household shows off how public incentives can drive conservation (pictures below). They have a rain water collection system that provides both garden water and laundry water. A solar hot water heater keeps the dishes clean and shower steaming on all but the coldest of days, when an electric heater provides a boost. Solar PV trims the electric bill each month.
Last time I
saw Kelly and Ray was in 2006 when they visit New York. Kelly noted to me that your perspective on the
world really does change when you have children. So if it’s an extra $40
dollars a month of disposable income or just simply knowing that you’re easing
your impact on your community, nation and planet it’s nice to have
sustainability start at home.
That all
sounds nice, doesn’t it? The reality is that sustainable practices like those
the Joeh’s are engaging in are really driven by market signals. In markets that
engage regulated private monopolies or public utilities like electricity,
water, and gas, public policy plays a significant role. For a country that has privatized much of its
infrastructure the electricity distribution and supply markets in Australia are
largely publicly operated. This week the public electric utility in Brisbane announced that it will be raising its fixed charges so it can provide more stable prices to customers. Stable prices are good on their face, but when they come from a fixed charge they undermine efficiency efforts. This compounded by changes to solar incentives. The future of solar may not look so bright in Queensland. Philadelphia experiences the same issue with our street lighting. High fixed charges undermine the payback on upgrading to energy efficient LEDs.
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| Solar hot water heater bakes in the sun |
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| 3,000 liter rain water collection system - not your mom's rain barrel |
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| Solar PV pays by selling power back to grid |
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