Australian And New Zealand Solar Energy Society (SA Branch)

SOLAR NEWS SA
Formerly the ANZSES CHATTER

www.anzses.org sa @ anzses.org February 2008

WELCOME
… to this month’s edition of Solar News SA.
A DAY IN THE SUN – GREEN CITY FESTIVAL
Thanks to all those who helped at the ATA stall including ANZSES members. With Australia and India playing just across the
Torrens, and the usual luck of those in the Solar Industry, we would have expected rain, rain, and more rain. Instead
temperatures over 37 deg. may have deterred some, but a good and enthusiastic crowd showed up today for the Green City
Festival in Elder Park. Stallholders remarked that people are more informed and much more committed to action!

One of the speaker’s tents comprehensive car and bike display

John Rolls demonstrates the ANZSES human sundial

SLIVERS PLANT VISIT WEDS 12TH MARCH
A visit to the Origin Energy Slivers plant at 21, Tikalara, St Regency Park, has been arranged for the 12th March from 12.00 to
approximately 1.30pm.
Production is currently underway of prototype modules and visitors will be given an overview of the project and then a tour of the
module assembly area and a look into the clean rooms, though entry to these rooms is not possible.
For logistical reasons the tour is limited to a maximum of 14 people. Please book your place by contacting Stewart Martin by
email on:
Stewart.martin@unisa.edu.au.
Places will be reserved for the first 14 to respond.
ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING & THE SUN CUBE
This will be held on Monday 17th March at 7.00pm.
The speaker will be Greg Watson the CEO of Green and Gold Energy who will talk about his invention the “Sun Cube”.
The sun cube is a 2 axis tracking solar concentrator photovoltaic system using a Fresnel lens to focus sunlight onto a high
efficiency triple junction solar cell. It is suitable for residential or energy farm applications.
Green and Gold Energy is located in Glynde and in a recent press release announced that it plans to build a 1000 MW
manufacturing plant in Adelaide that would employ 1000 people.
Further details of this meeting will be sent out in late February.
SUSTAINABLE HOUSE DAY 2008
Sustainable house day will be held this year on Sunday September 14th.
If you have a sustainable house and would like to open it on SHD please let us know as soon as possible. We are also looking
for people to help with organisation of the event and to assist with coordinating and working at the houses on the day.
If you are able to assist in any way please contact Stewart Martin.
MONICA OLIPHANT, CHAIR OF THE INTERNATIONAL SOLAR ENERGY SOCIETY (ISES)
In November 2007 Monica was elected to the position of Chair of ISES for a period of 2 years commencing in January 08.
Monica has supported the SA branch of Anzses for the last 30 years and we congratulate her on her appointment; a position to
which we are sure she will apply her usual thoroughness and dedication.
Monica has been involved with Anzses since the late 70’s. She was an inaugural member of the SA branch, and has held the
positions of President and Secretary and been a committee member for all of this time. Her enthusiasm and dedication has been
an inspiration to all in Anzses and in particular the SA branch.
Monica was elected to the Board of the ISES as the Australian representative in 1999 and was Vice President of Public Affairs
from 2003 to 2007. The last Australian to be Chair of ISES was David Mills, in the early 90’s, he is now Chair of Ausra in
California (see Solar News November 07).
As well as being on the board of ISES Monica has been one of the key organisers of Sustainable House Day and the Green
Cities Festival.
Monica is an adjunct Associate Professor in the Sustainable Energy Centre at the University of SA and has worked extensively
as a consultant in residential energy efficiency and renewable energy.
THIRD INTERNATIONAL SOLAR CITIES CONGRESS.
DIGNITARIES from around the globe will converge on Adelaide in the next five days to plan for a greener future as part of the
third International Solar Cities Congress.
More than 90 experts on sustainable urban development, solar technology and the built environment will talk about options for
the future.
Aspiring solar cities, such as Adelaide, have made a commitment to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and switch to renewable
energy sources.
International Solar Energy Society president and Adjunct Professor at the University of South Australia Monica Oliphant said
sustainability was the right path but not an easy one.
She said the congress was about sharing experiences of 700 delegates and finding ways to improve the transition to a green
future.
"The mayors are getting together, talking about how they've done it, learning from each other and taking these initiatives back
home," she said.
"What we're aiming for is to get the per capita emissions down.
"In order to do that we must have a big transition to renewable energy so at the congress there will be a bit on the new
technologies that are available, including solar thermal and geothermal plus pv (photovoltaics or solar panels).
"We will hear from cities that have long had programs in reducing emissions, like Copenhagen and even South Korean cities.
"It's easier if you start from scratch but older cities have to retrofit and learn from others that are doing it right."
Premier Mike Rann says SA is one of the leaders.
"With less than 1 per cent of Australia's population, SA has an estimated 48 per cent of the nation's wind power capacity and
about 45 per cent of the nation's grid-connected solar energy," he said.
Adelaide is one of the Australian solar cities. Among the others are Townsville, Blacktown and Alice Springs. The program
involves all levels of government, the private sector and local communities. Sessions include a workshop on carbon reporting.
Fedral Environment Minister Peter Garrett, who will give a keynote address to the congress on Tuesday, said it was a "visionary"
concept.
"Together were combining solar power, energy efficiency and market reform to lay the foundations of a sustainable energy
future," he said.
"Our Solar Cities trials are collecting data to help Australias households, industry, energy companies and governments cut our
greenhouse gases.
"We're looking at what works and what Australia can do in the future to build a sustainable energy economy. These trails will help
consumers better manage their energy use and save money.
"They'll help industry to test sustainable energy options in a low-risk environment. They'll help electricity companies to better
understand the extent of cost savings in servicing peak energy demand periods. And they'll help governments to develop future
energy and greenhouse policy."

Solar cities need to use a common format for measuring and reporting their achievements if they are to be compared with other
sister cities.
Dr Oliphant will speak alongside delegates from the United States, United Kingdom and South Korea.
FEED-IN TARIFF BIL
Hon Mike Rann
Premier of South Australia
GPO Box 2343
ADELAIDE SA 5000

Dear Mr Rann

We understand that the Feed-in tariff Bill has been amended in the Upper House and is now being delayed in its passage
through Parliament by the Lower House.
The SA Branch Committee of ANZSES supports the amendment that the period over which the feed-in tariff operates should be
increased from the 5 years currently in the Bill to 20 years. The longer period corresponds with the expected life of photovoltaic
systems. It would also represent a far more appropriate level of compensation to those who invest in helping South Australia
meet its share of whatever national target for greenhouse gas reductions is adopted by the Federal Government.
ANZSES SA also believes that the feed-in tariff should apply to the whole of the power generated by the PV system, rather than
the exported component only, since it offsets the need for the generation of the total output by other means.
ANZSES SA also suggests that the law apply not only to householders, but also to community facilities such as community halls
that install PV systems. This would provide an incentive for householders who cannot install PV systems on their own houses (eg
on account of their orientation, overshadowing, or cost) to contribute to such systems on community facilities. We note that this
category is likely to be small, hence implementation would not impose a large cost, but it would have excellent demonstration
value.
Yours sincerely
John Rolls
Treasurer SA Branch
JOB VACANCY.
There is currently a vacancy for Residential Services Manager of The Alice Springs Solar City project. (who will be managing the
residential energy efficiency element of the Project). Closing date 29/2/08. Contact Brian Elmer (08) 8950 05351.
TINDO SOLAR BUS
On 13 December I attended the launch of Adelaide City Council’s Solar bus, Tindo, one of its fleet of Adelaide Connector buses.
This replaces one of the two Mitsubishi Rosa buses that the Council was running on this route. The Council hopes to obtain
another solar bus and the photovoltaic capacity to run it.
According to Adelaide City Council publicity, Tindo is the only pure electric bus in the world to be charged by 100% solar PV
electricity.
Tindo is the Kuarna word for sun: the bus is entirely powered by the sun. There was plenty of sun about, a bit too much for
human comfort if one was sitting on the unshaded seats for the formal launch. The bus is powered by 11 Swiss-made sodium
nickel Zebra batteries. These batteries are robust and almost maintenance free, being unaffected by external temperatures and
able to be stored indefinitely fully charged. They are also light weight and energy dense.
The batteries are powered by a 50 kW solar array which occupies about half the roof area of the new country and interstate bus
station in Franklin Street, Adelaide. The bus can run for 200km in typical conditions before needing recharging. This is the
distance it runs in the course of a day. Some extra power from the array goes into the grid
There is a 70 kW fast booster charger outside the bus station. One minute of booster charge is equivalent on average to a
kilometre of travel.
Tindo can carry 42 people, including 15 standing, 25 in normal seats and 2 on fold-back seats in the wheelchair area. The bus is
10.42 m long, 2.48 m wide and 3.96 m high and weighs 11,480 kg. (Curb). Its motor power is 36 kW (nominal) and motor power
peak 160 kW, charge power 36 kW, Speed 76 km/h, gradability 12.9%.
What does this mean for solar public transport, indeed, for electric cars powered by the sun? It is heartening that the bus can go
200 km on one battery charge. However, a solar bus of this size and technology on a 20 km route with no fast booster recharging
would have to change its battery every ten trips. Also, Tindo needs the equivalent of 33 to 50 typical domestic PV systems to
charge its battery. Clearly, the PV cells on the tram shelters in the city are not producing enough electricity to run the trams.
Still if photovoltaics were cheap and all over the place, it would be possible to run quite a lot of public transport on it. Figures
recently made available to me indicate that “electric rail vehicles” (light weight electric trains?) use 3 kWh per kilometre. The
array on the bus station is said to generate “almost” 70,000 kWh per year. That works out at an average of almost 184 kWh per
day, enough to take an electric train 61 km.
If one adds in cheaper forms of renewable energy, such as wind, the prospect of a renewably powered public transport system
looks more hopeful. Geneva actually runs its trams and trolley buses on renewable (hydro) energy but it uses a big hydroelectric
dam to make this possible.
As a postscript, a recent media release from Sandra Kanck MLC suggested that solar buses be manufactured at Tonsley Park,
where the Mitsubishi car factory is about to close. The New Zealand manufacturer of Tindo, Designline, is keen to set up
operations here, according to Ms Kanck.
Margaret Dingle
GARNAUT TO DELIVER PUBLIC LECTURE ON CLIMATE CHANGE
Professor Ross Garnaut, Head of the Garnaut Climate Change Review currently being conducted in Australia, has been
confirmed to deliver a free public lecture following the Congress conclusion on Wednesday, February 20.
Professor Garnaut will discuss the key considerations for an adequate, enduring and effective international agreement on
mitigation of climate change, with a particular emphasis on Australia's role.
The Garnaut Climate Change Review is an independent study commissioned by Australia's state and territory governments in
April 2007. The recently elected Commonwealth Government has also confirmed its participation in the Review.
The Review will examine the impacts of climate change on the Australian economy and recommend medium to long-term
policies to improve the prospects of sustainable prosperity. The Review's final report is due later this year.
CLIMATE CHANGE ACTION THROUGH SUSTAINABLE COMMUNITIES NPSP
A group of people in Norwood Payneham St. Peters Council area have formed a group -Sustainable Communities NPSP with the
aim of working with groups of people - residents, businesses etc. towards reducing their use of resources.
Introducing our Program

Tuesday 19th February, 7.30pm

Payneham Community Centre 374 Payneham Road Payneham
Hear how people are doing it in the ACT SEE-Change Movement

Speaker: Bob Douglas (Chair, ACT SEE-Change Movement)

Listen, and/or join
Free event : donations welcome
Contact: Beth Mylius Ph: 8363 2295 [ bmylius@chariot.net.au ]

BRANCH COMMITTEE 2007:

President: Stewart Martin
School of Electrical and Information Engineering, University of SA, Mawson Lakes 5095
Ph 8302 3048 (w) 8261 4630 (h) fax 8302 3389 email: stewart.martin@unisa.edu.au
Secretary: Albert Thompson
aat@internode.on.net
Treasurer: John Rolls
103 Lansdowne Terrace Vale Park 5081 Ph 8463 6907 (w) 8269 3879 (h) 04 1029 4638 (m) 8463 6900 (f)
emailjrolls@picknowl.com.au
Solar News SA Editor: John Held
Ph 8271 4555 (w) 8272 6608(h) Email jfheld@rusyel.com.au
Publicity Officer:
Margaret Dingle ph 8362 7007 email mdingle@chariot.net.au
Solar House Tours Coordinator:
Monica Oliphant 8277 3357 (h) 0404 898277(Mob) email: oliphant@adam.com.au
Committee Member:
Mark Needham
FUTURE MATERIAL FOR SOLAR NEWS SA
We are keen to distribute as much information and news as possible in this format. Obviously it’s quickest, easiest and fastest by
email – so if you are getting this by post, and have an email address, please contact John Held at jfheld@rusyel.com.au . Please
send me any news, meetings of interest to members, and other bits of information!