tank:
1. Clean the tank when the water level is low if possible
2. Empty your tank and dispose of the water and sediment
3. It is not recommended that you get inside your tank to clean it
4. Check the tank is vertical before cleaning
5. If you're not sure how to clean your tank - get a professional tank service to do it

How Much Water Do My Plants Need?
Depending on where you live - check out the plants with the lowest water needs that grow well in your area. Generally:

The smaller the leaf, the less water plants need
The bigger the leaf the more water the plants need

Some small leafed plants have very efficient systems to extract the most water possible.
Larger leaf plants tend to be the least efficient because they usually grow naturally in areas with plenty of water.

The exceptions include different types of cactus that often have big leaves to catch any passing rains and often they 'cup' to hold water for a while to absorb over time and also catch any new rains.

ABC's Gardening Australia has a helpful factsheet about a range of drought tolerant plants for Australian gardens.

ACS Distance Education's Horticulture Department have provided a comprehensive list with names and full details of lots of drought tolerant plants, shrubs and trees to help you plant a low maintenance, water saving garden.

Shower Timers come in a variety of styles and colours

Shorter Showers Save Water, Energy and Money
A shorter shower using a Shower Timer is a simple, inexpensive way to keep track of how long you've been showering. If the whole family does this every day you'll save much more water than you think.

7 minute shower
Using a Standard Shower Head = 17 litres/minute = 119 litres/person/day
Using a Water Saving Shower Head = 7 litres/minute = 49 litres/person/day

*A saving of 70 litres/person/day by using a Water Saving Shower Head

5 minute shower using a Shower Timer
And a Standard Showerhead = 17 litres/minute = 85 litres/person/day
And a Water Saving Showerhead = 7 litres/minute = 35 litres/person/day

* A saving of 34 litres/person/day by having 5 minutes showers (using a Shower Timer) + a Standard Shower Head

* A saving of 85 litres/person/day by having 5 minute showers (using a Shower Timer) + a Water Saving Showerhead

Annual Water Savings Using a Shower Timer + a Water Saving Showerhead
For an average family of 4 this saving is 84 litres/day x 4 = 336 litres per day
336 x 7 = 2,352 litres per week
2,352 litres x 52 = 858,000 litres or 858 kilolitres every year

Annual Water Savings Using just a Shower Timer
If you don't have a Water Saving Shower Head you can use just a simple Shower Timer and still make significant water savings:

For an average family of 4 taking 5 minute showers the saving is 34 litres/day x 4 = 136 litres per day
136 x 7 = 952 litres per week
952 litres x 52 = 49,504 litres or 49.5 kilolitres every year

Shower Timers cost just a few dollars to buy and can save you lots more

If you have an questions, comments or water saving suggestions contact us at: info@waterandenergygroup.com
Visit our site at: www.waterandenergygroup.com

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Less Will be More in 2020

11/10/2015

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Our world in 2020 will be vastly different to 2010

Whether in your backyard or inside your home the need for greater efficiency is everywhere.
New technology and innovation means smaller things are being designed to do the same job.
We want ever more efficient ways to live and make good decisions for ourselves and our families.

Ride the new wave of efficiency appearing before our eyes

Every day more apps are created to do more things, including managing your energy and water bills while you're in Bali is the way more people are managing their lives.

Some apps allow you to set what you think is your average spend per month or quarter on water and energy. The app then alerts you if there is a spike above your personal average spend-trend - well before you get a bill shock!!

Below are some apps and monitors to check out:

LED TVs
LED TVs are saving costs each year on your electricity bill Using the equivalent of 2 light globes of power compared to at least 4-6 light globes of power 5 years ago for older TVs.

Solar Panel Watch
With solar PV (photovoltaic) panels generating electricity from the sun beating down on your solar panels watch out there may be sharks trying to get you to over-spend! Finn Peacock an Electrical Engineer of SolarQuotes.com outlines 6 mistakes people make when thinking about getting solar -

1. Not getting multiple quotes
2. Not knowing how the 'rebate' works or how to calculate the paybacks
3. Not knowing what consumer protections you are entitled to
4. Not knowing the hard hitting questions you need to ask your solar installer
5. Not knowing what size system you need to install
6. Thinking that because your roof doesn't face the best way that solar isn't worth getting

Read the report on the 6 mistakes and how to avoid them at SolarQuotes.com

Celebrate Our Solar Breakthrough in Australia
Australians have passed the 1,450,000 million homes connected to solar PV panels and generating electricity from our sun. It is expected to be above 1,500,000 mark by Christmas 2015.
The big push by the Australian Government is investment in storage capacity from solar power over the next 5-10 years so even more people are motivated to join the efficiency future.

We Love Good News! Australia's First Commercial Diesel Displacement Plant

The good news is that some big companies are doing more to reduce their carbon footprint. Rio Tinto and Australian Renewable Energy Agency have opened the first commercial diesel displacement plant at Weipa, NT, using solar energy,reducing diesel used by 600,000 litres a year and reducing greenhouse gas by the equivalent of removing 700 cars!

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Make electricity for your home this summer

22/9/2015

More spring and summer sun - more electricity for you

You’ve probably seen the TV ads about not wasting your roof - here are some questions you might have about solar panels for the home

How does the sun make electricity on my roof?

The panels on your roof are called photovoltaic cells or PV cells which means when the sunlight hits the panels the silicon in the panels becomes hot and emits electrons which travel along the silicon conductor making electricity as direct current (DC).

However, this electricity has to be changed to alternating current (AC ) so it can be used for your home or business. To do this an inverter is used, a small box like a metre box does the work and is located inside your roof space or on your wall.

The electricity made from the sun is called renewable energy because the sun will be there for another 5,000,000,000 years
(5 billion years) before it dies. A bit beyond our lifetime. Humans may well be on another planet or in another solar system by then as our sun, our lifeblood, will have expanded and consumed our earth by then.

Where does the electricity made on my roof go?

It can go to your home and power some of your appliances or it can go back to the electricity company that provides you with power (‘the grid’).

If it goes to the electricity company do they give me a discount on my electricity?

Yes. The electricity company can take the electricity from you, called ‘going back to the grid’. Instead of electricity coming to you via power lines you are sending it back to them via the same power lines.

It does depend on what plan you sign up for from the solar company. There are many companies and many types of roof solar panels.

Do panels vary in how much electricity they can make?

Yes. Some panels can make more electricity than others. New ones just released are called 315 watt or more electricity generating panels. Check the capacity of the solar panels the companies are offering. The higher the watts the less number of solar panels you need.

The ABC Catalyst video below explores the possibilities of solar energy (Courtesy ABC 2015)

The video below explores new types of solar panel design (Courtesy of euronews knowledge) 2014

What choices do I have when it comes to putting panels on my roof?

There are now three choices for putting PV solar panels on your roof. You can

1.   Buy the whole lot of panels, usually 8 is the minimum, and pay upfront

2.   Pay on an installment plan usually 3-5 years

3.   Lease the panels and there are several ways of leasing with no up-front payment. The PV supplier pays for maintenance and efficiency of the panels by monitoring their performance. You are charged a lease payment each month.

One more thing: the new panel systems can come with micro-inverters meaning a small box for each panel so if there is shade on one panel then the other panels still work. Up until recently if one panel was in shade, then the whole panel system closed down and no power was made for you.

Can I store the electricity from my roof in a storage cabinet so I can use it later?

Yes. Some packages of solar PV systems allow for future storage. This technology is expected to reach Australia in November. It is already used in the USA, Europe and Asia.

Do you have any questions about solar power?
Email us on info@waterandenergygroup.com

Be Cool this Spring and Summer Prepare - Early

30/8/2015

El Nino Predictions:

The Bureau of Meteorology (BOM) Australia predicts that there could be little rain and very hot temperatures for a lot of this coming summer.

They are calling it a ‘consolidated dry time’ or El Nino (Spanish for little boy) event.

The official BOM indicator courtesy of Bureau of Meteorology, Australia, August 2015

El Nino Explained:

El Niño has been around for thousands of years.

El Niño happens when some of the warmest ocean waters in the world – northeast of Papua New Guinea, where the ocean can get up to 30C – shift east across the Pacific ocean towards South America.

As the warmth shifts east, so does the cloud and rain, and Australia gets dry, cloudless and rainless weather.

So, the scientific parameters from the Bureau of Meteorology (BOM) say we are currently all systems go for an El Nino dry time this summer.

Last year the Bureau of Meteorology were all systems go for a hot dry summer but it didn't happen - the weather changed - this year they seem more definite in their prediction.

Image courtesy of 'The Conversation' 18th August 2015 (originally NOAA 1997)

This image from 1997 is very similar to 1982 and what is happening in 2015. (About 15-18 years apart.)

If the Bureau's Predictions are right then now's the time to get things in place in your home and garden so that you and your plants can relax this coming summer - whatever the weather.

Garden Tips for this Coming Summer

So the best time to prepare for the coming heat and dry that’s predicted is now before it’s too hot

If you have a water tank, now’s the time to make sure it’s working properly and efficiently so it collects every drop of rain that comes your way. Maybe even fill it up with town water late spring if there’s been no rain by then.

Check out how you can extend your water tank system with an extra tank, maybe install an irrigation timer, some irrigation tubing, use trigger nozzles for hosing.

If you don’t have water tanks and/or under-house reservoirs or bladders there are still ways you will be able to water your plants

Now’s the Perfect Time to Prepare your Plants for Summer:

1. Put extra mulch around your plants to keep the soil as cool and moist as possible - stops soil drying out, protects plants and conserves water
2. Don't forget the humble watering can. Some light weight varieties are available.
3. A pool cover maybe a good idea
4. Organise your gutters to give your pool a filtered 'shandy'( a mixture of town water and roof water with or without a tank)
5. An inverted water bottle can help (re-use your large soft drink bottles and fill with water)
6. Follow the pruning guides for your plants

In the next post there'll be more tips and ideas for energy and water savings around your home and garden

Visit our site at: www.waterandenergygroup.com or email: info@waterandenergygroup.com

Disclaimer: Water & Energy Group has prepared this blog in good faith to inform readers. It is for general use only does not endorse or recommend any of the services or products contained therein.
All facts presented should be checked by the reader for verification.
Readers if this blog should seek their own expert advice about their situation.
Water & Energy Group expressly disclaim all and any liability for any loss or damage resulting from any content published on this blog.
2015