Looking at what is happening in Brisbane today, the city had come a long way in its quest to become one of Australia’s most sustainable green cities. The efforts of Brisbane’s City Council together with assistance from the State Government efforts are firmly focused in the transition of the city towards solar power, andall other aspects required to create a more eco-friendly environment for its residents.
The city is currently under the umbrella of the Queensland solar bonuses and rebates which alone are sufficient; however the solar rebates don’t stop there. The city is eager to make solar power in Brisbane an ongoing part of life, not just a short term trend.
As a result the council has formulated various plans and schemes to make the switch solar energy easier, as well as educate about the reduction it will bring to energy costs for families and businesses.
For instance the EzyGreen project allows residents to choose what renewable energy options best suits their household and family and provides additional financial assistance on top of what the Queensland government is currently providing.
The Green Hearts program of Brisbane is another holistic approach towards a sustainable future. The program will be assisting the community in aspects of a green economy from schools to households to businesses. The Green hearts program is like many other programs across the country; however the council made sure that it will stand out from the rest by aiding the community extensively throughout the transition.
Aside from encouraging the installation of solar panels in Brisbane the local government also identified solar hot water systems to be a promising way of reducing the strain that electricity bills are causing for so many, as well as reducing carbon emissions. A rebate of $1000 will be given to pensioners who own an eligible system and a $600 rebate for non-pensioners. The city said that solar hot water is currently the cheapest and most accessible form of renewable energy source and it should be given the same credit as that of the solar PV’s
The city’s efforts are making great strides already; a climate change advocate website gave credit to the city and said that at the rate Brisbane is going it can reach grid parity earlier than expected. Grid parity will mean that non carbon intensive produced energy will be the same price as standard grid electricity by 2015, and may even be cheaper.
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