Low-carbon living projects taking great strides

The Cooperative Research Centre for Low-Carbon Living (CRCLCL) is a research and innovation hub which aims to lower carbon emissions in Australia’s built environment. Heading into its seventh and final year of funding in 2019, the CRCLCL is on track to reduce national emissions by 10mgt by the end of 2020.

The centre has run over 120 projects which show the impact of research collaborations with industry and government. Proposed changes to the National Construction Code, making it ‘zero carbon ready’, could improve buildings’ energy efficiency by 56% and save householders up to $900 annually. A low-carbon schools project has grown from a Western Australian trial to the national ClimateClever program. An initiative which helped 80 Blue Mountains tourist operations reduce their carbon emissions by 15% is now being rolled out nationwide with Eco Tourism Australia. The prizewinning company PowerLedger is based on research into solar power sharing and pricing through blockchain technology that was developed at a Perth CRCLCL Living Laboratory.

CRCLCL research has also shown that most Australian homes can meet 81% of their energy needs by using a 3kw solar PV system and a 10KWh battery. Those who own and occupy a net zero-energy home will save almost $30,000 over the property’s lifetime.

Read more about the CRCLCL’s work.