Beyond solar PV: Renewable heat and why we need it

There’s more to renewable energy than just electricity. Renewable heat is an important alternative to gas for Australian homes and industry, writes Tim Forcey.

Scoring your home: Energy efficiency scorecards

Energy efficiency scorecards promise a way to compare homes and kickstart energy efficiency and liveability improvements, for both renters and homeowners. Renew's Katy Daily looks at how the Victorian government’s Australian-first scorecard scheme could help her draughty rental home.

Beyond the Stars – Energy ratings as a design tool

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.

Home truths: Notes from the assessor

After conducting home energy assessments for several years, Richard Keech shares some of the all-too-common problems he sees.

All-electric and hydronic: A model of efficiency

There's a lot to learn from this highly insulated and well-sealed renovation in Melbourne, not least how a heat pump is providing both hydronic heating and hot water. Cameron Munro explains the house's modelling-led upgrades and the tweaks made along the way.

Planning ahead: Three steps to all-electric

Thinking about going all-electric, but unsure what’s involved? Here we present an overview of the steps to going all-electric and where to find more information.

Gas days over: Money-saving results in Melbourne

This family of four saved around $250 last winter by heating their home with a reverse-cycle unit instead of their older gas ducted system. They went on to swap out the remaining gas appliances, disconnect gas from their property and save even more.

Capital improvements: The path to all-electric

Switching to electric appliances wasn’t really thought of as economically or environmentally beneficial 10 years ago when Ben Elliston’s household started their efficiency improvements, so theirs has been a gradual path to all-electric.

Sealed with a SIP

The energy costs for this four-person household were $560 for the year (basically just the daily charge), due to an airtight house design, a PV system well-matched to usage and a switch to all-electric. Kyle O'Farrell describes how they got there.