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New and exciting sustainable technologies are popping up every day – and that’s great! So, what can you expect to be making the headlines in the not too distant future? Join us in taking a glimpse into our mystical eight ball as we shed some light on two of planet earth’s most promising upcoming gizmos. Plug and Play PV system The clever bunch at The Fraunhofer Center for Sustainable Energy Systems (CSE) have come up with this one and it’s sure to change the way solar panels are installed going forward. Funded by the U.S. Department of Energy SunShot Initiative, the Plug and Play System is

In partnership with Carbon Neutral, Solargain is proud to have contributed to the establishment of 360 native trees and shrubs through the Turn Emissions Into Trees Program. To help drive a reduction in the planet’s carbon emissions, Solargain planted one tree for every 100kW of solar installed across their entire Australian network during 2013-14. So, who are Carbon Neutral? They’re a carbon solutions provider that assists organisations and individuals across Australia to minimise their impact on the environment. Working with organisations of all sizes, they measure, reduce and offset

If you’re wondering how to choose a hot water system for your home, then this blog is for you! Whilst it’s hard to imagine your bathroom, laundry and kitchen without heated water, actually deciding on what type of system to install can be a little tough. So, what are your options? There are three main types of hot water systems available – powered either by Gas, Electricity or Solar. Here are the pros and cons of each to help you choose which is best for you. Gas Hot Water Gas hot water systems are generally cheaper to run than their electric equivalents, and there are two main types of units

It seems to be a trademark of so many films set in the future to include beautifully minimal cityscapes, filled with people dressed in polyester and of course, the inevitable whooshing sound of electric vehicles effortlessly passing by. This classic futuristic scene usually assumes that electricity is the energy of choice, and sourced completely from renewables thank you very much. Whilst some of today’s nations are well on the road to revolutionising the way renewable energy powers their cities and people, others (like our own) are a little behind – nevertheless Australia has plenty of

The Clean Energy Council (CEC) recently released a paper outlining five innovative ideas that could help generate more than 2000 jobs in Victoria. Titled, Quick Clean Energy Jobs For Victoria – the paper explores how a raft of jobs in clean energy sectors like solar power and solar hot water could be added quickly by making a number of simple tweaks to policy. These measures, according to the CEC, are particularly important to Victoria which has felt the impact of decisions by several major Victorian-based manufacturers to exit the Australian market. The CEC paper contends that ‘the state

James Cameron, it seems, doesn’t do anything by halves. This is reflected not only in his impressive career, but in his personal pursuits as well. From directing the two biggest box office films of all time, to holding the record as the first person to reach the bottom of the Mariana Trench – the deepest part of the ocean – on his own, Cameron lives life on a large scale. But back to his role in Hollywood. You’ve probably heard of the two films he’s directed which we touched on earlier; Titanic and Avatar. The original version of the latter not only took an incredible 10 years to create, but

Can you imagine a solar power iPhone capable of sustaining itself purely using the energy from the sun? It’s a concept that’s not as far-fetched as you may think. By the way, when we say solar power iPhone, we don’t mean a regular iPhone with roof panels stuck on the back. Instead, teams of scientists around the world are experiencing breakthroughs in ‘invisible’ solar power technology and Apple is reportedly very interested. The release of the new iPhone 6 has been met with a flood of positive reviews, not to mention pre-order sales which indicate that this may very well become the most

The Australian Government has received the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change Fifth Assessment (Draft) Report – along with 194 other IPCC member countries. The leading international body for climate change assessment, the IPCC was originally established by the United Nations Environment Programme and the World Meteorological Organisation. The Council, which continues to be backed by the UN, is an authoritative voice on the topic of climate change, with thousands of scientists from across the globe contributing to the research and insights it provides. In the draft of its fifth report

The winter freeze has just about come to an end and now that spring is upon us, there’s (almost) no excuse to roll up your sleeves and get busy around your home. Here are 5 ways to blow off the dust of winter and prepare your place for spring and the warmer months! 1. Breathe Easy With Clean Air Now that the weather is heating up, chances are you’ll soon be reaching for the remote of your air-conditioning unit. The only problem is that most units lay dormant all throughout winter, collecting plenty of dust, germs and allergens in the process. Before using your air-con, clean the exterior

(The above photo courtesy of the Daily Telegraph) Innovation in solar power technology seems to be constant, with fantastic new ideas and devices challenging the way we use the sun’s infinite energy in our daily lives. While we’re often hearing about international solar energy breakthroughs, a young Australian has captured attention with new technology that has plenty of potential. Joseph Giorgio, a student at Wollongong University’s Intelligent Polymer Research Institute has been working on a solar panel unlike the ones we’re accustomed to today. Lightweight and paper-thin, the panels are

Recurrent Energy, one of the largest solar power plant developers from the US, has recently announced the closure of its Australian office, citing uncertainty over the Renewable Energy Target (RET) as a major factor in their decision. ‘Recurrent is slowing down their investment in the Australian market pending the outcome of RET and will manage it from [the] USA’ said Colin Liebmann, Recurrent Energy project development manager in Australia. Only recently Recurrent Energy announced that it had a number of large-scale solar PV projects in the pipeline for Oz, worth $3b in potential investments

Were you able to make any sense of the title on this latest blog? Reading over it, we’d forgive you for thinking we’ve gone a little wacky, although arguably the idea of attaching solar panels to donkeys in order to generate electricity is quite an eccentric concept on its own. But it’s working. Cut-to provincial Turkey, where an increasing number of sheep and goat herders are adopting new technology amusingly named ‘plug-and-play donkey’ by the solar panel company Ser-Gün. The devices are designed to be carried by the donkeys over long journeys into the countryside, providing farmers and