A new report says Australia is doing dismally on cutting energy use, at the ‘back of the pack’ when compared to most of the world. Over nearly a decade starting in 2002 Australia reportedly cut energy consumption by just 1%, way behind places like Europe & Japan……and with even the USA cutting it by 12%. That […]
Australia Gets Smart About Smart Meters
I’m glad to see a new study calling for all Aussie homes to have smart meters installed…..a 100% uptake by the end of the decade in other words. Smart meters have been around since the day dot but really only in a half hearted way. Smart meters—just to remind you—measure energy usage digitally and allow […]
“Wire For Wireless”
I caught up with Ivan Rostas of Stratus Integrated Systems recently, an early fan of Smart Wiring when we still called it structured cabling. He had a great story to tell. Ivan did the Smart Wiring course way back in 2004 and began promoting it on his web site which then caught the eye of […]
Australian Mining Upbeat Despite Global Challenges
Australian mining meets global investment, sustainability, supply chain and geopolitical issues as part of this year’s International Mining & Resources Conference—IMARC—in Sydney in November. IMARC is Australia’s largest mining event with over 7,500 decision makers, mining leaders, policy makers, investors, commodity buyers, technical experts, innovators, and educators from more than 100 countries for three days […]
Tackling Copper ‘Material Movement’ On Road To Zero
A new Australian technology roadmap outlines how copper producers can embrace innovation to reduce greenhouse gas emissions at mines. The Material Movement study warns mine waste operating systems are under pressure. Rising copper demand—growing by 2.1% a year till 2027—plus declining ore grades at many mine sites are pushing material volumes higher globally. Boosting the […]
Homing In On Energy
There’s been a lot happening on the home energy front recently as standards get set to rise. And that’s big news for consumers and construction professionals. For a start all Australian governments have now agreed to raise the bar on energy efficiency standards for new-build homes. It’s the first change to the National Construction Code […]
Solar Shines On “Copper Paste”
A USA startup has come up with a commercial process to swap silver paste in solar panels for copper—known as “CuBert”—with impressive results and new investors. Co-founded in 2015 by an engineering professor and a post-doctoral researcher at Kentucky’s University of Louisville, Bert Thin Films is on a mission to promote copper paste as a […]
Global “Materials Movement” Update
The second phase of Australia’s landmark Zero Emission Copper Mine of the Future Project–or ZECMotF–is rapidly developing a picture of global Materials Movement innovation. The Final Report is not due till July, but already ZECMotF is producing groundbreaking insights into new ideas, technologies and systems around the world. Like the Water and Zero Emission Copper Mining snapshot […]
Are Aussie Homes “Glorified Tents”?
Aussie homes are being called “glorified tents” costing residents hundreds more on their energy bills each year as pressure grows to build in higher efficiency standards. That chance comes this July when the country’s building ministers get together to review possible changes to the National Construction Code—NCC—which is only done once every 3 years. I […]
Your Home Gets Charged
The global spend on electric vehicle charging at home will exceed $16B in 2026, up from $3.4B in 2021 says a new snapshot. Those are big numbers, but the biggest shake up could be how we go about making sure our homes can actually handle it. It’s clear that the way homes use and store […]
Low Cost Solar Gets Copper Breakthrough
Australian startup Sundrive creates world’s most efficient commercial-sized solar cell by replacing expensive silver with affordable copper during manufacturing. Efficiency is a big deal when it comes to solar and refers to the amount of power you generate based on the amount of sunlight coming in. A decade ago commercial-sized solar cells had an efficiency […]
Aussie Copper Home Is Standout
Australian architectural studio Casey Brown Architecture has recently completed an unusual corrugated copper tiny home two hours from Sydney. “Permanent Camping 2” in the Berry countryside has a two-story tower structure clad in copper designed to withstand bushfires, gale-force winds and driving winds. The external sides to pen up the home to the outdoors, while […]
