Sustainable air con

Every winter and summer, millions of us flick the switches on our reverse-cycle air conditioners, fans, radiators, central heating systems and so on. Largely powered by fossil fuels, warming and cooling your home weighs heavily on the hip pocket and environment.

According to the Environmental Protection Authority, the average Australian household spews over 18 tonnes of greenhouse gases into the atmosphere annually. In fact, the total emissions from our built environments represent over a fifth of the country’s total output. Heating and cooling contribute the lion’s share.

A 2018 report from the Australian Renewable Energy Agency found maintaining comfy temperatures accounts for 41 per cent of all energy use in the residential sector.

Between June 2008 and 2018, electricity costs rose 117 per cent and gas 89 per cent, making it our fastest-rising household expense, according to ABS (Australian Bureau of Statistics) consumer price index figures. ABS data also reveals those living in Australia’s coldest zones, and people with mortgages, paid more of their income towards power than those in warm, temperate regions or renting.

Fortunately, there is an alternative to the unsustainable energy bill, one as old as the sun.