<a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/developers/capital-corporation">Capital Corporation</a> has announced that its <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/new-townhouses/lovedale-farm-1054-1184-wine-country-drive-lovedale-nsw-2325">Lovedale Farm</a> residential, resort and golf project has secured $24.6 million in sales in just three weeks since the opening of its display home, underscoring the appetite for premium lifestyle property in the Hunter Valley countryside.

The sales milestone has been driven by a diverse mix of buyers, including owner-occupiers and investors from Sydney, Newcastle and the local Hunter region, purchasing both land-only lots and house and land packages across the development.

<img alt="Lovedale" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="e173edc9-e60e-4f19-a060-9dc4421a3233" src="https://s3.ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/inline-images/LovedaleFarm_20250215-1.jpg?VersionId=1LY6CvOaD.Dzrt8tWpWxXtPyfchixNIo" />

&nbsp;

The result builds on the momentum generated at the display home opening on 22 March, which attracted more than 460 attendees.

With house and land pricing from $1.14 million, Lovedale Farm continues to attract strong interest from buyers seeking a premium lifestyle offering at a compelling price point. The development’s vision, a championship golf course, future epicurean village and access to the Hunter Valley’s celebrated wine country, has resonated with a broad buyer profile, from first-time investors to those looking to make the move and call the Hunter Valley home.

<img alt="Lovedale Farm records $21.4 million in sales in three weeks" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="b358e789-e1eb-40ed-8105-ed5c8297136f" src="https://s3.ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/inline-images/20260321LovedaleFarmDisplayHomeOpening--6.jpg?VersionId=6GUO8TNnxuELONrsM6n9imDB6oc82Bor" />

Jim Hunter, Managing Director of Capital Corporation said the response since opening the display home has been encouraging.

"To reach $24.6 million in sales in just three weeks speaks to the genuine demand for a lifestyle community of this calibre in the Hunter Valley," Hunter says.

"We’re seeing buyers from across the region and beyond, including investors who recognise the long-term value, and owner-occupiers who simply want to live somewhere truly special.

“Lovedale Farm is two decades in the making, and the market’s response is everything we hoped for. We’re excited to see these first buyers become part of the Lovedale Farm story from the very beginning."

<img alt="Lovedale" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="54d985cf-2ac2-400b-ac02-4401f3421ac7" src="https://s3.ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/inline-images/20260321LovedaleFarmDisplayHomeOpening--5.jpg?VersionId=3866bPoqpLZsm.3ACg9EafAr1W3miC_f" />

&nbsp;

Spanning 240 hectares on Wine Country Drive in <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/developments/lovedale-nsw-2325">Lovedale</a>, the $1 billion development is expected to deliver around 1,250 jobs during construction and inject more than $300 million into the local economy. The first 200 homes and championship 18-hole golf course are anticipated for completion in late 2027.

Capital Corporation has also lodged development plans for the Lovedale Farm clubhouse, set to become a vibrant hub for residents and the wider Hunter Valley community. Further releases are planned for later this year.

[smartcode_project_cta:default project_id=14476]

Joel Robinson

Lovedale Farm display home opening triggers $24.6 million in sales in three weeks

Prominent Malaysian developer <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/developers/osk-property">OSK Property</a> has unveiled <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/new-apartments/aura-at-melbourne-square-7-hoff-boulevard-southbank-vic-3006">Aura</a>, the next stage of its $3.5 billion Melbourne Square precinct in Southbank, continuing its push into wellness-led, amenity-rich apartment living.

The $800 million tower, planned for 7 Hoff Boulevard, will rise 67 storeys and deliver 673 apartments, with COX Architecture drawing on both Japanese design principles and Australia’s natural landscape to shape the building’s identity. A rectangular grid aesthetic defines the building’s exterior, with COX drawing design cues from New York high-rises and Tokyo’s skyline.

Aura builds on a growing trend in high-density living, where wellness is no longer an add-on but central to the product. The development is structured around four key pillars, combining calm, minimalist residences with layered communal spaces, landscaped gardens, and a suite of wellness amenities designed to support both physical and mental wellbeing.

[smartcode_project:default project_id=151921 project_image_fid=367465]

At the core of the project is what OSK describes as a vertical wellness ecosystem, a multi-level approach to amenity that integrates health, lifestyle, and social spaces throughout the building rather than confining them to a single level.

The main resident hub, the Aura Club on level seven, will include a pool, cold plunge, spa, gym, Pilates and yoga studios, alongside more lifestyle-driven inclusions like a golf simulator, music rooms, library, and work-from-home spaces. Above, a series of higher-level amenity zones, including the Meridian Club and Cumulus Club, introduce more refined, social and retreat-style environments, with private dining, lounges, and premium wellness spaces positioned to take advantage of city views.

[smartcode_project:default project_id=151921 project_image_fid=367467]

The residences themselves will largely include balconies, a key design move in a market increasingly focused on natural light, airflow, and connection to the outdoors. Views will extend across the CBD, the Arts Precinct, Royal Botanic Gardens, and beyond.

Aura also introduces approximately 1,600 sqm of retail across the lower levels, further activating the Melbourne Square precinct, which already includes Kennedy Park, a Woolworths, childcare, and a growing mix of hospitality operators.

[smartcode_project:default project_id=151921 project_image_fid=367474]

“Aura stands tall as an exemplar of holistic wellness – its focus on social, physical and mental health culminate in a building that is calming, restorative and relaxing, where residents will have their own sanctuary within the well-connected and sought-after <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/developments/southbank-vic-3006">Southbank</a>," says&nbsp;OSK Property CEO Chong Boon Woon.

“We have been very encouraged by the market’s response to the BLVD offering, and we know there is a strong demand for the level of amenity, service and design that the Melbourne Square precinct is known for.

“Complemented by work-from-home lounges for professionals, family friendly outdoor garden spaces, and state-of-the-art fitness and wellness facilities, Aura will continue our focus on maximising physical, emotional, and mental wellbeing,” he said.&nbsp;

[smartcode_project:default project_id=151921 project_image_fid=367475]

The project follows the strong performance of BLVD, which is now around 80 per cent sold, and reinforces OSK Property’s long-term commitment to Melbourne Square as a fully integrated, mixed-use precinct.

Construction is expected to commence in late 2026.

[smartcode_project_cta:default project_id=151921]

OSK unveils AURA, the latest stage in Southbank's $3.5 billion Melbourne Square precinct

National developer Time &amp; Place appears to have settled on a design for its long-anticipated Potts Point project.

After several years of back and forth with local council and the NSW Government, the developer, which has spent seven years targeting the former The Chimes site on Macleay Street, has now progressed its plans.

Following a concept design submission last year by SJB, Time &amp; Place has lodged a full State Significant Development Application with the NSW Government, this time for a scheme designed by Kerry Hill Architects.

<img alt="Time &amp; Place" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="504d2a27-d65f-4227-8189-1e35e3376e62" src="https://s3.ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/inline-images/Screenshot%202026-04-20%20at%209.38.24%E2%80%AFAM.png?VersionId=_XqFKATYHF30KnVByPxhaI9UBzmkmfn7" />

The 16-storey proposal includes 44 apartments, 21 of which will be build-to-sell. These will comprise 19 three-bedroom apartments and two four-bedroom units.

More than 50 per cent of the development will be dedicated to affordable housing, with 23 studio apartments to be delivered in line with the NSW Government’s Housing SEPP.

Kerry Hill Architects said the proposal is driven by a strong response to place.

“Our proposal for a new residential building for Potts Point in Sydney is driven by a deep consideration of place,” the practice said in its submission.

“This operates on multiple levels, including a landscape approach that reinstates endemic flora of the Sydney peninsula and provides a ground-floor garden for residents, reconnecting the site to its pre-European history. A brick podium further strengthens this relationship to context, integrating planting and fine bronze detailing that references the predominant material language of Macleay Street.”

The three-level podium will be topped by a communal resident space, featuring a covered pool designed to receive direct afternoon sun in winter, a neighbouring reflection pool, dining and event areas oriented to maximise sunset views, and an outdoor exercise zone.

<img alt="Time &amp; Place" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="8d3eedc1-babb-44a3-bd96-d8a42f3adf1f" src="https://s3.ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/inline-images/Screenshot%202026-04-20%20at%209.37.48%E2%80%AFAM.png?VersionId=Ii7.4dvqNatu5GQi6bhqNjAswrMB998." />

The design also incorporates highly crafted shopfronts and a clearly defined residential entry to activate the street. Juliette balconies to the podium residences will provide passive surveillance and a strong sense of habitation.

Above, the larger apartments are housed within a light-coloured masonry and bronze tower.

“The tower steps back in a series of gently curved volumes that reference the rich Art Deco context of Macleay Street,” the architects said. “Carefully calibrated vertical fins frame the views while providing privacy and a sense of refuge.”

<img alt="Time &amp; Place" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="6fab60f4-3140-4469-b47a-48c781e0a30b" src="https://s3.ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/inline-images/Screenshot%202026-04-20%20at%209.28.44%E2%80%AFAM.png?VersionId=e5XxrM3kzdASdKlcIACHAHbOSZhSKC9O" />

Time &amp; Place has been one of the most active developers nationally in the last 12 to 24 months. Late last year they completed&nbsp;The Queensbridge in&nbsp;<a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/developments/southbank-vic-3006">Southbank</a>, a mixed-use tower with 353 apartments and a hotel. They are currently selling Park Modern, 246 apartments near the famous Botanic Gardens in South Melbourne.

The developer has approval for The Burke, a mixed-use project in&nbsp;<a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/new-apartments/glen-iris-vic-3146">Glen Iris</a>&nbsp;being delivered in partnership with Woolworths. The 60 apartments, positioned above a new Woolworths supermarket, are expected to launch in the coming months. Time &amp; Place is also progressing plans for the redevelopment of&nbsp;<a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/developments/northcote-vic-3070">Northcote</a>&nbsp;Plaza, and have recently submitted plans for a <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/news/vic/time-place-unveils-plans-22-storey-south-melbourne-tower">22-storey tower</a>, another in South Melbourne.

In&nbsp;<a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/developments/sydney-nsw">Sydney</a>, the developer has two projects in Manly: Two Tides, which is currently under construction, and an ultra high-end building on&nbsp;<a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/buildings/shoreline-manly-beach-89-90-north-steyne-manly">North Steyne</a>, fronting the beach. It is also continuing to work through the redevelopment of The Chimes building on Macleay Street in&nbsp;<a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/developments/potts-point-nsw-2011">Potts Point</a>, as well as Marlborough House, the redevelopment of the original David Jones warehouse building in&nbsp;<a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/developments/surry-hills-nsw-2010">Surry Hills</a>.

First look: Time & Place settles on design for The Chimes, Potts Point redevelopment

<a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/developers/develotek">Develotek</a> is joining the likes of TOGA, Deicorp, and One Global Capital, betting on a boom in Five Dock ahead of the 2032 mooted opening of the Five Dock Metro Station.

Develotek, which is currently developing Bianca on the Drummoyne waterfront and has plans approved for a tower in Chatswood, has filed a State Significant Development Application for a <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/new-apartments/79-81-queens-road-five-dock-nsw-2046">two-building project in the evolving Kings Bay precinct</a>.

The buildings, one more boutique just five storeys and the other 26 storeys, will rise from an 3,158 sqm site across&nbsp;79–81 Queens Road and 2–8 Spencer Street, will home 134 one-, two-, and three-bedroom apartments, above ground-floor retail and five basement levels of parking.

A key component of the proposal is the inclusion of 15 per cent of residential floor space as in-fill affordable housing, unlocking additional height and density under the Housing SEPP.

<img alt="First Look: Develotek lodges State Significant shop top housing project in Five Dock precinct" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="3ee31bf7-75ba-4bc5-b190-49885193219f" src="https://s3.ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/inline-images/podium_2.png?VersionId=730UbrduuwK3C1sO28RHjiLPUPqXqjkh" />

Designed by <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/architects/plus-studio">Plus Studio</a>, the scheme adopts a podium-and-tower configuration, with a five-storey street wall along Queens Road transitioning to a 26-storey tower set deeper into the site. The ground plane prioritises activation and permeability, with retail frontages and a new through-site link connecting Queens Road to Spencer Street.

At the upper levels, the tower façade has been conceived using a modular system to support prefabrication and reduce construction waste, while improving build efficiency. The splayed form draws on the geometry of surrounding industrial rooftops, reinterpreting the area’s heritage in a contemporary expression while also helping to reduce solar heat gain to east and west-facing apartments.

“This project aspires to transform a former industrial site into a connected, resilient and people-focused urban community, grounded in Country, shaped by history, and designed to enrich everyday life within the evolving Kings Bay Precinct,” said John Walsh, Principal at Plus Studio.

The proposal reflects the broader transformation of the Kings Bay Precinct under the Parramatta Road Corridor Urban Transformation Strategy, marking a shift from its industrial past to a higher-density, mixed-use urban neighbourhood.

<img alt="First Look: Develotek lodges State Significant shop top housing project in Five Dock precinct" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="abde734c-1e31-4a97-a1d2-fa9bcf31c380" src="https://s3.ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/inline-images/building%20podium.png?VersionId=fNUupP6u146yEytQT31kKVRxwtACgPpP" />

Develotek is emerging as an active participant in the state’s affordable housing-led uplift pathway. The developer recently secured approval for a 34-storey mixed-use tower in Chatswood, where it similarly leveraged the in-fill affordable housing provisions to increase scale and deliver a 101-unit scheme with dedicated affordable apartments.

Their entry into Five Dock places them alongside a growing list of developers targeting the suburb ahead of its anticipated transport uplift, with Sydney Metro set to extend into the area. Major players including TOGA, Deicorp, and One Global Capital are all progressing large-scale precinct-style developments nearby, collectively reshaping the low-rise industrial fabric into a higher-density mixed-use corridor.

The Five Dock site sits within the Kings Bay Precinct, a key renewal area under the Parramatta Road Corridor Urban Transformation Strategy, where planning controls support significant uplift tied to affordable housing delivery. The consolidated 3,158 sqm site is currently occupied by low-rise industrial uses, including warehouses and vehicle workshops, earmarked for transition.

First Look: Develotek joins in Five Dock apartment boom

Ascot’s Racecourse Road continues to be a hive of activity for Brisbane developers.

Following Fortis and GRAYA, which are both preparing new projects along the key strip connecting Kingsford Smith Drive and Eagle Farm Racecourse, local developer <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/developers/skyhold">Skyhold</a> is the latest to lodge plans for its own development.

The group is proposing One One Two Residences, a boutique project comprising just seven apartments, named after its address at 112 Racecourse Road.

The proposal outlines a five-storey building on an 810 sqm site. The built form slightly exceeds the four-storey expectation under the neighbourhood plan, aligning instead with the emerging character of the strip. As the planning report notes, “the locality is characterised by a transition toward medium-rise residential development, with a number of recent developments… above the stipulated height limits.”

<img alt="First Look: Skyhold lodges plans for boutique Ascot apartments as Racecourse Road revival gathers pace" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="ec577631-8c51-4163-960e-e7b3a77d655b" src="https://s3.ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/inline-images/Ascot.png?VersionId=iAzQ46D4Uu1UqiS0mVnlcy9jeFKBpJIj" />

Designed by 111 with landscape architecture by <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/landscape-architect/paul-bangay-garden-design">Paul Bangay Studio</a>, the scheme adopts a layered architectural approach with strong articulation and a subtropical response. Deep balconies, integrated planters, and a mix of masonry and textured finishes define the façade, while upper-level setbacks reduce perceived bulk. The architectural statement describes “a series of horizontally expressed layers, defined by deep balconies and a consistent robust material palette,” aimed at delivering a refined streetscape presence.

Apartments are configured as large-format residences, including multiple three-bedroom layouts and a full-floor penthouse, supported by ground-level parking. A rooftop terrace will provide communal amenities including a pool and landscaped recreation areas. The design prioritises privacy, natural ventilation, and greenery, with planting integrated across all levels to soften the building form and contribute to the public realm.

<img alt="First Look: Skyhold lodges plans for boutique Ascot apartments as Racecourse Road revival gathers pace" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="1e1219bd-b45a-4d7f-bbc7-7207d7b2fc94" src="https://s3.ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/inline-images/Ascot%20entry.png?VersionId=JIoUOLMgQ5xWpEF0etEI3ffIoIVjD7gO" />

The proposal sits within the Racecourse Road precinct, a key mixed-use spine in Ascot that continues to attract renewed development interest.

Later this year national developer Fortis will launch its own boutique development, which, pending council approvals, will be 16 apartments designed by Koichi Takada Architects, just down the street.

“Racecourse Road is going through a massive revitalisation and we’re proud to be a part of that transformation,” said Fortis's QLD General Manager, Dan Boman.

Nearby, GRAYA is advancing its larger-scale The Gallery, a mixed-use shop-top housing project designed to act as a “catalytic project for Racecourse Road.”

First Look: Racecourse Road, Hamilton revitalization to continue as Skyhold joins the party

Renewable energy

<html><body>
As many developers commit to creating sustainable developments, environmentally-conscious property buyers are spoilt for choice.

Finding green and energy-efficient housing not only reduces your carbon footprint but also helps you lower your bills.

Here are five new developments across Australia implementing sustainable water and energy-efficient features into their buildings and providing residents with facilities to alleviate their car dependency.

1. Daracombe 
7 Daracombe Avenue, Kew VIC 3101

<a class="colorbox colorbox-insert-image" href="https://res.cloudinary.com/dz9xllyip/image/fetch/q_auto:good/https://s3-ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/pictures/article-images/daracombe-7-daracombe-avenue-kew-3fa88421280dad9688bb7c73c7bcf93e.jpg" rel="gallery-all"><img alt="" class="image-article-full-width-580px" height="326" src="/s3/files/styles/article_full_width_580px/public/pictures/article-images/daracombe-7-daracombe-avenue-kew-3fa88421280dad9688bb7c73c7bcf93e.jpg?itok=OwKBT_Lt" width="580"></a> <a class="colorbox colorbox-insert-image" href="https://res.cloudinary.com/dz9xllyip/image/fetch/q_auto:good/https://s3-ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/pictures/article-images/render4c.jpg" rel="gallery-all"><img alt="" class="image-article-full-width-580px" height="312" src="/s3/files/styles/article_full_width_580px/public/pictures/article-images/render4c.jpg?itok=nB38pCs6" width="580"></a>

Situated in Melbourne’s inner-East, Daracombe offers residents the opportunity to save 30 per cent on their utility bills thanks to their sustainability features.

Designed by Conrad Architects, these apartments include sustainable features such as:

•      LED lighting 
•      Full-height double glazed windows 
•      Rain water harvesting 
•      Cross-flow ventilation 
•      Six-star energy rated appliances

The residence offers 18 residences in two and three-bedroom configurations, featuring fringed greenery, natural tavertine stone and oak floors. Two-bedroom, two-bathroom apartments start from $975,000.

2. Salt Townhomes 
85 Grossmans Road, Torquay VIC 3228

<a class="colorbox colorbox-insert-image" href="https://res.cloudinary.com/dz9xllyip/image/fetch/q_auto:good/https://s3-ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/pictures/article-images/salt-townhomes-85-grossmans-road-torquay-c7f02c52e41ff3514e514ef866e093e3_0.jpeg" rel="gallery-all"><img alt="" class="image-article-full-width-580px" height="387" src="/s3/files/styles/article_full_width_580px/public/pictures/article-images/salt-townhomes-85-grossmans-road-torquay-c7f02c52e41ff3514e514ef866e093e3_0.jpeg?itok=GeebJHqo" width="580"></a>

Salt Townhomes offers residents sustainable living amongst the Surf Coast lifestyle with 50 three and four-bedroom townhouses available within the project. Every home at Salt enjoys a private rear garden and landscaped tree-lined streets. 

“With an average 7.5 star energy rated design that boasts natural materials, double glazing and solar panels, these Townhomes are proving to be a very popular choice for those looking to enjoy the Surf Coast lifestyle", said Salt's sales consultant Sam Parsons. 

These apartments offer sustainable features such as: 

•      Natural materials 
•      Rear garden 
•      Double glazed windows 
•      Solar PV panels

3. Tullamore by Mirvac 
47 Doncaster Road, Doncaster VIC 3108

<a class="colorbox colorbox-insert-image" href="https://res.cloudinary.com/dz9xllyip/image/fetch/q_auto:good/https://s3-ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/pictures/article-images/folia-59-stables-circuit-doncaster-f5461f57f0abf5e886a22b59c0d72e62_0.jpg" rel="gallery-all"><img alt="" class="image-article-full-width-580px" height="326" src="/s3/files/styles/article_full_width_580px/public/pictures/article-images/folia-59-stables-circuit-doncaster-f5461f57f0abf5e886a22b59c0d72e62_0.jpg?itok=h5jac9ON" width="580"></a>

Located on Doncaster Road, Tullamore offers residents sustainable living from an entry price point of $400,000 at their Folia apartments development. Folia offers 102 one, two and three-bedroom configurations. 

The development has achieved a six-leaf EnviroDevelopment accreditation, the highest available in Australia. Its sustainable features include: 

•      A 70kWh solar panel array 
•      20 per cent of open land remains green 
•      Integrated water management plan 
•      Renewable energy and battery storage 
•      Option to include a Tesla Powerwall II battery

4. Ed.Square 
Cnr Soliders Pde and Campbelltown Road, Edmondson Park NSW 2174

<a class="colorbox colorbox-insert-image" href="https://res.cloudinary.com/dz9xllyip/image/fetch/q_auto:good/https://s3-ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/pictures/article-images/e01_ed_sq_stage_3_da_mews_copy.jpg" rel="gallery-all"><img alt="" class="image-article-full-width-580px" height="363" src="/s3/files/styles/article_full_width_580px/public/pictures/article-images/e01_ed_sq_stage_3_da_mews_copy.jpg?itok=5zGZYcV4" width="580"></a>

Located in Sydney’s south-west suburb of Edmonson Park, Ed.Square is Fraser Property’s new net zero energy demand home project which Is set to produce more energy than they consume.

The balanced energy homes went on sale last month and will save residents up to 43 per cent of their energy costs. Its sustainable features include:

•      LED lighting 
•      Roof insulation 
•      Electric boosted solar hot water 
•      Low-e glazed windows 
•      Ground source heat pump space conditioning 
•      4kW of solar PV 
•      No gas

Ed.Square is located within convenient access to an array of shopping, dining and entertainment facilities, with entry-prices for the development as low as $490,000 for a one-bedroom residence.

5. 249QP 
249 Queens Parade, Fitzroy North VIC 3068

<a class="colorbox colorbox-insert-image" href="https://res.cloudinary.com/dz9xllyip/image/fetch/q_auto:good/https://s3-ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/pictures/article-images/10-20-river-boulevard-richmond-41b5e99cf2583d5b6846317ada208296.jpg" rel="gallery-all"><img alt="" class="image-article-full-width-580px" height="451" src="/s3/files/styles/article_full_width_580px/public/pictures/article-images/10-20-river-boulevard-richmond-41b5e99cf2583d5b6846317ada208296.jpg?itok=slJHyAfc" width="580"></a>

Delivered by Salta Properties, 249QP is a clean and green sustainable development in Victoria’s Fitzroy North. Offering 92 one, two and three-bedroom configurations, 249QP is thoughtfully designed and environmentally-focused.

Environmentally sustainable practices such as solar panels power the building and materials are sourced from environmentally responsible producers. Its other sustainable features include:

•      90% of demolition and construction waste recycled 
•      Ground floor bike workshop 
•      Solar panels 
•      Water-efficient fixtures, fittings and equipment 
•      Rainwater collection 
•      Low VOC paints, carpets and sealants

Prices for apartments in the development begin from $420,000 for a one-bedroom, one-bathroom configuration and from $1.1 million for a three-bedroom, two-bathroom residence. 
</body></html>

Here are five new developments across Australia implementing sustainable water and energy-efficient features into their buildings

max.kwok_55688

5 new sustainable developments for the environmentally-conscious buyer 2020

<html><body>
With summer renovation season upon us, Australia’s national science agency, CSIRO, have shared their top tips on renovating and retrofitting your home for energy efficiency.

Australian homes could see a 30–50 per cent reduction in your heating and cooling needs, with energy-efficient home improvements, saving you money.

The average family spends between $2,000 and $3,000 on energy per year, according to CSIRO’s research lead of building simulation and communication, Anthony Wright.

<blockquote>
“Of that, roughly 40 per cent will be heating and cooling energy, 25 per cent will be hot water, and the rest will be lighting and appliances”, he said.
</blockquote>

But, whether new or old. You can retrofit your home or apartment, and get results, with minimal cost.

<a class="colorbox colorbox-insert-image" href="https://res.cloudinary.com/dz9xllyip/image/fetch/q_auto:good/https://s3-ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/pictures/article-images/solarpanels.png" rel="gallery-all"><img alt="" class="image-article-full-width-580px" height="383" src="/s3/files/styles/article_full_width_580px/public/pictures/article-images/solarpanels.png?itok=lZnPdqRY" width="580"></a>

The average existing house is rated 2.2 stars for energy efficiency according to data from CSIRO’s Australian housing data portal – the most energy-efficient houses are 10 stars.

But the average renovation jumps up to 4.9 stars, reducing heating and cooling demand by 40 per cent and saving up to $480 per year. Here are CSIRO’s tips for how to do this:

1. Choose and use your appliances wisely 

CSIRO's research lead of building simulation and communication, Anthony Wright, explained that replacing appliances with energy-efficient ones is probably the first thing to do, especially in apartments where retrofitting proves difficult.

If homeowners upgrade their hot water, heater and air-conditioner, as well as their other appliances, such as the energy-hogging fridge, they could halve their other energy use, Wright told Apartments.com.au. But what about the rest…

2. Install solar photovoltaic (PV) panels 

<blockquote>
“The rest of their energy consumption could be cost effectively offset with solar panels,” he said.
</blockquote>

As panels reach grid parity, more Australians are choosing to install solar panels to not only reduce their carbon emissions but their energy bills.

According to CSIRO, homes rated at eight stars and above can often generate their own power from a standard solar array over a year.

3. Seal, glaze and insulate 

Draft sealing, including around windows and doors, wall vents and exhaust fans are the best bang for the buck when trying to make your home more energy-efficient. But what about apartment owners?

<blockquote>
“Sealing gaps and cracks is also still a good idea in older apartments but not always possible in a high-rise where wind pressure is much higher and façade treatments are shared across multiple apartments”, said Wright.
</blockquote>

4. Install external shading 

Heat gain can be a great problem in homes and apartments – however, installing external shading is an easy way to prevent this. This could include awnings, shutters, blinds and landscaping.

For apartments, particularly for those that face west, heat gain can be an even bigger problem and external shading may often not be allowed. For this, Anthony Wright advises residents work with the body corporate to find a solution to find the best way forward.

<blockquote>
“External shading, window films, or replacing glazing are all possible but vary in complexity and cost depending on the building.”
</blockquote>

5. Don’t neglect the small stuff

Making sure all your light globes are LEDs and installing ceilings fans often deliver the best bang for your buck in both homes and apartments.

Whilst expensive, replacing major appliances with five- and six-star new appliances will only save you money in the long-term.

But energy-efficient retrofitting can include anything from ceiling insulation top up, installing heavy drapes and pelmets, installing underfloor insulation or replacing windows with double or triple glazed windows.

Here's Wright's list for retrofitting from the best bang for your buck to the least:

<ul>
<li>
	Draft sealing Including around windows and doors, chimneys, wall vents, exhaust fans, evaporative cooling vents etc.) There are products for all these applications that can be easily installed.
	</li>
	<li>
	Make sure all your light globes are LEDs
	</li>
	<li>
	Install ceiling fans
	</li>
	<li>
	Ceiling insulation top-up
	</li>
	<li>
	Replace major appliances with 5-6 star new appliances
	</li>
	<li>
	Install heavy drapes and pelmets (in cool climates where you want to retain heat in winter)
	</li>
	<li>
	Install underfloor insulation (if you’re in a cool/temperate climate and have a raised floor)
	</li>
	<li>
	Install external shading to windows where heat gain is a problem in summer, such as awnings, shutters, blinds, landscaping
	</li>
	<li>
	Replace windows with double or triple glazed window
	</li>
	<li>
	Consider retrofitting wall insulation where possible
	</li>
</ul>
<h2>A few energy-efficient developments on the market right now</h2>

<a class="colorbox colorbox-insert-image" href="https://res.cloudinary.com/dz9xllyip/image/fetch/q_auto:good/https://s3-ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/pictures/article-images/folia-59-stables-circuit-doncaster-f5461f57f0abf5e886a22b59c0d72e62_1.jpg" rel="gallery-all"><img alt="" class="image-article-full-width-580px" height="326" src="/s3/files/styles/article_full_width_580px/public/pictures/article-images/folia-59-stables-circuit-doncaster-f5461f57f0abf5e886a22b59c0d72e62_1.jpg?itok=mElJh2z8" width="580"></a>

If you’re looking to beat the summer heat and <a href="/guides/how-to-buy-a-house-in-2021-a-guide-for-first-time-home-buyers">find a new home</a> with energy-efficient features, CSIRO has also passed on tips that can help you save you money. 

<blockquote>
“A first home buyer should always ask for an accredited NatHERS energy rating”, Wright tells us.
</blockquote>

For every additional star under the energy rating scheme, a house or apartment should use approximately 20-30 per cent less energy to heat and cool.

A 10-star house uses almost not energy to stay comfortable year round, yet the average older house in Australia rates at just two stars. The average new house is rated at six stars, the minimum required for newly developed homes.

When getting an energy rating done, Wright advises homeowners to ask your energy rater to show you how the house will perform in a summer heat wave or a winter cold snap.

“Knowing how it will operate without the heating and cooling turned on will give you an idea of how uncomfortable it is likely to be”, he said.

Residents should always ask raters for tips on how to improve, especially following a renovation or retrofitting project. Here are our top energy-efficient and sustainable picks for December 2020:

1. <a href="/new-apartments/daracombe-7-daracombe-avenue-kew">Daracombe, Kew</a>

<a class="colorbox colorbox-insert-image" href="https://res.cloudinary.com/dz9xllyip/image/fetch/q_auto:good/https://s3-ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/pictures/article-images/daracombe-7-daracombe-avenue-kew-3fa88421280dad9688bb7c73c7bcf93e_0.jpg" rel="gallery-all"><img alt="" class="image-article-full-width-580px" height="326" src="/s3/files/styles/article_full_width_580px/public/pictures/article-images/daracombe-7-daracombe-avenue-kew-3fa88421280dad9688bb7c73c7bcf93e_0.jpg?itok=50mitpow" width="580"></a>

Situated in Melbourne’s inner-East, Daracombe offers residents the opportunity to save 30 per cent on their utility bills thanks to their sustainability features and include sustainable features such as LED lighting, full-height double glazed windows, rain water harvesting and cross-flow ventilation

2. <a href="/buildings/salt-townhomes-85-grossmans-road-torquay">Salt Townhomes, Torquay </a>

<a class="colorbox colorbox-insert-image" href="https://res.cloudinary.com/dz9xllyip/image/fetch/q_auto:good/https://s3-ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/pictures/article-images/salt-townhomes-85-grossmans-road-torquay-c7f02c52e41ff3514e514ef866e093e3_1.jpeg" rel="gallery-all"><img alt="" class="image-article-full-width-580px" height="387" src="/s3/files/styles/article_full_width_580px/public/pictures/article-images/salt-townhomes-85-grossmans-road-torquay-c7f02c52e41ff3514e514ef866e093e3_1.jpeg?itok=kenjv7DK" width="580"></a>

Salt Townhomes offers residents sustainable living amongst the Surf Coast lifestyle with an average 7.5 star energy rated design that boasts natural materials, double glazing and solar panels.

3. <a href="/buildings/folia-59-stables-circuit-doncaster">Tullamore, Doncaster</a>

<a class="colorbox colorbox-insert-image" href="https://res.cloudinary.com/dz9xllyip/image/fetch/q_auto:good/https://s3-ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/pictures/article-images/shared-kitchen-garden-folia_1030x620pxl.jpg" rel="gallery-all"><img alt="" class="image-article-full-width-580px" height="349" src="/s3/files/styles/article_full_width_580px/public/pictures/article-images/shared-kitchen-garden-folia_1030x620pxl.jpg?itok=WU1C1Sw4" width="580"></a>

Located on Doncaster Road, Tullamore offers residents sustainable living from an entry price point of $400,000 at their Folia apartments development.

Folia achieved a six-leaf EnviroDevelopment accreditation, the highest available in Australia with sustainable features such as a 70kWh solar panel array, integrated water management plan and the option to include a Tesla Powerwall II battery. 

To view the full list of projects, read <a href="/expert-insights/buying/5-new-sustainable-developments-for-the-environmentally-conscious-buyer-2020">5 new sustainable developments for the environmentally-conscious buyer</a>. 

<h2>Recently listed properties:</h2>

[smartcode_project:default project_id=22699]

[smartcode_project:default project_id=29358]

[smartcode_project:default project_id=22803]
</body></html>

Whether new or old, here's how your home can be energy efficient, with minimal cost

How to retrofit your home and apartment for energy efficiency 

<html><body>
EXPERT OBSERVER
Amid the urgent need to slow climate change by cutting greenhouse gas emissions, energy efficiency makes sense. But as Australia’s chief scientist Alan Finkel last week warned, we’re not “anywhere close to having that nailed”.
Energy efficiency means using less energy to achieve the same outcomes. It’s the <a href="http://www.climateinstitute.org.au/verve/_resources/TCI_BoostingAustraliasEnergyProductivity_July2013.pdf" target="_blank">cheapest way</a> to cut greenhouse gas emissions and achieve our climate goals. Improving energy efficiency is also vital to achieving so-called “energy productivity” – getting more economic output, using the same or less energy.
But Australia’s <a href="https://www.energy.gov.au/government-priorities/energy-productivity-and-energy-efficiency/national-energy-productivity-plan" target="_blank">national energy productivity plan</a>, agreed by the nation’s energy ministers in 2015, has gone nowhere.
It set a goal of a 40% improvement in energy productivity by 2030. But my analysis, based on the most recent official data, shows that in the three years to 2017-18, energy productivity increased by a mere 1.1%.
Clearly, there is much work to do. So let’s take a look at the problem and the potential solutions.
<img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/343107/original/file-20200622-75505-1j11r63.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=45&amp;auto=format&amp;w=754&amp;fit=clip" alt="">Energy efficiency reduces power bills for consumers. Julian Smith/AAP
<h2>Energy efficiency: a low-hanging fruit</h2>
Better energy efficiency lowers electricity bills, makes businesses more competitive and helps manage energy demand. Of course, it also means less greenhouse gas emissions, because fewer fossil fuels are burnt for energy.
Business, unions and green groups recognise the benefits. Last month they joined forces to <a href="https://www.bca.com.au/building_a_stronger_and_cleaner_post_pandemic_australia" target="_blank">call for</a> a sustainable COVID-19 economic recovery, with energy efficiency at the core, saying:
In Australia, a major drive to improve the energy efficiency of buildings and industry could deliver over 120,000 job-years of employment […] Useful upgrades could be made across Australia’s private and public housing; commercial, community and government buildings; and industrial facilities.
The group said improvements could include:
<ul>
<li>more efficient and controllable appliances and equipment, especially for heating and cooling</li>
<li>improved shading and thermal envelopes (improving the way a building’s walls, ceiling and floors prevent heat transfer)</li>
<li>smart meters to measure energy use</li>
<li>distributed energy generation and storage, such as wind and solar backed by batteries</li>
<li>fuel switching (replacing inefficient fuels with cleaner and economical alternatives)</li>
<li>equipment, training and advice for better energy management.</li>
</ul>
The International Energy Agency (IEA) has suggested <a href="https://www.iea.org/news/iea-offers-world-governments-a-sustainable-recovery-plan-to-boost-economic-growth-create-millions-of-jobs-and-put-emissions-into-structural-decline" target="_blank">other measures</a> for industry and manufacturing, such as:
<ul>
<li>installing more efficient electric motors</li>
<li>switching from gas to electric heat pumps</li>
<li>more waste and material recycling.</li>
</ul>
And in transport, the IEA suggests incentives to get older, less efficient cars off the roads and encourage the uptake of electric vehicles.
<img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/343110/original/file-20200622-75483-cm4unz.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=45&amp;auto=format&amp;w=754&amp;fit=clip" alt="">Residential buildings offer big opportunities for energy efficiency improvements. Brendan Esposito/AAP
<h2>Governments’ sleight of hand</h2>
In 2018 <a href="https://www.iea.org/reports/energy-policies-of-iea-countries-australia-2018-review" target="_blank">the IEA observed</a>:
<blockquote>
the power sector will be at the heart of Australia’s energy system transformation […] International best practice suggests that both energy efficiency and renewable energy are key drivers of the energy transition.
</blockquote>
Since then, renewable energy’s share of the electricity mix has increased. But energy productivity has stalled.
To understand how, we must define a few key terms.
Primary energy refers to energy extracted from the environment, such as coal, crude oil, and electrical energy collected by a wind turbine or solar panel.
Final energy is the energy supplied to a consumer, such as electricity delivered to homes or fuel pumped at a petrol station.
A lot of energy is lost in the process of turning extracted primary fuels into ready-to-use fuels for consumers. For example at coal-fired power stations, on average, <a href="https://www.energy.gov/sites/prod/files/2013/04/f0/HS_Coal_Studyguide_draft1.pdf" target="_blank">one-third of the energy </a>supplied by burning coal is converted to electricity. The remainder is lost as waste heat.
Until 2015, Australia and most other countries used final energy as a measure of how rapidly energy efficiency was improving. But the national productivity plan instead set goals around primary energy productivity – aiming to increase it by 40% between 2015 and 2030.
This has made it possible for governments to hide how badly Australia is travelling on improving energy efficiency. I analysed <a href="https://parlinfo.aph.gov.au/parlInfo/search/display/display.w3p;query=Id:%22library/prspub/17I30%22" target="_blank">national accounts</a> figures and energy statistics, to produce the below table. It reveals the governments’ sleight of hand.
Over the three years from 2014-15 to 2017-18, final energy productivity increased by only 1.1%, whereas primary energy productivity increased by 3.5%.
The reduced primary energy consumption is mostly due to a large increase in wind and solar generation. The efficiency of energy used by final consumers has scarcely changed.
<h2>A sustainable future</h2>
The lack of progress on energy productivity is not surprising, given governments have shown very little interest in the issue.
As Finkel noted in his address, Australia’s energy productivity plan is absent from the list of national climate and energy policies. The plan’s 2019 annual report has not been released. And those released since 2015 have not monitored progress in energy productivity.
What’s more, the plan makes no mention of previous similar agreements, in <a href="https://www.aph.gov.au/Parliamentary_Business/Bills_Legislation/bd/bd0910/10bd152" target="_blank">2004</a> and <a href="https://www.energyrating.gov.au/document/report-national-strategy-energy-efficiency" target="_blank">2009</a>, to accelerate energy efficiency with regulation and financial incentives. Since 2013, almost all Commonwealth programs supporting those agreements have been de-funded or <a href="https://www.aph.gov.au/Parliamentary_Business/Bills_Legislation/Bills_Search_Results/Result?bId=r5232" target="_blank">abolished</a>, and many state programs have also been cut back.
The IEA’s <a href="https://www.iea.org/news/iea-offers-world-governments-a-sustainable-recovery-plan-to-boost-economic-growth-create-millions-of-jobs-and-put-emissions-into-structural-decline" target="_blank">sustainable recovery plan</a>, released last week, outlined what a sustainable global economic recovery might look like. In particular, it said better energy efficiency and switching to more efficient electric technologies will deliver triple benefits: increased employment, a more productive economy and lower greenhouse gas emissions.
In this carbon-constrained world, relatively easy and cheap opportunities such as energy efficiency must be seized. And as Australia spends to get its post-pandemic economy back on track, now is the time to act.<img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/123176/count.gif?distributor=republish-lightbox-basic" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" style="border: none !important; box-shadow: none !important; margin: 0 !important; max-height: 1px !important; max-width: 1px !important; min-height: 1px !important; min-width: 1px !important; opacity: 0 !important; outline: none !important; padding: 0 !important; text-shadow: none !important;">
<a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/hugh-saddler-12123" target="_blank">Hugh Saddler</a>, Honorary Associate Professor, Centre for Climate Economics and Policy, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/australian-national-university-877" target="_blank">Australian National University</a>
This article is republished from <a href="https://theconversation.com" target="_blank">The Conversation</a> under a Creative Commons license. Read the <a href="https://theconversation.com/australia-has-failed-miserably-on-energy-efficiency-and-government-figures-hide-the-truth-123176" target="_blank">original article</a>.
</body></html>

j.ballantyne1990-6AQqhLzZaK

Australia has failed miserably on energy efficiency – and government figures hide the truth

<html><body>
Australian household electricity have risen exponentially in the last decade, however new data shows that they could drop by as much as 20% by 2022 in some areas. 
Modelling conducted by the Australian Energy Market Commission (AEMC) indicate that a wave of new renewable energy entering the electricity grid is pushing down retail prices. 
Retail electricity bills are projected to fall nationally at a 7.1% average between 2019 and 2022. 
In south-east Queensland, household bills are expected to fall by 20% in that time - an average annual saving of $278. Falls in other states are projected to be smaller. 
The National Electricity Market (NEM) is one of the largest interconnected electricity systems in the world.
It comprises approximately 40,000 kilometres of transmission lines and cables, supplying nine million customers in all states and territories other than Western Australia and the Northern Territory. 
Prices have risen since 2009, after more than half a century of consistently cheaper electricity year-on-year, due to a significant and largely unnecessary rise in spending on network infrastructure, uncertainty about climate policy, and a large increase in wholesale prices. 
The latter was triggered by both rising coal and gas prices and sudden exit of coal-fired power generators, and created a disorderly transition to firmed renewables. 
The recent modelling however showed that additional electricity supply is now putting significant downward pressure on wholesale prices. 
This is due to a very large quantity of new renewable projects coming online, adding much-needed supply. 
The sudden closure of coal-fired power stations such as Hazelwood in Victoria took a lot of electricity from the system, leading to higher wholesale prices.
This drove new investment in gas, wind and solar generation, which is projected to cause prices to fall. 
Modelling shows wholesale costs falling by 10-17% by 2022 across the NEM, which should flow on to the retail price paid by households.
</body></html>

wdavis-8cCN98p7xp

AEMC predicts power prices in Australia to fall significantly 

<html><body>
GUEST OBSERVATION
It is difficult to make predictions, especially about the future. (attributed to Danish physicist Niels Bohr)
The difficulty of making predictions has long been known, but the rise of the internet means that it is getting harder to hide the gaps between predictions and reality.
Perhaps the most significant example of repeated failed projections has been the International Energy Agency’s projections of the importance of renewable power – the proportion of electricity generated by solar and wind and other renewable sources other than hydro.
Beginning in 1994, when generation from these sources was negligible, the Agency has produced estimates of the future share of renewables every two years.
Every two years, with striking regularity, the previous estimates have been exceeded (hugely) and the new set has been revised upwards. But never by enough. Each time the upward revision has been inadequate.
This graph, prepared by <a href="https://www.quora.com/q/xwpxpfefwalgifkr/A-modest-proposal-to-the-International-Energy-Authority" target="_blank">Paul Mainwood</a> from IEA reports, illustrates the point:
Projections versus reality
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/302056/original/file-20191117-66945-19v9ijz.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=45&amp;auto=format&amp;w=1000&amp;fit=clip"><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/302056/original/file-20191117-66945-19v9ijz.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=45&amp;auto=format&amp;w=754&amp;fit=clip" alt=""></a>
Reality versus repeated projections of renewables share of electricity generation (ex hydro). <a class="source" href="https://www.quora.com/q/xwpxpfefwalgifkr/A-modest-proposal-to-the-International-Energy-Authority" target="_blank">Paul Mainwood, Quora</a>
The dashed lines represent successive projections from 1994 to 2016.
The solid red line represents the actual growth of non-hydro renewables as a share of total electricity generation.
What can be seen is that eleven times in a row the projected growth in renewables was far too low and had to be upgraded. Eleven times in a row the upgrades weren’t big enough.
As a joke (indicated by the green line) Mainwood “corrected” the 2016 projection for the typical under-projection:
Projections plus “corrected” 2016 projection
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/302067/original/file-20191117-66953-1tfh6u0.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=45&amp;auto=format&amp;w=1000&amp;fit=clip"><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/302067/original/file-20191117-66953-1tfh6u0.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=45&amp;auto=format&amp;w=754&amp;fit=clip" alt=""></a>
Reality versus projections of renewables share of electricity generation (ex hydro) plus 2016 projection corrected for typical undershoot. <a class="source" href="https://www.quora.com/q/xwpxpfefwalgifkr/A-modest-proposal-to-the-International-Energy-Authority" target="_blank">Paul Mainwood</a>
Projections often understate change
Another striking example relates to religious belief. In 2015 the Pew Research Institute released a <a href="https://www.pewforum.org/2015/04/02/religious-projections-2010-2050/" target="_blank">report</a> suggesting a gradual decline in Christianity in the United States.
The headline finding for the US:
"Christians will decline from more than three-quarters (75%) of the population in 2010 to two-thirds (66%) in 2050."
Yet only four years later in 2019, Pew released another report with this headline finding about the US:
'In 2018 and 2019, 65% of American adults describe themselves as Christians when asked about their religion, down 12 percentage points over the past decade."
Thus, a decline expected to take forty years had taken place inside ten.
Moreover, Christian affiliation is highest in the older age cohorts, very few members of which will be around in 2050. Looking at the younger cohort born after 1981, only 49% claim a Christian affiliation, a proportion that has declined by 16 percentage points in a decade. Unless that trend is rapidly reversed, or later cohorts experience a religious revival, Christians will be a minority well before 2050.
They enable modellers to escape responsiblity
Faced with outcomes of this kind, modellers often defend themselves by drawing a distinction between “predictions” and “projections”.
A prediction (Latin for “foretelling”) is a claim about what is most likely to happen in the future. By contrast, a projection (“casting forward”) is a model output derived by extrapolating past trends, holding some parameters constant and allowing others to vary.
The International Energy Agency projections were characterised by the assumption that the costs of renewable energy would change only slowly, rather than continuing the extraordinary decline that began in the 1970s.
In the case of the Pew projections, the crucial parameter is conversion rates – the frequency with which people brought up with one religion (including “no religion”) change to another. The Pew projections were based on the assumption conversion rates will remain unchanged.
It is the opposite of the widely-held but controversial “secularisation hypothesis” which states that modernisation leads to increased conversions to “no religion”.
Predictions force them to take responsibility
Projections are useful in the development of models. All models are based on past experience and have to assume that in some respects the future will be like the past. By examining the projections generated under particular assumptions about which variables and parameters will remain constant, it is possible to understand how models works and make modelling choices.
But projections of this kind are of no use in informing people not familiar with the material. They mislead casual readers of the Australia’s budget.
The budget uses both predictions and projections.
For the two years following each budget the Commonwealth uses “forecasts” which it is prepared to stand by, then for the next two it presents mechanical “projections”:
<img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/302072/original/file-20191117-66957-w8vxaq.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=45&amp;auto=format&amp;w=754&amp;fit=clip" alt="">
<a class="source" href="https://www.budget.gov.au/2019-20/content/bp1/index.htm" target="_blank">2019-20 Commonwealth budget, Budget Paper 1</a>
When asked to defend (for example) its wage growth number of 3½%, the treasury points out that it is a mechanical projection rather than a forecast, a distinction lost on all but the most enthusiastic of budget devotees.
In practice it is impossible to separate the two.
Even though both the International Energy Association and Pew describe their estimates as “projections” they are almost invariably <a href="https://www.mining.com/new-iea-report-predicts-surge-in-global-coal-use-2/" target="_blank">treated as</a> <a href="https://www.pri.org/stories/future-religion-around-world-one-chart" target="_blank">predictions</a>. 
Since any statement about the future will be treated as a prediction, the only serious option for modellers prepared to be truthful with the public is to bite the bullet and make predictions.
It means working hard to make the best possible estimate of the future paths of all model parameters, and using judgement to take account of everything else.
It’s what those of us looking to experts for guidance deserve.<img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/126734/count.gif?distributor=republish-lightbox-basic" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" style="border: none !important; box-shadow: none !important; margin: 0 !important; max-height: 1px !important; max-width: 1px !important; min-height: 1px !important; min-width: 1px !important; opacity: 0 !important; outline: none !important; padding: 0 !important; text-shadow: none !important;">
John Quiggin, Professor, School of Economics, The University of Queensland.
This article is republished from <a href="http://theconversation.com" target="_blank">The Conversation</a> under a Creative Commons license. Read the <a href="https://theconversation.com/please-no-more-projections-what-we-need-are-predictions-and-theyre-harder-126734" target="_blank">original article</a>.
</body></html>

Please, no more projections. What we need are predictions, and they’re harder

<html><body>
GUEST OBSERVATION
In Australia, renewable energy is growing at a per capita rate ten times faster than the world average. Between 2018 and 2020, Australia will install more than 16 gigawatts of wind and solar, an average rate of 220 watts per person per year.
This is nearly three times faster than the next fastest country, Germany. Australia is demonstrating to the world how rapidly an industrialised country with a fossil-fuel-dominated electricity system can transition towards low-carbon, renewable power generation.
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/292952/original/file-20190918-187974-8j0coj.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=45&amp;auto=format&amp;w=1000&amp;fit=clip"><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/292952/original/file-20190918-187974-8j0coj.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=45&amp;auto=format&amp;w=754&amp;fit=clip" alt=""></a>
Renewable energy capacity installations per capita. International capacity data for 2018 from the International Renewable Energy Agency. Australian data from the Clean Energy Regulator., Author provided
When the <a href="http://www.cleanenergyregulator.gov.au/About/Pages/News%20and%20updates/NewsItem.aspx?ListId=19b4efbb-6f5d-4637-94c4-121c1f96fcfe&amp;ItemId=683" target="_blank">Clean Energy Regulator accredited</a> Tasmania’s 148.5 megawatt (MW) Cattle Hill Wind Farm in August, Australia met its <a href="http://www.cleanenergyregulator.gov.au/RET/Pages/News%20and%20updates/NewsItem.aspx?ListId=19b4efbb-6f5d-4637-94c4-121c1f96fcfe&amp;ItemId=683" target="_blank">Renewable Energy Target</a> well ahead of schedule.
We have <a href="https://energy.anu.edu.au/files/Renewable%20energy%20target%20report%20September%202019_1_0.pdf" target="_blank">analysed</a> data from the regulator which tracks large- and small-scale renewable energy generation (including credible future projects), and found the record-high installation rates of 2018 will continue through 2019 and 2020.
<h2>Record renewable energy installation rates</h2>
While <a href="https://theconversation.com/australia-has-met-its-renewable-energy-target-but-dont-pop-the-champagne-122939" target="_blank">other analyses</a> have pointed out that investment dollars in renewable energy fell in 2019, actual generation capacity has risen. Reductions in building costs may be contributing, as less investment will buy you the more capacity.
Last was a record year for renewable energy installations, with 5.1 gigawatts (GW) accredited in 2018, far exceeding the previous record of 2.2GW in 2017.
The increase was driven by the dramatic rise of large-scale solar farms, which comprised half of the new-build capacity accredited in 2018. There was a tenfold increase in solar farm construction from 2017.
We have projected the remaining builds for 2019 and those for 2020, based on data from the Clean Energy Regulator for public firm announcements for projects.
A project is considered firm if it has a power purchase agreement (PPA, a contract to sell the energy generated), has reached financial close, or is under construction. We assume six months for financial close and start of construction after a long-term supply contract is signed, and 12 or 18 months for solar farm or wind farm construction, respectively.
This year is on track to be another record year, with 6.5GW projected to be complete by the end of 2019.
The increase is largely attributable to a significant increase in the number of wind farms approaching completion. Rooftop solar has also increased, with current installation rates putting Australia on track for 1.9GW in 2019, also a new record.
This is attributed to the continued cost reductions in rooftop solar, with less than A$1,000 per kilowatt now considered routine and payback periods of the order of two to seven years.
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/292954/original/file-20190918-187985-r9h3yc.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=45&amp;auto=format&amp;w=1000&amp;fit=clip"><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/292954/original/file-20190918-187985-r9h3yc.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=45&amp;auto=format&amp;w=754&amp;fit=clip" alt=""></a>
Current (solid) and forecast (hashed) installations of renewable electricity capacity in Australia. Author provided
Looking ahead to 2020, almost 6GW of large-scale projects are expected to be completed, comprising 2.5GW of solar farms and 3.5GW of wind. Around the end of 2020, this additional generation would deliver the old Renewable Energy Target of 41,000 gigawatt hours (GWh) per annum. That target was legislated in 2009 by the Rudd Labor government but <a href="https://www.aph.gov.au/About_Parliament/Parliamentary_Departments/Parliamentary_Library/pubs/BriefingBook45p/RenewableEnergy" target="_blank">reduced to 33,000GWh</a> by the Abbott Coalition government in 2015.
<h2>Maintaining the pipeline</h2>
There are strong prospects for continued high installation rates of renewables. Currently available renewable energy energy contracts are routinely offering <a href="https://reneweconomy.com.au/snowy-says-cost-of-firm-wind-and-solar-significantly-below-current-base-load-prices-76846/">less than A$50 per MWh</a>. Long-term contracts for future energy supply have an average price of more than A$58 per MWh. This is a very reasonable profit margin, suggesting a <a href="https://www.asx.com.au/products/energy-derivatives/australian-electricity.htm">strong economic case</a> for continued installations. Wind and solar prices are likely to decline further throughout the 2020s.
State governments programs are also supporting renewable electricity growth. The ACT has completed contracts for 100% renewable electricity. Victoria and Queensland both have renewable energy targets of 50% renewable electricity by 2030. South Australia is expecting to reach 100% by 2025.
The main impediment to continued renewables growth is transmission. Transmission constraints have resulted in bottlenecks in moving electricity from some wind and solar farms to cities.
Tasmania’s strong wind resource requires a new connection to the mainland to unlock more projects. The limitations of current planning frameworks for this transition were recognised in Chief Scientist Alan Finkel’s review of the National Electricity Market, with strong recommendations to overcome these problems and, in particular, to <a href="https://www.energy.gov.au/publications/independent-review-future-security-national-electricity-market-blueprint-future" target="_blank">strengthen the role of the Australian Energy Market Operator</a>.
Now we need state and federal governments to unlock or directly support transmission expansion. For example, the <a href="https://www.dnrme.qld.gov.au/energy/initiatives/poweringqueensland#targetText=The%20Powering%20Queensland%20Plan%20sets,and%20secure%%2020supply%20of%20electricity" target="_blank">Queensland government</a> has committed to supporting new transmission to unlock solar and wind projects in the far north, including the Genex/Kidston 250MW pumped hydro storage system. The New South Wales government will expedite planning approval for an <a href="https://www.transgrid.com.au/news-views/news/2019/Pages/Project-EnergyConnect-deemed-critical-infrastructure-in-NSW.aspx">interconnector</a> between that state and South Australia, defining it as “critical infrastructure”.
These investments are key to Australia maintaining its renewable energy leadership into the next decade.<img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/123694/count.gif?distributor=republish-lightbox-basic" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" style="border: none !important; box-shadow: none !important; margin: 0 !important; max-height: 1px !important; max-width: 1px !important; min-height: 1px !important; min-width: 1px !important; opacity: 0 !important; outline: none !important; padding: 0 !important; text-shadow: none !important;">
<a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/matthew-stocks-335116" target="_blank">Matthew Stocks</a>, Research Fellow, ANU College of Engineering and Computer Science, <a href="http://theconversation.com/institutions/australian-national-university-877" target="_blank">Australian National University</a>; <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/andrew-blakers-3328">Andrew Blakers</a>, Professor of Engineering, <a href="http://theconversation.com/institutions/australian-national-university-877" target="_blank">Australian National University</a>, and <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/ken-baldwin-11848" target="_blank">Ken Baldwin</a>, Director, Energy Change Institute, <a href="http://theconversation.com/institutions/australian-national-university-877" target="_blank">Australian National University</a>
This article is republished from <a href="http://theconversation.com" target="_blank">The Conversation</a> under a Creative Commons license. Read the <a href="https://theconversation.com/australia-is-the-runaway-global-leader-in-building-new-renewable-energy-123694" target="_blank">original article</a>.
</body></html>

Australia is the runaway global leader in building new renewable energy

<html><body>
GUEST OBSERVATION
In the absence of federal policy, states are pursing their own renewable targets.
Australia’s primary federal renewable energy target – to have <a href="https://www.environment.gov.au/climate-change/government/renewable-energy-target-scheme" target="_blank">33 terawatts of renewable energy by 2020</a> – has essentially been achieved. There is much uncertainty as to what is next.
In the absence of a new national target, the states have been leading the way and <a href="https://www.cleanenergycouncil.org.au/resources/project-tracker" target="_blank">driving renewable energy</a> in Australia. Victoria, New South Wales and Queensland between them have invested some A$20 billion into building 11,400 megawatts of generation capacity.
While the states have worked admirably to advance renewable energy – and federal energy policy has long been politically toxic – there is a clear cost to pursuing many fragmented policies instead of a unified vision.
Our research, modelling the effect of state versus national renewable energy targets in the National Energy Market system found there was little difference in the overall cost, but that states without strong renewable targets tended to miss out on investment.
We need national thinking
<a href="https://www.climatecouncil.org.au/uploads/9a3734e82574546679510bdc99d57847.pdf" target="_blank">Most jurisdictions</a> have net zero emissions targets by 2050. States also have ambitious but achievable shorter-term renewable energy targets and programs.
There are plenty of arguments for states pursuing their own renewable energy targets, not least because they can fill the policy vacuum left at the national level.
States are responding to the immediate need to replace retiring power stations and can explore innovation with greater ambition. It makes perfect sense for states to compete to attract jobs and investment.
But Australia’s federal government has a <a href="https://unfccc.int/process-and-meetings/the-paris-agreement/the-paris-agreement" target="_blank">domestic and international obligation</a> to reduce greenhouse gas emissions from fossil fuels. National policies are more efficient, can harness better resources across our diverse geography and maximise returns for the whole system.
What’s more – as many column inches have pointed out – strong federal policy improves investment certainty and reliability, lowering the cost of inevitable infrastructure upgrades. And those upgrades can be better integrated into our existing national electricity system if the building (and money) doesn’t stop at internal borders.
To provide some insight and help move the debate forward, the University of Melbourne, Monash University and the <a href="https://www.energy-transition-hub.org/" target="_blank">Australian-German Energy Transition Hub</a> have collaborated on research that was presented at an <a href="https://www.wemcouncil.org/wp/icem/" target="_blank">international conference</a> in Denmark earlier this year.
Quantifying the difference
We simulated two scenarios: first, that all states implement polices to achieve their respective renewable energy and net zero emissions targets by 2050.
The second scenario assumed a national target would be used to result in the “same outcome” of 100% renewable energy by 2050.
The model calculates required energy investments with 5-year increments from today to 2050, including considering the existing generation currently operating. The model simultaneously optimises the mix of generation, transmission and storage to minimise the total system cost from 2020 to 2050.
A key difference in results is where and when new generation is built. Under the state-driven approach, unsurprisingly, investment shifts towards states with more ambitious targets.
The two figures below show how state-based targets drive more investment into Queensland than would be the case under a national target scheme.
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/286465/original/file-20190731-186819-1j9zsem.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=45&amp;auto=format&amp;w=1000&amp;fit=clip"><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/286465/original/file-20190731-186819-1j9zsem.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=45&amp;auto=format&amp;w=754&amp;fit=clip" alt=""></a>
(Spatial distribution of renewable generation)
Broadly speaking, under a national target, we see more efficient use of renewable energy and associated resources. NSW – with net zero 2050 target but no interim renewable energy target – would get a greater share of the renewable energy investment.
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/286469/original/file-20190731-186814-1rk0hzu.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=45&amp;auto=format&amp;w=1000&amp;fit=clip"><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/286469/original/file-20190731-186814-1rk0hzu.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=45&amp;auto=format&amp;w=754&amp;fit=clip" alt=""></a>
(Change in energy generation %)
NSW would consistently see substantially more investment under a national target scheme. This would be around 20% more generation in the 2030s in NSW, and up to 20 terawatt-hours more energy generated in the years 2030 to 2045.
The rollout of “where and when” to build new renewable and other generation to replace ageing fossil fuel power plants also impacts heavily on the sequencing and timing for major transmission upgrades across the NEM – especially interconnectors between states.
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/286470/original/file-20190731-186792-142o7z3.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=45&amp;auto=format&amp;w=1000&amp;fit=clip"><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/286470/original/file-20190731-186792-142o7z3.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=45&amp;auto=format&amp;w=754&amp;fit=clip" alt=""></a>
(Transmission networks modeled)
The graph shows that under a state target based approach we build more transmission infrastructure earlier than under a national approach. Under a national target approach, we would end up building more transmission infrastructure – albeit later.
Again, broadly speaking, we would build more generation at renewable energy resource-rich areas such as NSW which happen to be near major demand centres like cities. This would delay the need for some infrastructure spend.
What about system reliability and energy costs?
The good news is it appears under either a state-based or a national target approach the outcome in 2050 is similar. The difference in total system costs is only about 1% higher in the state-based targets scenario – so, virtually nothing.
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/286460/original/file-20190731-186797-1csnld1.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=45&amp;auto=format&amp;w=1000&amp;fit=clip"><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/286460/original/file-20190731-186797-1csnld1.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=45&amp;auto=format&amp;w=754&amp;fit=clip" alt=""></a>
(Evolution of electricity generation – total system)
State-based renewable energy targets lead to redistribution of renewable investments in favour of the states with a mid-term renewable energy target.
In the Australian context, the current state-based renewable energy targets have no impact on undermining power system reliability and virtually negligible impact on pushing up power prices.
Perhaps NSW should take particular note – as it would appear that it would benefit greatly from either a national target approach or an interim state target for itself.
The debate about state versus national approaches to energy policy has been going for the past 30 years and no doubt will be around for another 30. In the meantime, we need a stronger hand on the transition tiller or we will waste precious resources and time, and likely have major unintended consequences.
Scott Hamilton, Strategic Advisory Panel Member, Australian-German Energy Transition Hub, University of Melbourne. 
Changlong Wang, Researcher, The Energy Transition Hub, University of Melbourne. 
Roger Dargaville, Senior lecturer, Monash University.
This article is republished from <a href="http://theconversation.com" target="_blank">The Conversation</a> under a Creative Commons license. Read the <a href="https://theconversation.com/we-need-a-national-renewables-approach-or-some-states-like-nsw-will-miss-out-121192" target="_blank">original article</a>.
</body></html>

We need a national renewables approach, or some states will miss out

<html><body>
Dexus has struck an agreement with Red Energy to supply their NSW building portfolio with renewable energy.
It claims it is Australia’s first supply-linked renewable Energy Supply Agreements (“ESA”).
Dexus, Australia’s largest office landlord, and Red Energy, which is 100% owned by Snowy Hydro, have signed a Memorandum of Understanding for a seven-year renewable contract, to commence from January 2020. 
Dexus will purchase renewable energy off-site to power the base building services of more than 40 buildings. 
This will be achieved through the procurement of renewable energy generation and presents a new lever for Dexus and the property industry to achieve net zero emissions. 
Dexus’ strategy aims to eliminate emissions from its portfolio and create value for Dexus’s customers and investors.
“This is a first for an Australian real estate investment trust and supports our ambition to achieve net zero emissions by 2030,” said David Yates, Executive General Manager for Sustainability at Dexus. 
“We have worked collaboratively with Red Energy to establish a new energy supply model which will deliver renewable energy sourced off-site. Importantly it provides long-term price certainty to insulate our customers from electricity market volatility, while driving down energy costs and supporting our collective carbon reduction goals.
“The ESA satisfies the demand from customers and investors for more reliable, environmentally responsible energy. 
“Over seven years, we expect to source more than 300 gigawatt hours (GWh) of renewable energy via this ESA, which is equivalent to the energy consumed by 38,000 households for a year.”
Paul Wall, Head of Group Sustainability and Energy at Dexus, said: “This agreement allows us to hedge a portion of our power price, providing a buffer against energy market uncertainty. The deal has been struck at below current market rates and leverages the large-scale generation certificates subsidies, resulting in a fixed price for 50% of our energy load over the next seven years. 
“This means we can pass the savings directly to our customers, while operating our buildings using a responsible, emission-free source of energy. 
“This new deal is expected to reduce the retail energy rate which we pass onto our customers through outgoings by more than 10% compared to existing contracted rates.” 
</body></html>

Dexus signs renewable energy supply agreement 

<html><body>
Australia is in the middle of a rooftop solar boom with news last week that in the March quarter 351 megawatts (MW) of new capacity was installed including 127MW for the month of March alone.  <a href="https://reneweconomy.com.au/australian-rooftop-solar-boom-rolls-on-351mw-in-first-quarter-26595/">According to </a><a href="https://reneweconomy.com.au/australian-rooftop-solar-boom-rolls-on-351mw-in-first-quarter-26595/">SunWiz</a>, the uptake is accelerating.

The acceleration has been attributed to high prices from electricity retailers and the consistent cost reductions in photovoltaic technology that has created an environment where many house-owners and businesses have increasingly greater access to technology that allows them to thumb their noses at electricity retailers.

Those lucky enough to own a house or business premise and have the budget to install a rooftop solar system, especially one combined with a battery, are also starting to see shorter payback times.

Booming solar installations throughout Australia's suburbs, one would think, should be seen as a great achievement of those politicians and groups who believe in greater self-determination and less state intervention - regardless if state subsidies helped us get to the point where we are. Alas, it's not the case with the merry 'Monash forum' rabble.

Much like moving to 100% electric vehicles would solve the emissions challenge of cars, a 1 for 1 replacement doesn't solve the physics/congestion challenge in cities; increased solar rooftop &amp; battery package purchases by households and business adds significant weight to tackling the electricity generation emissions problem, however, it won't be available to every household - in a financial sense, but more importantly in a physical sense.

The issue of unchecked low-density growth at the fringe of cities is well understood - increased urban densities in the inner and middle rings of our cities are a direct antidote to it - but those who will probably live a significant proportion of their lives in multi-dwelling buildings won't be able to participate in the generation side of a distributed energy grid to the same extent as those who own houses.

Apartment buildings and higher-density workplaces will, of course, be able to install electricity generation infrastructure on their roofs but at best this local generation will cover the electricity required to light, heat and cool common areas plus a bit more, at worst there will be a negligible impact.

If we accept there will be an energy production divide at the household level - those who live in houses which can install a PV system on the roof versus those who live in apartments/units - then in the interests of equity, apartments and the higher-density parts of our cities will need specific policy treatment.

'The grid' is the machine that includes generation (thermal power stations, wind turbines, solar arrays, dams with hydro turbines located at the base of them), transmission (the 'big' power powerlines), distribution (the 'small' powerlines in your street) and substations which are the bridges between generation and transmission as well as between transmission and distribution.

Our grid mainly operates in one direction - from generation through the transmission network to the distribution network to the power outlet in your home/business to the device or appliance that's plugged into the power outlet.  Those appliances/devices plugged in are considered 'behind the meter', everything else is considered 'in front of the meter'.

The leadership at the Australia Energy Market Operator, which oversees transmission planning in Victoria's case but overall it monitors the operations of the electricity network around the country, has begun talking about the need for access to the behind-the-meter infrastructure that is rapidly deploying in Australian households and businesses.

"At the moment there is no framework for moderating the feed into the grid from rooftop PV systems,” Jenny Riesz, principal at AEMO, quoted in <a href="https://reneweconomy.com.au/rooftop-solar-australias-greatest-opportunity-greatest-risk-86420/">RenewEconomy</a>, said. “We can turn down the large-scale wind and PV if we have to, but there is no way at the moment to control rooftop PV systems".

<blockquote>
As AEMO chief Audrey Zibelman has repeatedly asserted, this behind the meter energy generation and storage resource has enormous potential to be harnessed by the market operator, in any number of ways, to help provide crucial grid balancing and particularly peak shaving services.

And extensive modelling by Energy Networks Australia has supported this view.

It showed that by orchestrating the nation’s distributed energy resource (DER), and coordinating the dispatch of it in a sensible way, network charges could be reduced by 30 per cent, annual savings delivered to households, and up to $1.4 billion in network investment avoided.
<cite>Rooftop solar: Australia's greatest opportunity and its greatest risk, <a href="https://reneweconomy.com.au/rooftop-solar-australias-greatest-opportunity-greatest-risk-86420/">RenewEconomy</a></cite>
</blockquote>

The are multiple solutions to the impending problem of excess generation and not being able to control it.

<blockquote>
“There is a huge amount that we can do about this,” Riesz told the conference on Thursday. “It’s just that we have to get on and do it. Now. Now is the time.

Key among the possible solutions is increasing daytime demand. This can be done a number of ways, such as shifting hot water clocks from night into the daytime; coordinating the distributed storage “that’s coming in at a rate of notts”; or using electric vehicle charging to mop up excess generation.

“Electric vehicles coming in could enormously help, And we could have other sorts of flexible loads like water pumping, and so on; if we provide the right tariffs and incentives, a lot more of that can be done during the day, to suck up this energy,” Riesz said.
<cite>Rooftop solar: Australia's greatest opportunity and its greatest risk, <a href="https://reneweconomy.com.au/rooftop-solar-australias-greatest-opportunity-greatest-risk-86420/">RenewEconomy</a></cite>
</blockquote>

Australia's rooftop solar boom is happening in an energy policy environment that's been stuck in a rut for a decade. The former South Australian government went out of its way to facilitate a batter for the grid based on a twitter conversation - this is what an inept and paralysed federal government looks like.

Helped along early on in the piece by high feed-in tariffs set at the state level, solar PV + batteries is now at the stage where house-owners wield significant power (pardon the pun) and <a href="https://www.thefifthestate.com.au/energy-lead/energy/solar-and-storage-could-soon-be-the-standard-for-new-homes">developers foresee including systems as standard</a> in house and land packages in the not too distant future.

Apartment-dwellers won't have the same access to generation participation opportunities that house-dwellings currently do, but they could very much play a massive part in the need for the country to invest in storage.  If they're given an incentive package similar to the one early adopters of solar PV systems received.

Lead image credit: <a href="https://sonnenbatterie.de/en-gb/sonnenbatterie">sonnenbatterie.de</a>
</body></html>

Alastair Taylor

Houses & early feed-in tariffs helped reduced rooftop solar costs, it's time to focus on apartments and the impending storage boom

<html><body>
<img src="https://counter.theconversation.edu.au/content/82206/count.gif?distributor=republish-lightbox-advanced" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1">
GUEST OBSERVER
Renewable energy is driving profound changes in cities.
It’s happening much more quickly than was expected even five years ago. Responding to climate change, networks of decision-makers, such as the C40 collective of major cities, have begun adopting strategies to promote the uptake of renewable energy. Yet land use planning has seemingly begun to lag behind.
As an example, few, if any, planning codes in Australia prevent overshadowing of rooftop solar systems (photovoltaic and hot water). Instead, disputes are being decided in the courts.
Effective guidance on the retrofitting and redesign of built environment energy systems must occur across scales, from rooftops to wider electricity grids. We need reliable institutional and policy guidelines to improve investment certainty and limit negative outcomes.
So what is the role of planning? What challenges and actions must planners consider for the renewable energy transition to be effective?
Renewable are proliferating
Historically, cities have been built on fossil fuels. These power buildings, lighting, transport, air conditioning, water supply systems, sewage treatment and more.
Technological change and concerns about climate change threats, energy security, air pollution reduction and fossil fuel power costs have recently driven huge advancements in renewable energy options for cities. As renewables rapidly gain market traction, the costs are falling dramatically relative to fossil fuel options.
Many different types of renewable energy have the potential to radically transform built environments. These include solar (both photovoltaic and molten salt), wind, tidal, biogas, biofuel, pumped hydro and potentially even nuclear fusion – though the latter may still be some time away.
At present, this technological growth appears to be outpacing land-use planning systems, and many planners seem to be fighting a rear-guard action.
What role can planners play?
Traditionally, planners have assessed the acceptability, or otherwise, of different types of development. Land uses that were deemed incompatible were separated into different zones.
Infrastructural and technological provisions associated with developments are usually strategically planned in advance. Site-specific issues are then assessed through development approval processes.
There are, however, still relatively few land use planning policies and guidelines for engaging effectively with renewable energy. This is a global problem, though some jurisdictions are ahead of others.
A front-runner is the UK, where the Department for Communities and Local Government issued planning practice guidance for renewable and low-carbon energy in 2013. This was a welcome early response. And perhaps surprising, given the comparative lack of sunlight in the UK.
Conversely, Ireland still lacks a strategic plan for solar farm development. This seems remiss given Ireland has an almost identical planning system and roughly the same amount of sunlight as the UK.
In sunnier Australia, the signs are that things are beginning to change. For example, the New South Wales government recently issued guidelines on the approval of solar and wind farms. Queensland has a wind farm state code and guidelines. The City of Melbourne now provides planning guidance for solar energy.
California is forging ahead with solar leasing and is experimenting with mandatory solar for new buildings. The state is also making strides in wind energy.
How should planning systems adapt?
We urgently need more renewable-friendly planning systems to capture its potential benefits and avoid overshooting the 2°C target for global warming. This will mean finding ways to “fast-track” energy generation deemed to be low risk with manageable impacts.
As well as developing practical guidance, planners need to ask some key questions. Are these technologies safe? Might they disrupt other land uses? Does large-scale uptake potentially have unintended consequences?
An easy win for planners is to devise codes and planning scheme provisions to protect rooftop solar installations from overshadowing. Rooftop solar is becoming an integral part of the energy mix in many areas, with surplus production often feeding back into the grid.
A failure of planning to manage a simple issue like overshadowing will result in a loss of potential electricity production, with negative implications for householders and grids.
Medium-scale commercial solar PV farms, providing 1-10MW generating capacity, are likely soon to be a common feature of many suburbs and communities. However, these facilities can present challenges when placed in urban areas. Again, clear planning guidance is needed.
The planning implications of these solar PV farms are only beginning to be understood. The issues include, but are not limited to, site selection, (re)zoning, stakeholder engagement, visual impact minimisation and mediating social, economic and/or ecological constraints.
Even as planners begin to engage with the issues of current renewable technologies, newer technologies are quickly encroaching. This adds to the urgency of the planning challenges; constant reappraisal is needed.
Where to next?
Soon we will likely have to better consider emerging technologies such as solar windows, integrated solar roofs, backyard biogas generators and even algae biofuel farming.
For example, could using backyard waste-to-biogas systems create issues with hygiene and infectious disease? What about maintenance? Will microgrids, which can help transitions to a grid with significant volumes of renewable energy, be able to handle demand?
We’ll need effective land use planning to answer these questions and many more. In times of intense transformation, planners will have to provide clear guidance. They must not let themselves fall behind the pace of urban energy transitions.
<a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/tony-matthews-234160" target="_blank">Tony Matthews </a>is Lecturer in Urban &amp; Environmental Planning, Griffith University.
<a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/jason-byrne-6066" target="_blank">Jason Byrne </a>is Associate Professor of Environmental Planning, Griffith University.
Both are authors for <a href="https://theconversation.com/au" target="_blank">The Conversation</a>.
</body></html>

Renewable energy

Editor's Picks

Have something to contribute?

Developments

New apartments

New townhouses

News

Renewable energy

Editor's Picks

Receive the latest news stories to your inbox

Have something to contribute?

Developments

New apartments

New townhouses

News