Getting wiser with waterO C T – D E C

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Every home can play a role in saving water, cooling cities and protecting our rivers. Find all the info you need on optimising your rainwater tank, waterwise gardening, stormwater reuse, a beautiful wetland and more. (page 48)

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- Energy storage: who’s rising to the top?The technology, economics and where batteries are making an impact: we look at the local market.

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- Your solar upgrade optionsIf a panel or inverter fails, or you want a larger system, should you invest in a whole new system or upgrade what you’ve got? We assess some common scenarios.

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- $5000 Biofilta sustainable garden package* Australian residents only

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Technology for a sustainable future

AU/NZ $9.90RENEW.ORG.AU

145 cover - Calan gradient.indd 33 21/09/2018 5:02:21 PM

Read all about rainwater tank options in our Rainwater Tank Buyers Guide, p. 56. This lovely passionfruit vine-covered rainwater tank featured in Renew 135, demonstrating that even dense inner-city houses can easily hold back most of their stormwater runoff—saving water, cooling cities, reducing flooding problems and protecting rivers. Our special feature on water this issue starts page 48 and includes many case studies of rainwater tank use, larger-scale stormwater projects, beautiful wetlands and waterwise gardens.

Oct – Dec 2018

03 – About us

08 – Up front

12 – Products

86 – Reviews

88 – Letters

90 – Q&A

92 – Pears Report

94 – Classifieds

96 – Member profile

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$5000 Biofilta sustainable garden package

* Australian residents only

This issue sees a few changes—like our name changing from ReNew to Renew! If you spot any capital ‘N’s throughout this issue, send us an email… Oh and the design has changed to bring us in line with the new look of the not-for-profit that publishes us, now also called Renew. We hope you like the new design. A new website is coming soon too.

We chose this issue’s focus on water a year ago, before the drought in eastern Australia had reached its current crisis levels. Our focus is on water savings at home, and this issue we look in particular at making best use of the rain that does fall, whether that’s via a rainwater tank, stormwater capture and reuse, or in a biodiverse and beautiful wetland. We also look at what to consider when designing a waterwise garden. There’s a lot to learn about stormwater and the need to manage it in our impervious cities—and the potential community uses that come from that. The city of Orange is one case in point where they're catching stormwater for household use.

A year on from our energy storage buyers guide, we take another look at the market to give you an update on the technologies and systems avail-able—and what’s happening in the growing area of large-scale (or large numbers of small-scale) batteries. It's heartening to see the game-changing developments, with many state governments leading the way.

We also look at solar upgrades, an area where we're currently getting a lot of queries. Whether you’re tempted to upgrade a smaller system or you’ve had a panel or inverter fail, we look at what the options are and some of the barriers to getting the upgrade you want.

There’s much more besides. Get inspired by the story of Totally Renew-able Yackandandah’s quest to get to 100% renewables by 2022, or admire how students in the small town of Junee became blower door testers and draughtproofers for 20 local houses and community buildings, yielding great results for the buildings and for the resilience of the householders. Or find out some more about the many types of electric vehicles now available in Australia or, more accurately, the many acronyms to learn when navigat-ing the world of EVs!

We hope you enjoy the issue. Thank you to the many readers who filled out our survey. We’re running through the answers now and a report will be up on our website soon. Enjoy!

WIN!

R E G U L A R S

Robyn Deed Renew magazine editor

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18 Energy storage updateLance Turner updates what’s happening in the market and what to look for.

26Students get behind an infrared camera

These high school students learnt how to test for air leakage and become proficient DIY-installers—leading to great results for the homes involved, and benefits for the whole community.

28Easy energy savings that pay for themselves- CASE STUDY

32Solar upgrades

Do you have a failed inverter, failed panel or just want to get a bigger solar system? We survey the options and challenges.

38My brilliant (sustainable) careerIf you’d like to get involved in sustainability in your day job, where do you start? Alan Strickland looks at several fields with sustainability at their core.

41 Renewable energy courses guide- MINI BUYERS GUIDE

42 Totally Renewable Yackandandah

TRY is leading the way with a plan to be 100% renewable by 2022. Here's what they've done so far and the exciting developments about to happen in Yack.

46When loyalty becomes liabilityEven those in the know can end up with a raw deal on their energy bill. Engineer Andrew Mitchell explains his own ‘wake-up call’ and what he (and you) can do about it.

80 Electric vehicle options- EV

What electric vehicle types are available and how do you work out which will best suit your needs? Bryce Gaton offers a suggested ‘ideal’ usage pattern for each to assist your choice.

84 Strata strategies- EV

How do you charge an electric vehicle if you live in an apartment or unit?

48 Why I built a wetland

With 'her friend, the mattock', Mara Ripani is planting out a wetland and reaping the benefits in diversity, beauty and joy.

52 Waterwise in your backyardTips from a WA garden designer on designing a waterwise garden.

56 Choosing a rainwater tank- BUYERS GUIDE

Materials, siting, sizing, filters, pumps and more: what you need to consider when installing a tank

68 Rainwater tank case studies- CASE STUDIES X 6

72Stormwater reuseSo many benefits from stormwater use on show in these great projects.

76Two decades of monitoringWhere water gets used in the home.

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12 issue 145 renew magazine renew.org.au

Reusable bottles designed to last

In the quest to eliminate single-use plastic bottles, there are now quite a few reusable bottles on the market. However, most are aluminium or stainless steel and they often have a polymer coating inside, which can contain toxic chemicals.

The 600 mL Joco Flask is made of thermal and impact-resistant borosilicate glass (as used in laboratory glassware) and so is completely non-toxic inside. They are blown by artisans, not machine-moulded, and are protected on the outside by a medical-grade silicone rubber sleeve for even greater durability. They also feature a wide 45 mm diameter mouth to make it easier to fill them with chunky liquids like soups or to add ice cubes.

They also feature an anti-bacterial olive wood lid with silicone rubber seal and are 100% plastic-free (although silicone rubber has very limited biodegradability and is not generally recycled in Australia). They are Bisophenol (BPA, BPF, BPS and EA) free and are microwave and dishwasher safe.

The Flask is available in three colours—’amberlight’, neutral and black—and retails for $59.95. Also available are borosilicate takeaway cups in five sizes (112, 170, 225, 340 and 450 mL), also with silicone rubber sleeves and lids, from $23.95 to $31.95.

Contact:

JOCO Group Pty Ltd, ph: (03) 4241 2036 customercare@jococups.comjococups.com

Pre-tank rainwater filter

The first step to clean rainwater is preventing debris from entering the tank. While rain heads and mesh screens can greatly reduce the amount of debris that gets collected with your rainwater, they usually only filter particles down to a millimetre or two in size, so many pollutants such as dust can still end up in your tank.

The RainWatch pre-tank filter uses a large-area filter membrane to filter out particles down to 50 microns (0.05 mm), eliminating the vast majority of contaminants coming from your roof.

The membrane is housed in a large transparent case (black is also available if you don’t need to see what’s going on inside the filter or want to prevent any algal growth) and the membrane is easily removed for hand washing and is reusable—it can even be machine-washed up to 10 times before needing replacement.

The RainWatch filter fits into standard round rainwater collection pipes and can be used in any rainwater collection system. RRP is $795 plus postage.

Contact:

RainWatch, ph: (08) 9249 7039rainwatch.com.au

Energy-efficient pet doors

The average pet door in Australia is an energy efficiency disaster, allowing in draughts and even opening during high winds.

The range of energy-efficient pet doors from Freedom Pet Pass includes doors designed for both dogs and cats, with three sizes of cat door and four sizes of dog door. Unlike most pet doors, these are designed to stay sealed unless a pet is using them at the time. They work much like a refrigerator door seal, but open easily when a pet presses on the door.

The doors use double magnetically-sealed flexible flaps to exclude draughts and remain sealed, even in winds up to 40 km/h. Standard blower door tests showed no detectable air leakage, so your house can pass Passive House standards while still allowing easy pet access!

The doors are designed to be mounted in either doors or walls and include a lockable acrylic security panel that slides up into the door or wall, so they don’t compromise security when not being used.

Of course, this sort of design will cost a lot more than a cheapie pet door, with prices ranging from US $229 to US $489 for the dog doors and US $219 to US $319 for the cat doors. While Freedom Pet Pass are located in the USA, they will ship anywhere in the world.

Contact:

Freedom Pet Pass, ph: +1 989 391 4072energyefficientdogdoors.com

P R O D U C T S

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18 issue 145 renew magazine renew.org.au

Energy storage updateDomestic energy storage systems are becoming more popular as their prices come down and electricity prices go up. Lance Turner updates what’s happening in the market and what to look for.

Installation year ACT NSW NT QLD SA TAS VIC WA Total

2014 8 208 3 129 34 5 137 169 693

2015 3 133 1 186 21 6 163 24 537

2016 105 668 6 331 130 18 240 70 1568

2017 204 1931 18 846 475 93 829 212 4590

2018 (to 31/7) 145 861 2 527 354 76 512 103 2580

Total 465 3801 30 2019 1017 198 1888 578 9996

State data for small-scale PV systems where batteries were installed at the same time as the PV system (as at 31/07/2018).

Source: Clean Energy Regulator, www.cleanenergyregulator.gov.au/RET/Forms-and-resources/Postcode-data-for-small-scale-installations

T A B L E 1 :

The number of domestic renewable energy systems being installed with energy storage batteries has increased dramatically in the last couple of years. Figures from the Clean Energy Regulator show that there have been nearly 10,000 domestic solar systems installed with storage included at the time of installation, including over 2000 from the first half of 2018 (see Table 1). This does not include batteries added to existing PV systems where installation numbers have skyrocketed: in total over 20,000 battery systems were added in 2017, a huge jump on the 6750 systems added in 2016 (see the Climate Council’s report ‘Fully Charged: Renewables And Storage Powering Australia’, www.climatecouncil.org.au/resources/battery-storage-2018). Also note that the Clean Energy Regulator’s numbers do not include those systems which have not yet had STCs claimed for them—the regulator allows up to a year for certificates to be claimed.

What’s changing in the marketThe range of domestic-sized storage systems continues to change, with new systems appearing and some older systems becoming unavailable. There are systems ranging from a couple of kilowatt-hours, capable of running a few appliances for an hour or two, right up to systems with dozens of kilowatt-hours in capacity, capable of providing a full day of energy backup for the average suburban home.

As systems evolve, new features are added, with more advanced monitoring and connectivity, and even the capability to update system firmware ‘over the air’. A good example of this is the recent update to Tesla Powerwalls, which enabled these systems to check weather reports and fully charge the battery if there is a pending storm, so

that maximum backup capacity is available in case of a blackout. We expect to see other manufacturers adding such capabilities to their systems in the near future.

Most systems are now designed to be ‘off-grid capable’: they can not only be used in off-grid systems, but are also capable of blackout backup for grid-connected homes in a suitably designed and configured system.

Buying a battery systemThe first step to buying a battery system is to see if it is actually worth buying one. Renew’s ‘Household Storage Analysis’ report found that, given the average expected 10-year lifespan of a typical battery system, the economic value of batteries will still be unattractive for many households for the next few years, but this should turn around by 2020 if the projected falls in battery costs do occur. Of course, this depends on how much energy you use, when you use it, your location, as well as the size of your home’s PV system. Renew has also developed a simulation tool called Sunulator to help homeowners determine the economic value of installing solar PV and battery

systems. Find the report at renew.org.au/HBA-report and Sunulator at renew.org.au/sunulator.

There are some cases where the economics may stack up or where there are other benefits. Those involved in a virtual power plant (see later in article) may get batteries at a lower cost, plus the coordination of their systems should provide grid benefits. Other potential cases range from needing backup in the case of power outages, to avoiding wasted generation from an export-limited or oversized PV system, to avoiding exacerbating voltage rise issues in the powerlines on your street. Early adopters installing batteries also help technology development. For more on these sorts of pros and cons, see ‘Energy Flows: How green is my solar’ in Renew 135.

If you have decided that you want a battery system, then you should have some idea of your budget, the size of the system that fits into that budget (don’t forget the not-insignificant installation costs) and the features you would like; for example, do you need backup in the case of a blackout; what monitoring and control options do you want. If you have an existing solar PV system and want

A R T I C L E

26 issue 145 renew magazine renew.org.au

What happens when you put students behind an infrared cameraThese high school students learnt how to test for air leakage and become proficient DIY-installers— leading to great results for the homes involved, and benefits for the whole community.

Inspired by a 2015 CSIRO study, the small rural community of Junee (pop. 6300) in the Riverina has recently implemented a program of air leak testing, sealing and energy efficiency upgrades. Specifically targeted at low-income residents, the program’s initial results are in and show excellent reductions in air leakage and energy bills—and a sense of empowerment for the residents involved. And it was all run by student teams at Junee High School.

Called the Empower Project, seven year 9/10 student teams worked under the guidance of their teachers and Junee Community Power, a local community energy group, during a 10-week pilot that’s made an amazing difference to the energy efficiency and resilience of the local community.

What the students didThe ‘Test’ team worked on leak testing. Students were trained to perform a blower door test using equipment donated by Charles Sturt University, Wagga, where a fan is used to both suck air out of a building and then blow it back in to calculate an air leakage rate. They then used infrared thermal imaging cameras to locate the air leaks.

The ‘Repair’ team worked on fixing the leaks using readily available (local hardware store), low-cost materials. One of the most common fixes was to apply door seals and strips along the base of doors. They also replaced seals around windows and used ‘No More Gaps’ sealant along skirting boards, fascias and where there were gaps in the floorboards.

The thermal images showed that a major

loss of heat in winter was through evaporative air conditioning vents that couldn’t be fully closed. The students considered using plastic wrap to cover the vents, but didn’t want to use single-use plastic. Instead, a local painter showed them how to cut wooden squares to replace the vents, which can be easily installed in autumn and removed in spring.

The ‘Recommendations’ team promoted upgrading of appliances and other low-cost energy-saving actions. Using a kit from the local library, this team helped householders test the energy use of their appliances. They also used their computer skills to assist concession card holders to apply for a substantial government-funded discount for energy-efficient replacements of refrigerators and TVs. The ‘Advertising’, ‘Website’, ‘Film’ and ‘Project reporting’ teams helped promote the project and share the findings in the media and on the website they created, now an ongoing community resource for the town.

Air leakage resultsThe students tested classrooms, homes, a senior citizens’ hall and motel rooms for air leaks. In total 20 buildings were tested and eight have been retested after sealing—in some cases multiple times as the retesting often identified minor air leaks that showed up after the major leaks had been identified and sealed. The results of the completed eight buildings are shown in Table 1. The other buildings are currently being retested.

The initial results in Table 1 show that the sealing/partial sealing of air leaks contributes to significantly improved air change rates, which should provide significant benefits for energy efficiency. CSIRO results suggest that a change from 15 to 9 air changes per hour

A R T I C L E

The students learnt to use an infrared camera to locate air leaks.

Australian residents only. Terms and conditions apply. * Renew members, Sanctuary and Renew subscribers current on 26 October 2018 will be eligible. After 26 October, check renew.org.au/prize for new prize details.

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Subscribe or re-subscribe to Renew magazine* by 26 October 2018 for your chance to win.

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The modular design of Biofilta’s Foodwall range allows for both vertical or horizontal low-water wicking garden designs – perfect for those with ample garden space or small balconies alike.

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Early adopters of solar (with many Renew magazine readers counted among them, of course) are starting to consider system upgrades. This might be because a panel or inverter has failed, or it might be to increase system size as early systems were usually quite small due to the higher cost per watt back then.

But an older system might not meet current standards, so the question arises: are such upgrades allowed? This article looks at some common upgrade cases and provides guidance on what you can and can’t do. The good news is that, in many cases, changes are possible—though there may be upgrades to other parts of the system required at the same time, which can add significantly to the cost.

Why upgrade?There are many reasons an older (or even a recent) solar system might need an

upgrade. While most grid-connected solar panels should have a long life of 20 to 25 years, panels can fail early. However, this is increasingly rare: an NREL study in 2017 found a median failure rate of 5 out of 10,000 panels annually, based on panel replacement figures, for those installed between 2000 and 2015, and double that for those installed earlier (www.bit.ly/NRELPVFR).

The inverter (used to convert the panels’ DC electricity to the AC needed by your house) is warranted for a shorter life, often only five years, although you’d hope a good quality inverter would last at least 10 years. But, given that, it’s likely you’ll need to replace your solar system’s inverter at some point in the life of the system.

Renew (formerly ATA, Renew magazine’s publisher) is now also seeing many queries from people with small 1 to 1.5 kW systems wanting

to upgrade to a larger system. Smaller system sizes were common until recently, but lower prices and changes in feed-in tariffs now mean that larger systems can get a good payback; for example, a 5 kW system is now about half the price it was in 2012 (source: www.bit.ly/2Lafzkt; also see ‘Solar sizing: big returns’ in Renew 140).

In addition, many people, as advocated by Renew, are shifting from gas to efficient electric appliances, or considering an electric vehicle, and want their solar system to cover the corresponding increase in electricity usage. Apart from asking about the technical issues, many people also want to know how an upgrade will affect their older system’s higher feed-in tariff—and whether it’s worth it, if they do lose the higher FiT.

Another case is one you might not even think about as a system upgrade. If you need to repair your roof, just taking the panels off your roof and then reinstating them is governed by state electricity regulator upgrade rules. Similarly, there are rules governing what’s allowed when relocating panels or an inverter on the same property—which might happen due to a renovation, or the tree next door growing and overshadowing your panels—or moving them to a new property.

Why is there an issue with upgrading an old system?Standards for solar system installations have changed over time, meaning that an older system may have panels, an inverter, earthing, isolators or cabling that don’t meet current standards. Following is a quick summary of some of the recent changes to standards that may affect upgrades.

Standards now require that panel frames are earthed and that systems use a new type

A R T I C L E

Can I upgrade my solar?If your solar system fails or you want a larger system, how easy is it to get an upgrade? Well, that depends! Robyn Deed talks to solar installers to get some guidance.

32 issue 145 renew magazine renew.org.au

As a Renew member, I occasionally hear people say, “I’d like to work in the sustainability field, but what opportunities are there?” I’m no career guidance expert, but I decided to do a bit of research to find out the sorts of jobs on offer.

It’s not all about jobs in sustainable fields. Wherever you work, you’re increasingly likely to have the chance to become involved in actions to improve the sustainability of the organisation, whether that’s serving on a committee to reduce office waste or conducting an energy audit to reduce bills and emissions. One South Australian winery I spoke to has made significant cost savings by using their staff to conduct energy audits. Employees were first trained in what to look

for and how to take measurements. Each department workgroup then looked closely at its processes and came up with ideas for reducing energy, such as equipment or behavioural changes.

There are also many options if you’re looking for a role that’s in a company working in the sustainability arena. In this article, I’ve focused on three prominent areas: renewable energy, energy efficiency and waste management. In each case I contacted a business that operates in that field to find out the sorts of roles they offer and what they look for when recruiting. Of course, you’ll need to do a bit more research to find the right role for you and to find companies operating in your preferred sustainable area.

Renewable energyThere are many jobs in renewable energy, from selling or installing household solar PV systems, to project-managing large wind energy projects, to designing an integrated solar/wind/battery plant. Many of these jobs require degree or certificate qualifications, but there are jobs in sales and coordination for the technically minded without formal qualifications.

- Case study: solar installerSolar install company Design Ecology designs and installs on-grid and off-grid solar PV systems for homes and businesses. Managing director Geoff Lobban says that the company’s activities involve more than simply installing panels; increasingly, they focus on site analysis, energy management and supply backup. They find that domestic customers are seeking to cope with blackouts and time-shift consumption to optimise feed-in tariffs, while businesses are looking to reduce significant demand charges imposed based on peak demand. In the near future, Geoff sees them getting involved in PV system maintenance and electric vehicle charging infrastructure.

Design Ecology employs sales consultants, system designers, installers and technical administrators.

For sales, an enthusiasm for solar energy is expected, and the company provides training in the technical aspects of PV and storage. It looks for a customer-focused attitude rather than an impressive record of solar sales. This is shown by a preparedness to get on and in the roof to inspect, perform assessments and take measurements, along with a mindset that looks for potential problems in advance rather than leaving them for installers to solve.

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Stirring the pot: windrows at Peats Soils are routinely turned over to aerate, distribute heat and speed the composting process. This is just one of the jobs available in this field.

My brilliant (sustainable) careerIf you’d like to get involved in sustainability in your day job, where do you start? Alan Strickland looks at several fields with sustainability at their core.

38 issue 145 renew magazine renew.org.au

42 issue 145 renew magazine renew.org.au

Like lots of country towns, Yackandandah in north-east Victoria is quite creative, innovative and self-sufficient. “People are prepared to get in and make things happen,” says local Matthew Charles-Jones. Totally Renewable Yackandandah, with the neat acronym of TRY, is perhaps just the latest example of that.

TRY’s goal is simple to state: 100% renewable by 2022. This is gross 100%—that is, the plan is for all electricity the town uses to be generated locally. It’s simple to state, but not quite so simple to do, of course.

Matthew says, “We knew right from the start that some people wouldn’t buy into the idea, but we aim to generate enough energy to cover their needs as well.”

After the local council ran a study in 2014 into the renewables resources in the area (wind, solar, hydro and other less common resources), it was clear that renewables provided an enormous opportunity. But, Matthew notes, “it required a little bit of thought as to what to do with that knowledge.” A meeting to discuss the options at the local hall drew a full house, and out of that came a group of 30 enthusiasts, which then became TRY.

Because it wasn’t yet an “ambition owned by the town”, the TRY core group spent about 18 months talking about it: running meetings, setting up a table at the farmers market or out the front of the newsagent and supermarket, and presenting at local garden or Lions clubs. “We were telling our story, normalising what we were talking about and offering the perspective that community energy and 100% renewables is already happening in other parts of the world, even if not here in Australia,” says Matthew.

The first changes beginTheir next step was to think about who in the town was using a lot of electricity.

First cab off the rank was Yackandandah Health, a community-owned hospital and aged care facility. TRY attended a board meeting and floated the idea about what TRY intended to do. “We talked to them about changing light globes and improving thermal performance, and gave them information on contractors for solar. But we left feeling a bit silly as we didn’t have a plan ready,” says Matthew.

Yet just six months later they heard back from Yackandandah Health, who were just about to sign up for 99 kW of solar on their roof and were changing all their lighting to LED. As Matthew says, “Sometimes all it takes

is planting an idea, and then a bit of time.”Yackandandah Health’s solar system

was installed in February 2016 and they’ve since halved their power bill. In a fantastic illustration of how renewables can help the community, the $35,000/year they’ve saved has been spent keeping the doors open at a GP service that was about to close. They’re also expanding into other building developments, to provide “innovative housing that suits older folks, but also young families, and professionals, a diverse mix of people in well-thought-through housing that’s energy efficient and has solar.” They’ve also rethought waste streams and the way they’re using gas. “It’s an interesting transition underway there,” says Matthew.

Another organisation that TRY knew they

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Image: Ms Ali Pockley

The launch of TRY in November 2014 was met with great enthusiasm from many of the locals.

TRYing to get to 100% renewableTotally Renewable Yackandandah (TRY) is at the forefront of regional towns making the shift to renewable energy, as Matthew Charles-Jones described at a recent Renew branch meeting in Melbourne.

48 issue 145 renew magazine renew.org.au

It never occurred to my partner Ralf and I to build a dam—it was always going to be a wetland. The sale of our home in Melbourne in 2015 afforded us the chance to act on our dream. After purchasing 15 acres in Blampied, Victoria, we set about constructing our very own wetland.

There are many different types of wetlands. There are natural wetlands such as damplands, sumplands, ephemeral wetlands, springs, marshes and swamps, rivers and streams, floodplains and billabongs, and artificial wetlands such as sewage ponds, rice paddies and constructed habitat ponds, just to name a few.

The definitions in Nick Romanowski’s book, Aquatic and Wetland Plants, illustrate the differences in water levels between the different types. For example, he defines damplands as having water mostly underground, but rising with seasonal rains to just below the surface in wetter months. Sumplands are similar, but here the water rises higher so that the ground is waterlogged at times and pools of standing water are common.

Having the water level just below, just above or flooding the soil determines the type of vegetation that will thrive and the type of animals, insects and amphibians that will make the wetland their home.

Our wetland is a ‘constructed habitat pond’ that collects a body of water in low-lying ground. It is flooded in winter, but in summer the water level drops. It’s often extremely low, say ankle-high, with some patches of soil completely exposed. It was designed to wet and dry in a way that mimics natural wetlands in the surrounding landscape, to provide habitat for the local flora and fauna.

Ralf and I were introduced to the beauty and ecological importance of wetlands back in our 20s, when we both worked for a revegetation company, Australian Ecosystems, that specialised in wetland ecology.

Our job involved collecting seed from grasslands, marshes and swamps, propagating the seed harvested, and planting out seedlings in newly constructed wetlands. Our employers at the time, Damien Cook and Brendan Condon, were two young men just a few years older than us who were passionate about the role wetlands play in supporting fauna and flora biodiversity.

Their passion was infectious. When we bought our acreage, at the very top of our list of reasons for constructing a wetland instead of a dam was biodiversity.

A dam serves a single purpose The primary objective of a dam is to store as much water as possible in a given area of land, so that this water can then be used for irrigation or drinking water for stock. Hence, dams have steep gradients and deep centres to maximise the amount of water captured. And, as their purpose is water storage, they are rarely planted with trees or aquatic plants.

Where a dam is on pasture land, cattle and other grazing animals are almost always given access to the whole dam for drinking water. As a result, the dam edges get highly compacted and the soil is constantly disturbed, making it difficult for plants to establish. The water quality in dams used by animals can also be poor; the water can get very turbid due to the constant disruption of soil by hooves, so little, if any, aquatic life survives. (To prevent this, dams can be fenced so that grazing animals only have access to a small area, or water can be pumped to a drinking trough.)

What changes in a wetlandA wetland, however, can serve a multitude of purposes and values. At the core of these values are ‘ecosystem services’: the direct and indirect benefits humans experience from living in a well-functioning environment. These include such things as clean air and water, mental and spiritual wellbeing, and access to a range of food plants, pollinated by bees for free.

A wetland can do this by changing one crucial factor: the gradient.

By designing for a shallow gradient, you increase the area that wets and dries as the water level goes up and down. Thus, it is possible to plant a broader diversity of trees, sedges, reeds, rushes and aquatic plants, and

F E A T U R E

Why I built a wetland not a damHow high up on our priority list should biodiversity be? For Mara Ripani, her family and fellow wetland-lovers, it’s crucial—and there are practical benefits too. Mara explains.

It was designed to wet and dry in a way that mimics natural wetlands in the surrounding landscape, to provide habitat for the local flora and fauna.

52 issue 145 renew magazine renew.org.au

Australia is one of the driest continents on the planet and yet we Aussies can be cavalier about how we use our precious water.

Do you remember Nana’s garden?—a scratchy buffalo lawn, some geraniums and conifers; perhaps a vegie patch featuring iceberg lettuce and, of course, the iconic Hills Hoist clothesline.

Perhaps you remember, as a kid, frolicking under the sprinkler for hours as the mercury rose along with the water meter? Such fun!

Back then, almost everyone ‘did’ their own gardens. While some DIY gardens were waterwise, many weren’t. We’ve come a long way since then with our awareness of how to conserve water.

Where to start?These days we have water restrictions, rain sensors, xeriscapes (gardens that require little or no irrigation), wicking beds, greywater systems and even experiments

with pollinating drones—it can all be a bit overwhelming.

A good place to start when designing a dry-tolerant garden is with a basic site evaluation and discussion of what you want from the garden. Here are some points to consider,• How will the garden be used? How much

space will be devoted to plants? • Consider the best areas for seats around

the garden. This can increase enjoyment of the garden.

• How much time do you have to spend on maintenance?

• Do you want to attract wildlife including birds? Do you want a birdbath (but do you have a cat)?

• Is it windy? Wind dries plants out quickly and you may need to consider a windbreak.

• Do you need some shade trees?• How about food plants? Although edibles

are not considered to be waterwise, a study done by Permaculture co-founder David Holmgren found home gardeners can use as little as one-fifth of the water of commercial growers per dollar value of produce. Wicking beds for vegetables are definitely worth investigating (see Renew 135 and 138 for DIY wicking bed plans).

• Consider hydrozoning your garden. This simply means grouping plants with similar water needs together; for example, don’t put succulents and vegies together. You can also zone for other needs; for example, keep acid-loving plants (e.g. blueberries) separate from those that need a neutral or alkaline soil (e.g. brassicas such as kale and broccoli).

• Think about what style of garden you prefer.

• You’ll also want to think about when to

plant. In warm temperate zones down south in Australia, the ideal time to plant is in autumn, which gives a good six to nine months before the scorch of summer. In cooler zones, autumn or spring can work well. The tropics and sub-tropics require quite different considerations which we don’t have space to discuss here (see Renew 135 for a discussion of tropical gardening).

What is a waterwise plant?Waterwise (or dry-tolerant) plants are capable of surviving long periods without water, once established. Succulents are probably the exception to the ‘once established’ rule as they are waterwise from the start!

If you are unsure if a plant is dry tolerant, observe the leaves. If they are small, needle-like, succulent, leathery, furry, silver or grey, it’s likely to be dry tolerant. Ditto if the roots are fleshy or have water storing nodules on the roots; see for example, clivias, daylilies, agapanthus and liriope.

Interestingly, established camellias are incredibly dry tolerant but people may not plant them because they think they guzzle water. Ironically, kangaroo paw cultivars can be water-demanding in sandy soils. Cultivars bred to flower year-round need food and water to do this. In nature, they are considered annuals.

Be aware that the same waterwise plant in sandy soil may behave entirely differently in clay. This means you can’t just rely on plant labels: a good horticulturalist at your local garden centre is worth their weight in gold.

Waterwise garden stylesAustralian native plants are the obvious choice for a beautiful waterwise garden. An attractive and biodiverse native landscape

F E A T U R E

Get water wise in your own backyardTips from WA garden designer Cherise Haslam on what to consider when designing a waterwise garden.

renew magazine issue 145 57renew.org.au

Water self-sufficiencyA rainwater tank buyers guideThere’s more to a rainwater collection system than just installing a tank. Lance Turner looks at what you need to consider when installing a system, what tanks are available and accessories to improve the operation of your system.

Rainwater tanks come in almost any size, shape and colour you can imagine, with a variety of materials to suit different preferences or usage requirements. So what should you look for when buying a tank, and what other components are required to make the system operate reliably and hassle-free? We consider siting, size, installation, tank materials, water collection, water use and more!

Selecting the site, size and shapeThe first decision you have to make is where the tank will be located. Where you place the tank will determine its size and shape, and possibly even its colour if it needs to blend into the surrounding vegetation or walls.

You may want to place the tank next to the house or shed, which makes water collection simpler and reduces pipe runs. If the tank needs to be placed away from the house, the plumbing will be more extensive, complex and expensive. Access to power is also a requirement if you intend to include a pump in your rainwater system.

Accessibility for maintenance is also important. You may need to be able to clean behind the tank to remove leaves and debris, and any filters or first-flush diverters at the tank will need occasional cleaning.

If there is to be a pump and other equipment, it’s usually best to locate them close to the tank if possible, so allow for this. Alternatively, you may just have a simple tap on the tank for filling watering cans or to feed a slow drip irrigation system, allowing gravity to do the work. The higher the tank in relation to the point of use, the better the water pressure, so consider this if you are going to

go without a pump.In hotter climates, it’s preferable to

place the tank in the shade if possible, to reduce tank water temperatures and hence evaporation, as well as possible bacterial growth. If you can’t find a shady spot, make one by planting a fast-growing bush on the sunny side of the tank—there are some excellent Australian native shrubs that grow quickly and are excellent shade plants—check with your local nursery for appropriate plants.

For most city dwellers, space is at a premium, so the size and shape of the tank is usually determined by the space available. If space allows you to install any size of tank you wish, then it should be sized according to your water needs from it, the roof collection area and your location’s expected average yearly rainfall. This sounds complicated, but fortunately the hard work has been done for you in Renew’s Tankulator rainwater tank sizing calculator. Check it out at renew.org.au/tankulator before you decide on your tank capacity.

For high-density living or where above-ground space limits you to a tank smaller than you’d like, an underground tank may be the solution. These are available as poly tanks or concrete, the latter often cast in-situ. Concrete tanks are usually reinforced internally and as such can support heavy loads, so they can be placed under driveways. Some underground poly tanks are also well reinforced and can withstand considerable loads. Undergound tanks are usually best installed as part of a new build, but are also suitable when doing major ground works, such as replacing a driveway or laying a slab for a garage.

If your house is mounted on stumps, or

you have a post-mounted deck, you could consider a bladder tank. These consist of a metal frame around a flexible plastic or rubber bladder. As the bladder fills it expands to its maximum size. However, periodic washout maintenance (if required) of a bladder tank poses more challenges than a tank which enables internal access.

You also need to consider how the water will get from the roof into the tank. If you locate the tank away from the collection gutters, you may need to use what’s called a ‘wet’ system, which can add to costs and complexity. See ‘Wet vs dry systems’ later for more on this.

The tank’s location can affect the lifetime of the materials. Ideally, the tank should be located in shade if possible, not just to keep the water temperature low and reduce evaporation, but also because some materials, particularly plastics and fibreglass, are degraded more rapidly by direct sunlight.

You also need to decide on the shape of the tank. There are round tanks (the most common) in both tall and squat configurations, oval tanks, rectangular tanks, slimline tanks for narrow spaces, bladder tanks (for placing under the floor of a home, for instance) and even modular tank systems that allow you to make tanks of unusual shapes to fit odd spaces.

Just remember that for a given space, a rectangular tank will hold more water than a round or oval tank. For example, if you have a small two by two metre space that you want to place a tank in, a rectangular tank that is two metres high will hold 8000 litres of water, whereas a circular tank the same height will hold only 6280 litres.

B U Y E R S G U I D E

72 issue 145 renew magazine renew.org.au

Australia is ranked as the 17th most water-stressed nation in the world, yet Stormwater Australia estimates that around 3000 GL of stormwater runs off our urban areas each year, greater than the volume of potable water consumed. This runoff poses two main issues: 1) it is a wasted resource, and 2) the pollutants it carries degrade our waterways.

Currently, up to 90% of rainwater falls on hard surfaces in our cities and is drained into waterways without treatment, carrying pollutants like rubbish, earth, organic matter, heavy metals (copper, lead and zinc), grease and oil (from roads), fertilisers (from gardens), and dissolved nutrients like salts, phosphorous and nitrogen. Unmanaged flows can result in localised urban flooding in high rains and also overburden creeks and rivers whose seasonal water cycles are disrupted.

Minimising and managing cities’ stormwater can improve both resource waste and waterway pollution, potentially supplying around 265 kL of water per household per year. Australian cities are

leaders in the field. Ralf Pfleiderer, of Stormwater Victoria , says, “Australian cities do look internationally for stormwater solutions, but we don’t find people doing similar things. It’s something we should be quite proud of.”

A first line of response among city councils is to promote domestic rainwater harvesting by subsidising or mandating the installation of home rainwater tanks, to ‘bank’ water for gardens or toilet flushing in dry periods and to slow public stormwater flows during rains. Another popular strategy is the raingarden; these are mini-wetlands—often planted with native vegetation—which divert and filter rainfall rather than letting it flow untreated into street stormwater. Over 6.7 million Australian homes have a garden, so to tap the water-management potential many councils and water authorities have issued guidelines for creating domestic raingardens.

The raingarden concept also operates in large-scale urban installations. One Melbourne example is the Fitzroy Gardens Stormwater

Harvesting System (see also Renew 121 and 135), whose compact design uses wetland principles and vast storage tanks (4 million and 1 million litres) under an inner-city park. Stormwater is collected from the 67 hectares of surrounding catchment, and litter and large waste are caught in a gross pollutant trap. The water is then stripped of sands and oils in a sedimentation chamber, temporarily stored in the larger tank and passed through a biofiltration bed (the wetland part) to strip nitrogen and phosphorous. It’s stored in the smaller tank before being disinfected with UV light to rid it of bacteria and viruses, then it is sprayed over the gardens at night to minimise any potential health risk to park users. It has been operating since December 2013 and uses around 30 to 50 million litres of stormwater for irrigation each year.

F E A T U R E

Image courtesy Biofilta

Stormwater provides much of Fitzroy Gardens’ watering needs from an innovative system that stores filtered stormwater in a huge underground tank (above right, under construction) for later treatment through a small wetland (above). The wetland is smaller than usual as the stored water can be pumped through it, rather than relying on runoff.

Stormwater reusefor parks and whole citiesIf we change our approach, stormwater can provide water for irrigation, and even drinking. Jodie Lea Martire explores projects around Australia, including some in your own backyard.

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80 issue 145 renew magazine renew.org.au

BEV, PHEV, HEV or FCEV:Choose your EV acronym!Bryce Gaton explains the different types of electric vehicle available in Australia today, and offers a suggested ‘ideal’ usage pattern for each to assist in choosing which EV might best suit your needs.

Battery EVs, like the Tesla Model 3, have a large battery and use no fossil fuel directly at all.

The world is full of acronyms, and the electric vehicle (EV) field is no exception. EV is the general term for vehicles with some form of electric motor, but, in fact, there are four distinct types of EV, each with its own features, advantages and disadvantages (see Figure 1). Let’s look at these below.

Battery electric vehicle (BEV)Battery electric vehicles, or BEVs, are the simplest form of EV. In a BEV, a battery feeds stored electricity to an electric motor which drives the EV. The EV is refuelled by plugging it in to either a power point or dedicated charging point, known as an EVSE or electric vehicle supply equipment, for faster charging. (For EVSE information, see ‘The EVs are coming, the EVs are coming!’ in ReNew 143 and ‘Plug Wars’ in ReNew 141.) To conserve energy, the battery in all modern BEVs is also in part recharged through regenerative braking (see box). The best-known Australian examples are the Tesla Models S and X, Nissan Leaf and BMW i3.

Advantages include: • much lower fuel costs• simpler and lower maintenance, including

much-reduced brake wear• can recharge from home on a standard

power point or EVSE• can use DC fast charging for quick recharge

times when travelling a long distance.

Disadvantages include: • currently high purchase cost due to battery

production not yet reaching the economy of scale needed to make BEVs price-competitive with petrol/diesel cars; this point is predicted to be around 2022–2025

• slow to charge on a power point—it’s best to use a dedicated EVSE to get faster charging; for a full charge, currently home EVSE charging takes 1.75 to 8 hours and a public DC EVSE fast-charge takes 20 minutes to 1 hour, depending on the vehicle, battery size and EVSE capacity

• few DC fast chargers are available, especially in Victoria, unless you choose a Tesla

• public EVSE charging is complicated by the need for different provider charge cards.

Best use scenarios for BEVs are:• city driving• longer trips up to 300 or 400 km per day,

depending on BEV chosen• occasional interstate travel if the BEV has

three-phase AC or DC fast-charge capacity, but Tesla owners can enjoy regular interstate travel on supercharger routes.

Hybrid electric vehicle (HEV)Hybrid electric vehicles, or HEVs, were the first of the ‘new generation’ EVs on the market in the late 90s. They have an electric motor, a small battery and a moderately sized ICE (internal combustion engine, as used in a standard petrol/diesel car). The electric motor usually only assists the ICE, although more recent versions may drive the car for a short distance until the battery is flat. HEVs are refuelled exclusively with fossil fuels—they do not plug in to recharge the battery directly. Instead, the battery is charged via regenerative braking. Regenerative braking saves around 10% to 20% of the fuel used by a HEV. The best known examples in Australia are the Toyota Prius, Toyota Camry hybrid and the Honda Insight.

Advantages include:• eases consumer introduction to EVs as

they are part electric, but still refuel at a petrol station

• reduced fossil fuel costs and use.

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