News & events
Renew mag: electric vehicle special
Ready to electrify your transport? Find all the info you need in the electric vehicle buyers guide in the latest issue of Renew magazine.
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Renew magazine is the nation's premier magazine devoted to practical, cost-effective technologies for environmentally sustainable homes and lifestyles.
Transport & travel
Jumping on the (electric) bandwagon
Electric vehicle case studies: "Every time we filled up our petrol cars, it made me feel uncomfortable to be using fossil fuel, so my wife Janine and I discussed the pros and cons of electric cars and the models available, and in 2014 we decided to buy one." - Malcolm McKelvie
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Solar & batteries
Built with solar, runs on solar
Designing and building a more sustainable home is fertile ground for innovative ideas. Howard and Libby Elston explain how generators were largely avoided when building three new units.
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DIY
DIY: Sheet mulch and hot compost
Fuchsia Branwhite explains the permaculture tricks she uses in her own garden, both to control weeds and produce beautiful non-stinky compost from a wide range of garden waste.
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Sustainable tech
Going electric with hydronic heating
One year after converting from gas to heat pump hydronic heating, Peter Hormann gives us a full account of the upgrades at his family’s Melbourne home and how they are staying comfy and zero carbon.
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Efficient homes
A winning formula: high-performance house plus EV
Despite the upfront cost premium, opting for a highly efficient, all-electric home with an EV can offer significant economic and environmental benefits. We analyse one example.
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Scenes from Sustainable House Day
How do you build or renovate a home for comfort and low bills? A record 33,000 people had such questions on their minds when they visited 226 exceptional sustainable homes open across Australia on Sustainable House Day 2018, held on Sunday, 16 September. Watch our video to see what these attendees in Western Australia got out of the day.
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Solar & batteries
Built with solar, runs on solar
Designing and building a more sustainable home is fertile ground for innovative ideas. Howard and Libby Elston explain how generators were largely avoided when building three new units.
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Solar & batteries
Making kerosene history Pay-As-You-Go solar energy
While the western world takes electricity access for granted, a large part of the world has no such luxuries. But that is changing. Renew’s Harry Andrews explains.
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Solar & batteries
Solar and high grid voltage
There’s been some recent attention in the news linking the boom in solar power with spikes in grid voltage. Renew energy analyst Andrew Reddaway looks at the issue.
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Renewable grid
Hydrogen: help or hype?
Australia’s government is currently developing a strategy for including hydrogen in a future low-carbon energy system. Renew’s energy projects team has looked at where it has potential, and where it doesn’t.
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Policy
Load shedding: coming to your area soon?
Why do grid outages occur, how are they managed and how is rooftop solar changing this? Renew's Andrew Reddaway looks at the issue of load shedding.
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Research
All-electric solar homes save thousands over gas: report
New homes that are all-electric and have solar power will save their owners thousands of dollars according to a new report by Renew.
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Advocacy
ACCC misunderstands solar tariffs
The ACCC’s most recent report into the energy sector has misunderstood the history and current economics of solar feed-in tariffs around the Australia, according to Renew.
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Renew basics and buyers guides
Solar & batteries
Know your renewables: off-grid basics
With reducing grid reliability and steadily increasing electricity prices there’s been renewed interest in giving energy companies the flick. Lance Turner takes a look at the how and why of going off-grid.
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Building materials
Strength, stability and performance: The right floor for your build
When building, you may put a lot of thought into the floor coverings, but what about the sub-floor structure? Both are important to ensure a sustainable result. Lance Turner surveys the options.
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Buyers guides
No longer cooking with gas: Induction cooktop mini guide
Induction cooktops can make converts, with power and performance as good as or better than gas. We look at the features to consider when buying one.
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Buyers guides
Hot water savings: Efficient hot water buyers guide
If your old hot water system has seen better days, maybe it’s time for an efficient replacement. We show you how solar and heat pump hot water systems work, what’s available and how to choose one to best suit your needs.
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