Why we need an ‘energy Landcare’ to tackle rising power prices

Rising electricity prices have become a fact of life in Australia – and are likely to be so for a few years to come.

This array in Indiana is one of a growing number
of “community solar gardens” in the US.

However, while the cost of generating electricity will rise as cheap but ageing coal power stations go offline, that doesn’t mean your electricity bills need to follow suit.

Households and businesses can take greater control of their energy future and slash their power bills in a range of cost-effective ways. 

Solar panels and battery storage are among the most obvious strategies. But not everyone can afford them, which is why we are seeing the rise of community projects that aim to give more people access to clean energy.

Australia now has more than 1.6 million solar roofs. Last year 6,750 battery storage systems were installed, up from just 500 in 2015.

Yet many households and businesses are still effectively “locked out” of this energy revolution. Many renters, apartment-dwellers and lower-income households face a series of market barriers that make these options hard to access.

Read the story on The Conversation by a Senior Research Consultant with the Institute for Sustainable Futures at the University of Technology in Sydney, Nicky Ison - "Why we  need an ‘energy Landcare’ to tackle rising power prices.”