Fossil fuel advocates claim only coal and gas can deliver cheap and reliable energy, and renewables are synonymous with sustainability. But demand management can solve all three problems.
André Stephan, The University of Melbourne; Alexei Trundle, The University of Melbourne; Dave Kendal, The University of Melbourne; Hayley Henderson, The University of Melbourne; Hesam Kamalipour, The University of Melbourne, and Melanie Lowe, The University of Melbourne
Our cities need to become much more efficient not just to conserve precious resources but to improve the economy, wellbeing and resilience to environmental change and disasters.
Emerging research challenges the idea that sustainable housing is unaffordable. It shows sustainability and good design can be affordable when analyses include social, health and wellbeing benefits.
Australia’s energy watchdog has warned that closing coal power stations could leave us vulnerable to supply problems. But not if we help take the pressure off the grid.
It’s not just about finding money for things like solar panels – poorer households can also find it harder to gain access to reliable information about the green energy options they do have.
People who watch a lot of TV consume a disproportionate amount of electricity so we should tailor energy efficiency incentive programs to these and other big energy users.