Sustainable Life: the future is electric

Posted on 26 April, 2019

A lightbulb turns on, the world’s sustainable future becomes clear…everything is electric. 

Our home heating, home cooling, cars, trucks and even planes are all powered by electricity, generated from renewable power stations. Converting to electricity is essential for a zero-emissions world.

If you ask energy experts, this future is a real possibility in just 20 short years. Excited? Here’s what we can do to get on board with a sustainable future that’s electric.

Get solar panels

There are plenty of businesses offering to install solar panels on your roof. Some even offer to install the panels with no upfront charges, letting the panels pay for themselves over a multi-year contract.

Installing solar panels makes economic and environmental sense.  The investment pay-off period is five-eight years, depending on your roof orientation and shading. If you’re worried about business sharks, check out the Clean Energy Council’s list of accredited solar retailers to find a supplier that’s signed up to meet high-quality standards.

Switch to an electric car

It’s been just over 10 years since the first electric vehicles hit the market in Australia. Initially, they were smaller model cars with a 100km driving range. Globally, there’s every type of car available with an electric engine… even the famous tradie ute and fancy sports cars and the standard driving ranges are now more like 300km.

Electric vehicles are here to stay. There are already charging stations around Australia and the NRMA has committed $10 million to build a comprehensive network.

France, Germany, UK, Norway, Ireland, Netherlands, Israel, India and China are all banning petrol and diesel vehicles from 2025 – 2040. There’s no car manufacturing in Australia, so we won’t have a choice. It’s not a matter of if, but when your next car will be electric.

Detox from gas

There’s a network of underground gas pipes in every metropolitan area. Being supplied with gas was once as essential as being supplied with water. Not any more. Canberra’s newest housing development, Ginninderry, is fully electric. There’s no gas infrastructure because everyone’s energy needs will be met with electricity. Think electric heating and cooling, electric hot water and electric stovetops.

Not so long ago, Australians were supplied with cheap, domestically produced gas. When a pipeline was built to export gas directly to Asia, the Australian price skyrocketed and companies started focusing exploration on coal seam gas. Much of the gas used in Australia today is coal seam gas, extracted with environmental impacts that are yet to be fully understood.

Electric in the garden

The humble lawn mower is essential equipment for homes with a grassy lawn and a white picket fence. Saturday mornings at home in summer are filled with the hum, or blaring noise, coming from lawnmower engines. That noise pollution is no longer needed…enter the electric lawn mower or a front yard that’s landscaped with native shrubs.

There’s a heap of electrical equipment on the market for use in the gardening, including lawn mowers, whipper snippers and leaf blowers.