The people of Ryde and Gladesville have demonstrated that they are ready to embrace the renewables age with an enthusiastic response to a bulk purchase of solar photo voltaic panels. In March 2009 Ryde Gladesville Climate Change Action Group coordinated a discounted bulk purchase and installation of electricity producing panels for residents of this area. As a result forty-four households in the area took up the offer, met the Federal government criteria for the rebate and had panels installed on their roofs by Aussie Solar, a provider from the Blue Mountains
The solar panels generate some or most of a household’s electricity (depending on energy use and size of installation). The 1 kilowatt systems which most people elected to install cost approximately $1300 after the rebate. Some people elected to put larger (1.5 kilowatt) systems on.
“We are really pleased at the response” said Jo Spangaro, spokesperson for Ryde Gladesville Climate Change Action Group. “It suggests that people in this area understand that reducing their emissions is important and are willing to embrace new ways of doing things.”
“There is a huge gap between what is needed to address climate change and the government’s plan to achieve that.” say the group. “ Most people think that because the government was voted in on an election promise of fixing climate and has a plan, that the solution is in sight. In fact nothing could be further from the truth and we are set to take proposals to Copenhagen that will lock in place a long term climate catastrophe. This will affect firstly people in developing countries but also every living system on the planet within our lifetimes. The need for really significant action is urgent, but not that difficult.” say the group.”Ten years of concerted changes to infrastructure and ways of generating energy can fix this problem.”
