Entries Tagged 'energy saving' ↓

Although Dynnyrne area is quite well serviced with buses, there are many reasons people give for not using public transport.

Problem is that our urban car culture is so strong that most of us are used to jumping into cars without thinking – and are not in tune with our own bus services.

To make it easier, make these two links ‘favourites’ in your browser.

Huon Rd Timetable
Dynnyrne Timetable

Conveniently, when you go to these links the very next bus going along that route will be highlighted.

(For those who don’t use computers much, you can print out each route on an A4 page and pin it up in a convenient location.)

A number of people have asked about service people who can do basic home upgrades (to reduce energy losses) at reasonable rates.

We are compiling a list of such resources. Meanwhile try the following (South Hobart area):

Andrew Doube
Home assessment, retrofit planning and installations.
Ph 0429 015 371

Myles Griffiths
Smithy’s Handyman Service
Ph: 6224 3357
Mob: 0439 882 357

Patric Collin
Mob: 0408 236 935

Daniel Tardy & Cathryn Wynn-Edwards
Small weatherproofing / landscaping jobs etc
Mob: 0415 696 323

The outstanding energy saving opportunity that came out of our Climate Connect Project was hot water cylinders.

Little do most people know how much energy is lost from them and how easy it is to cut back on those totally unnecessary losses.

So…. how much heat is being lost? Download our information summary HERE.

All around our nation, home owners have been gradually insulating ceilings, windows and floors – because these are relatively easy to do.

And that leaves just the walls. And we don’t know what to do!

That’s because walls are hard to get at.

Now Waterworks Community has produced a ‘How to insulate the walls of your home’ guide for those who are keen to have a go. You can download it HERE.

Our sister group, South Hobart Sustainable Community, has just launched a ‘carbon reduction fund’, a spin-off from its very successful bulk solar purchase.

Invitations are open now – so if you have a deserving project consider applying now. Deadline for the first round is August 31.

Please download details HERE.

This Sunday, June 27, there will be two in-house demonstrations on home insulation.

Come and see how Clear Comfort window insulation can be cheaply installed on your windows – at 1pm, 136 Waterworks Rd.

Come and see how to retrofit insulation into a weatherboard wall cavity – at 3pm, 195 Waterworks Rd.

Plugging energy waste in your home can be one of those rare investments that provide a guaranteed financial return.

By way of comparison, this graph (click on it to enlarge) compares your dividend on $10,000 invested in Microsoft shares versus investment in home energy saving retrofit (for a 5 year period.)

What the chart doesn’t show is 1) many energy saving measures cost almost nothing and 2) expenditures in energy saving keep paying back, year after year, for the life of the home. Once they have paid themselves back they effectively become a continuing source of household income. Full story HERE.

Dates for these are as follows: All start at 7.30pm.

102 Waterworks Rd Mon May 3
414a Strickland Ave, Wed May 5
152 Waterworks Wed May 12
14b Livingston Wed May 19
50 Bramble St Thurs May 20
195 Waterworks Rd May 24

Click on image to see details.

Please email us for queries.

Recent publicity over insulation deaths prompts us to issue a general warning to Tasmanian households.

Please be assured that most home renovations can be undertaken with complete safely provided some basic safety measures are taken. To this end, please browse the checklist – download it HERE.

Waterworks Community by now has extensive involvement in advising householders on the variety of ways they can refurbish their homes to reduce their climate footprint. Our own community is a living demonstration of what success can be achieved.

Continue reading →

Having initiated the solar hot water bulk purchase scheme in 2007, solar installations are ballooning in our community as well as neighbouring suburbs.

During the past few weeks new solar systems have been installed at 46, 134, 141, 164, 178, 183 and 195 Waterworks Rd and at 22 and 30 Romilly Street – all these in addition to those already installed in the previous two years.

Taking a leaf from our book, South Hobart community’s bulk purchase scheme was overwhelmed with 300 expressions of Interest, many of those now being installed.

Solar systems are very visible sign of sustainable living, and are valuable not only in reducing our own energy footprints, but in advertising the concept of sustainable living.

During the coming six months our climate project will step up into top gear, with home assessments, free shower heads, collective insulation working bees and so forth. Watch this space!

The Project Team