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.

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.

We are able to prove that through do-it-yourself measures the average Tasmanian household can easily reduce energy consumption by over 50 percent. Some households have achieved even better results.

We have also been actively involved in promoting these efforts to the wider public through media work, publications and workshops, especially though our Climate Connect project, and safety has always been our top priority.

As part of our duty-of-care we have written to Tasmanian Consumer Affairs Minister, Lisa Singh advising her to issue appropriate warnings to the public that are relevant to Tasmania, especially in relation to the ‘Earn Your Stars‘ program.

If you have any concerns please don’t hesitate contact our Climate Connect Project Team

This is a safety brief highlighting a number of safety concerns that we have observed.

1. Insulation:

Warnings: * Whenever insulating ceilings, walls or underfloors, it is prudent to always turn off the power to that area first. Use a head torch or battery lighting to see what you are doing.
* Always take care not to over-insulate around electrical wiring because (in older houses especially) these wires may overheat. It is prudent to leave a gap around wiring by inserting a wooden or plastic strip.

2. Foil insulation

Recent publicity has highlighted the inherent danger in exposing building foil to exposed wires. These deaths have occurred in warm climates where foil insulation is effectively used in ceilings.

This is not normally an issue in Tasmania where soft insulation is much more effective in ceilings. However, foil insulation is used extensively here as underfloor insulation and can pose a significant risk if precautions are not taken. (We issued warnings about this problem 3 years ago when two installer died in New Zealand when stapling foil under flooring.) This can be particularly hazardous because the operator is often in direct contact with the earth and an inadvertent staple through electric wiring can cause INSTANT DEATH.

Warnings: * Again, always turn off the power to the area before working. * Avoid using metal staples if fixing foil, chicken wire support or even soft insulation to underfloor areas.

3. Halogen lighting

Those popular halogen downlights, when inset into ceilings, pose a fire risk that has caused the incineration of many Australian homes. Halogen lights are notoriously inefficient and get so hot that insulation can not be placed over them directly.

Warnings: * When insulating in ceiling spaces never insulate directly over inset halogen lights. (There are devices on the market that can partly overcome this problem, so ask at a lighting shop.) *If installing new lights, it is best to avoid halogen downlights altogether, they may look smart but they are now old technology and hopelessly inefficient.

4. LED lighting

Small super efficient LED light bulbs are now just coming on the market. They are so efficient they completely overcome the problems that halogen lights have, and almost no heat is emitted from them. These super efficient lights can be inserted into the same sockets as halogen lights and can be top-insulated.

Warning: * This can cause a serious fire risk in the event that an older style halogen light is subsequently put into that socket. If replacing a halogen light with an LED light, do not top-insulate over it. Or, if you do, fix a prominent warning label not to insert a halogen light

5. Hot water cylinder

Tasmanians are sensibly advised that one of the best ways to reduce hot water energy is to drop the thermostat setting on their hot water cylinder to approximately 60 degrees. Many are set far too high.

This procedure is normally a straight forward 5 minute job. However, live wires are exposed when removing the thermostat cover and this can pose a risk of electrocution if care is not taken.

Warnings:* Unless you have training in electrical safety, ask an electrician or experienced person to make this adjustment. * Always turn off the hot water power at the switchboard when adjusting the thermostat.

6. Solar power

Hundreds of solar hot water and solar PV systems are now being installed on Tasmanian homes – thanks largely to community bulk purchasing initiatives. These are normally installed by plumbers and trained installers, so safety is not generally a problem for the householder. However, many hundreds of people around the world have been maimed and killed by falls from roofs when measuring up roofs and installing solar systems.

Warnings: * Always check that any ladders or ropes are securely placed. *Never work on a wet roof or if it is particularly windy. * If you are not good with heights, don’t venture up there. Ask for a helping hand.

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

See the real benefits of sustainable housing up close. Learn what you can do with your own home. Meet the professionals and find out about useful products.

Check out the sustainable house day website for house locations in Hobart area. Admission to all houses is free.

This year four more local households have installed solar hot water systems (at 60, 104, 166 and 191 Waterworks Rd) and several other households have signed up for solar hot water and solar photovoltaic systems – through South Hobart Community’s fantastically successful bulk purchase initiative.

(I hasten to add that solar is not the be all and end all. There are, of course, zillions of less photogenic things that are just as worthwhile – like growing home vegetables, recycling and walking kids to school.)

Chris @ 195

And the stroke of genius is? Well everybody knows how sunflowers track the sun across the sky. And… well… technology buffs have tried all sorts of ways to get solar panels to track the sun across the sky. There, you have it!

Care to calculate the power output from a hectare of micro solar panels attached to sunflowers and connected to the power grid?

Now is the time to go solar power before federal rebates change mid-year. You can register an interest on their website.

With the new $1600 Fed rebate (not means tested) + around $1000 of RECS + $500 HCC rate rebate most people can get a high quality system for less than $1000 (+ installation costs).

See earlier post for more information about our solar program.

I’ve just had a 1Kw solar system put in – so easy to organize, no hassle with the rebate. Easy!

Now (with the federal government policy backflip) people on any income will be eligible for a rebate – but they will have to install 1.5Kw system to get the full amount ($7,500). I installed a 2Kw inverter so can upgrade simply by adding more panels. But for now 1Kw will cover my needs.

Anyone who wants to know more or would like to know who installed it (they were good) just give me a call. Cheers, Lil at 134. Phone 62247390

But…..about renewable energy credits: This makes me feel quite sick. The people who installed my system were legally bound to tell me that I can sell the carbon credits for a number of years for $900 – which means that the carbon pollution which is saved by the solar system is bought by some polluting company (eg Gunns) so that they can increase their pollution by an equivalent amount!!!!! It’s done through something called ‘Greenbank’. What a cynical and outrageous system. Our planet’s future is now a saleable commodity.