Unprecedented Increase in Energy Efficiency - Gerbilnow Leads the Way

Power consumption in New South Wales makes historic drop
August 15, 2011
One of Australia's largest electricity distributors says it is experiencing a "historic" cut in households' demand for power.

Ausgrid, which provides power to much of New South Wales, has announced demand for its electricity by regular households has fallen 2 per cent each year for the past four years.

"We are seeing the impact of energy efficiency," Ausgrid specialist, Paul Myors said, pointing to the move away from electric hot water systems, previously the main user of electricity in the home. In terms of hot water systems, which are monitored separately, he said reductions had been up to 8 percent over the last year.

Efficient Gas Hot Water Systems

Merlin Gas Hot Water System

It is the first time the company has seen a fall in demand since the 1950s.

The fall is expected to lead the national electricity market body, the Australian Electricity Market Operator, to forecast overall cuts of 5 to 6 per cent in demand in the next decade - the first cuts in living memory.

The slashing of demand forecasts is expected to result in little need for more large-scale power stations until the end of the decade, until 2020, at the earliest. The drop in demand forecasts has increased pressure on the government to curtail capital spending by state-owned electricity companies.

Read more here ...

Response to the $170 million NSW Home Saver Rebates has been phenomenal.
This was first announced in early 2009.
By 30 September 2011 when all applications had been received, more than 330,000 rebates had been issued to NSW households. This represents 1 in 8 NSW households receiving a rebate(s) for a climate-friendly hot water system or ceiling insulation...
The rebates available for hot water systems purchased and installed on or before 30 June 2011 were:

• $300 for a gas hot water system with an energy rating of 5 stars or greater
• $300 for a solar or heat pump hot water system

The new hot water system must have replaced an existing electric hot water system.
Read more here ...

Gerbilnow staff writer to New South Wales Energy Directions Statement Coordinator
February 10, 2005
Demand-Side Potential
Consider the impact of information provided to consumers to assist their decision-making.
Comparing just 2 options:

• An electric hot water heater, and
• A gas hot water heater.

An Electric Hot Water System:

• Produces up to 5 times more CO2 than a gas hot water system.
• Requires electric power generation and distribution infrastructure that is unnecessary for gas hot water systems.
• Produces 3.4 to 4.0 tonnes of C02 a year.

A Gas Hot Water System:

• No electric power generation required.
• Using gas to directly heat the water, only around 0.8 tonnes of C02 a year would be produced.
• Assuming combined cycle gas generation has a thermal efficiency of 50%, then only half as much gas as used to generate electricity is needed to heat the water.

Read more here ...

System Integration and Synergy

Combining Technologies to Increase Usefulness and Value

BTOLA Indirectly fired gas turbine technology

Fueling Our Future
Vfos is the cleanest, quickest and most effective way to reduce carbon footprint and rein in the environmental impact of fossil fuels - while we still can.

Vfos product is prepared for shipment to power plants

• Reduces emissions dramatically.
• Converts waste into eco-friendly energy.
• Total recycling - residue is then re-used.
• Creates opportunities, high job creation.
• No costly infrastructure changes needed.

What is Vfos?

Vfos is a renewable energy fuel that can be burnt alongside other fuels with a much greater heating value than conventional fossil fuels and 90% less CO2 emissions.

How does Vfos work?

Vfos is a total recycling package - made from salvaged wastes which are converted into an energy fuel with minimal residue.
Vfos contains no dangerous chemicals and has a near-zero sulphur reading of 0.001%, with ash content of 0.9% to coal's 15%.

Australia's largest solar thermal research hub

BTOLA Indirectly fired gas turbine technology
Technology Overview
BTOLA converts existing proven gas turbines to indirectly fired gas turbine engines allowing them to run on Biomass, waste products and other fuels lowering fuel costs and greenhouse gas emissions.

This is accomplished by

• Removing existing combustion chamber
• Installing BTOLA combustion chamber
• Installing BTOLA start-up combustor
• Installing BTOLA heat exchangers
• Utilizing BTOLA heat recovery
• Installing BTOLA control system

Cleaner Fuel Options
The gas turbine has been tested and achieved excellent results with these alternative fuels.

• Waste Biomass
• BTOLA high yield biomass
• Vfos renewable energy fuel
• Macadamia nut shell
• Garbage (paper and plastic)
• Woodchips
• Dirty waste oils
• Waste greases (grease trap)
• Feedlot cow manure
• Low grade coal

Why ?
Because the BTOLA solution is up to 70% cheaper to purchase, install and operate.
Capital Cost – Purchase and Installation costs over competing technology to utilize cheaper fuels

BTOLA IFGT	$2 - $3 / Watt
Gasification and turbine or IC engine	$7 / Watt
Boiler and steam turbine	$6 / Watt

Operating Costs

Regular Gas Turbine Fuels		BTOLA IFGT Fuels
Kerosene	$25 / GJ	Waste Biomass	$ -2 - $0 / GJ (disposal cost avoidance)
Diesel	$30 / GJ	Energy crop Biomass	$2 / GJ
Natural Gas	$7 / GJ	Coal	$10 - $20 / GJ
LPG	$20 / GJ	Municipal Waste	$ -2 / GJ (disposal cost avoidance)

Australia's largest solar thermal research hub

CSIRO has designed and built Australia's largest solar thermal research facility which consists of a 30 metre high solar tower (the tallest in Australia) and high temperature receiver, and a 4000 square metre field of 450 heliostats. The facility is capable of concentrating solar energy at temperatures beyond 1000 ºC.

CSIRO will use the facility to develop and test one of the world’s most powerful solar air turbines to generate electricity from air and sunshine alone (almost all current systems require water as well as fossil fuel).

This 200 kiloWatt solar air turbine generates electricity which is then fed into the grid.

The pilot site covers an area of 4000 square metres and although this site is being used for research, a site of this size could generate enough electricity to power nearly 200 homes.

Integration of a solar thermal heliostat field with a BTOLA indirectly-fired gas turbine

The solar air turbine may be modified to operate as an indirectly-fired gas turbine.

The result is a solar thermal power station that can generate 200 kiloWatts of electricity 24 hours a day, 7 days a week - on sunny days and cloudy days.

The BTOLA power generation system has lower fuel-costs because the solar thermal heliostat field is used to generate electricity during sunny periods.

The capital cost of the integrated system is lower than building 2 separate systems because they share the turbine and  200 kiloWatt generator.

Summer Study on Energy Efficiency

Summer Study on Energy Efficiency & Decentralised Energy SYDNEY, 29 February - 2 March 2012 Novotel Sydney Manly Pacific   DON'T MISS OUT - EARLY BIRD PRICE CLOSES THIS FRIDAY!   Register now for the Summer Study This landmark event brings together experts from around the world and across the entire energy stakeholder spectrum.   The program will inspire debate while showcasing latest developments in: Distributed generation Demand management White certificates Energy efficiency/carbon mitigation policy Communicating energy efficiency Creating corporate energy efficiency cultures Community engagement/energy affordability AND MUCH MORE   DOWNLOAD PROGRAM JUST ANNOUNCED Joining the Keynotes:   Wanxing Wang, Program Director, The China Sustainability Project And presenting on 'How to Create a Corporate Energy Culture':   Steve Schultz, Corporate Energy Manager, 3M USA OTHER KEYNOTE SPEAKERS INCLUDE: Mark Dreyfus QC - Parliamentary Secretary for Climate Change and Energy Efficiency; Steve Nadel - Executive Director, ACEEE (USA); David Sweet - Executive Director, World Alliance for Decentralised Energy (USA); Phillip Sellwood - Chief Executive, Energy Savings Trust (UK); Grayson Heffner - Senior Advisor, International Energy Agency (France); Amit Bando – Executive Director, International Partnership for Energy Efficiency Cooperation (France)* PRESENTERS INCLUDE SENIOR REPRESENTATIVES FROM: Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (USA); Berkeley National Laboratory (USA); Dept of Climate Change & Energy Efficiency; Sydney Water; Schneider Electric; NSW IPART; CSIRO; Origin; Energy Power Systems; Spirax Sarco; EnerNOC; Natural Resources Defence Council (USA); University of Technology, Sydney; Ausgrid; ClimateWorks; Energetics; Dept of Industry, Innovation, Science, Research & Tertiary Education; The Regulatory Assistance Program; ACOSS; OgilvyEarth; Investa Sustainability Institute; Dept of Resources, Energy and Tourism; Sustainability Victoria; Energex; Green Energy Trading; Alternative Technology Association; Total Envi­ronment Centre; University of South Australia; Moreland Energy Foundation; Energy Solutions Ltd; Sustainable Business Ltd; Energy Return. REGISTER NOW   Early bird price: $990 + GST for 3 days of conferences, informal sessions, networking events and dinners! CLOSES 13 JANUARY NON-EARLY BIRD PRICE $1,190 + GST     BECOME A SPONSOR   Proudly supported by:    Gold sponsors   Silver sponsors   Bronze sponsors   Speaker sponsor     Endorsed by:        www.a2se.org.au

Agenda 21

A New Group of Extremists

Given the extracts of opponents to UN Agenda 21 below extreme conduct of carbon tax opponents is not  surprising.

The potential for violence from those who subscribe to such a conspiracy theory cannot be ruled out.

Your Town and Freedom Threatened

By Freedom Advocates
Tuesday, 04 August 2009

Right now, in your town and neighborhood, policies are being implemented that will ultimately eliminate your freedoms and destroy your way of life....
...
The false premise and outright lies of anthropogenic global warming to change our way of life, for the worse!
Local Governments for Sustainability promotes ... Local Agenda 21 and other United Nations programmes ...

Introduction to Sustainable Development

The new process is to by-pass elected officials and put  policy-making into the hands of selected individuals who agree with the objectives of Agenda 21...
...
The bedrock principle on which America is founded is the belief that government is empowered by the consent of those who are governed.
...
Public policies that are enacted by elected officials are, therefore, ultimately subject to the approval (or consent) of those who are governed.
...
Perhaps the greatest danger of sustainable development is the transformation of the process through which public policy is created.
...
It is difficult for Americans to comprehend a system of governance in which the government is omnipotent and ordinary citizens are subject to whatever whims may be imposed by whomever happens to be in power.  Nevertheless, sustainable development requires such a system of governance to manage the affairs of individual citizens to insure that social equity and environmental protection are integrated into all economic activity.
...
Social equity means that "...all citizens share equally in the benefits of natural resources."
America is said to be home for only five percent of the world's population which uses 20 percent of the earth's resources.  Therefore, America's consumption of natural resources must be reduced while providing access to the world's resources to the people in the rest of the world.  The Framework Convention on Climate Change, with its Kyoto Protocol, will force a 40% reduction in energy use in America and in 33 other developed countries.  The resulting increased cost of everything that uses energy will force a reduction of consumption in America.  But since no energy use restrictions are imposed on the remaining 137 developing nations, industry will move to China, Mexico, Brazil, and Asia to produce their goods for the people in developing nations.

The process will force the redistribution of wealth to achieve "social equity" in the name of protecting the environment.

Agenda for the 21st Century Invades Australia

By Diane Ross
Monday, 07 January 2008

Australian leaders enforce Agenda 21 Sustainable Development by restricting private property use...
...
Environmental groups sanction and aid Agenda 21 policies. They are funded by organizations such as the Rockefeller Foundation. Unsuspecting citizens are misled by buzz words such as:     

• Sustainable Development
• Smart Growth
• Taking Care of the Planet
• Climate Change
• Global Warming
• And other similar language

"Earth Dialogues" was held in Brisbane Australia in July 2006.  ...Children were encouraged to denounce national sovereignty and embrace a global government.

New Treaty In the Making

Covenant on Environment and Development

Few people in America have seen Agenda 21. Even fewer have read it.  ...This is the UN Treaty that will move the world into the clutches of global governance.
 ...
Part IV (Articles 16 through 22) says States "shall restrict human activities which modify, or are likely to modify..." ...global climate...
...
The "Precautionary Principle" ... of Agenda 21... is the idea that policy action should not wait on scientific justification if "government" decides that a "threat" to the environment exists.
...
Article 48 - State Liability
"Each State Party is liable for significant harm to the environment of other States or of areas beyond the limits of national jurisdiction, as well as for injury to persons resulting therefrom, caused by acts or omissions of its organs or by activities under its jurisdiction or control."
...
Article 54 - Sovereign Immunity
"Parties may not claim sovereign immunity in respect of proceedings instituted under this Covenant."

Carbon Tax

Making sense of the bizarre and dangerous

A tweet about a carbon tax elicited these responses:

• "I'm Opposed to handing soverignty over to the Pope's United Nations..."
• "How profitable does Carbon Tax need to be to justify treason thru loss of sovereignty?..."
• "Its called treason/sedition, its in our law. Our soverign is the rightful heir of UK not the UN..."
• "TREASON is rewarded with a noose from a tall tree. Careful , Australia is alot bigger than your Canberra herd..."

Curious about the introduction of the concepts "sovereignty", "Pope's United Nations", "treason" and "noose", some research identified a number of extremist websites promoting these within conspiracy theories. Read some extracts of these dangerous websites on Agenda 21.

The earliest discussion of these bizarre ideas is in a 1993 Los Angeles Times article on the beliefs of a group called The John Birch Society. It expressed fears including:

"Birchers preach that the United Nations wants socialism to rule the world and that global warming caused by pollution is a hoax foisted on gullible Americans to gain control over their land and businesses."

"Our feeling is that over a long period of time, they (communists) have taken control of the federal government of the United States," said Mark Walsh

Fred Koch founded the Koch Oil Corporation and was an early member of The John Birch Society's National Council, an advisory group to JBS founder Robert Welch.

Earlier this year The John Birch Society said it was pleased to announce that Nelson Bunker Hunt of Texas will again serve as a member of its National Council. Nelson Bunker Hunt is an American oil company executive.

This is the list of tweets exchanged:

9:40 PM - 7 Jan 12 via web

@Askgerbil @carbonbirdman @BULMKT oh dear,spoken like a man who llives off the corporate teat

— The PropheticKleenex (@PropheticKleenx) January 7, 2012

9:52 PM - 7 Jan 12 via web

@Askgerbil @carbonbirdman @BULMKT Government intervention increases productivity? That will be a first. Carbon tax is INSANE

— The PropheticKleenex (@PropheticKleenx) January 7, 2012

9:54 PM - 7 Jan 12 via web

@MiltonFriedman1 @Askgerbil @carbonbirdman @BULMKT Why are people from Canberra experts at what drives free enterprise? #auspol

— The PropheticKleenex (@PropheticKleenx) January 7, 2012

9:57 PM - 7 Jan 12 via web

@Askgerbil I'm Opposed to handing soverignty over to the Pope's United Nations regardless of profit or chicken little fears#auspol

— The PropheticKleenex (@PropheticKleenx) January 7, 2012

10:03 PM - 7 Jan 12 via web

@Askgerbil @carbonbirdman @BULMKT How profitable does Carbon Tax need to be to justify treason thru loss of sovereignty? #auspol

— The PropheticKleenex (@PropheticKleenx) January 7, 2012

10:23 PM - 7 Jan 12 via web

@Askgerbil @MiltonFriedman1 @carbonbirdman Its called treason/sedition, its in our law. Our soverign is the rightful heir of UK not the UN

— The PropheticKleenex (@PropheticKleenx) January 7, 2012

10:34 PM - 7 Jan 12 via web

@Askgerbil TREASON is rewarded with a noose from a tall tree. Careful , Australia is alot bigger than your Canberra herd #auspol #carbontax

— The PropheticKleenex (@PropheticKleenx) January 7, 2012

Negative CO2 emissions - Climate protection opens new business areas

Farmers to the Rescue - 

One solution to concerns over carbon dioxide levels in the atmosphere

OR

Who needs Coal Seam Gas anyway?

Pine plantations and other crops can collect solar energy. They can also store solar energy and remove carbon dioxide from the atmosphere.

In contrast, solar panels and wind turbines cannot store solar energy and cannot remove carbon dioxide from the atmosphere.

Unlike solar panels and wind turbines, pine trees and other crops grow themselves - they are "self-manufacturing". There is no need for factories with high energy demands to manufacture trees and other crops.

Unlike coal seam gas - once its been used, its gone - agriculture can provide a continuous source of energy.

Biomass combined with carbon dioxide capture and storage to remove CO2 from the atmosphere.

Sawmill waste, other agricultural and municipal waste and coal may be combined and converted into synthesis gas or methane and carbon dioxide.

Ze-gen Gasification Unit

From "BTOLA: Growing Tomorrows Energy Today" -
BTOLA has completed the selection of a Biomass energy crop highly suited to Australian / Queensland conditions: a high yielding cane type perennial grass: Pennisetum Purpureum often called Elephant Grass has been introduced and is widely distributed throughout Queensland. It is usually grown to create windbreaks for conventional crops.  At present it is not considered in itself as a commercial crop.  The crop has the following advantages: 

• Highly drought tolerant due to a deep tap root.
• Is extremely high yielding with yields of 75 tonnes/hectare substantiated in initial trials.
  (Energy use of an average Australian home is the equivalent of about 2.5 tonnes of biomass per year. Here is one way to represent obtaining this energy on a sustainable basis:
  Combine 1.5 tonnes of water, 4 tonnes of carbon dioxide and sunlight
  to create 2.5 tonnes of biomass and 3 tonnes of oxygen.)
• Is a perennial and does not need replanting after harvest.
• Palatable to livestock (can be cut and baled for forage food).
• Is not invasive and only propagated by cane planting (as with sugar cane).
• Planted using conventional sugar cane planting equipment.
• Harvested using conventional cutting, conditioning and baling equipment.

From "BTOLA Indirectly fired gas turbine technology" -
BTOLA converts existing proven gas turbines to indirectly fired gas turbine engines allowing them to run on Biomass, waste products and other fuels lowering fuel costs and greenhouse gas emissions.

BTOLA Rolls Royce 250 C18 on test Bed

From "Carbon Farmers of Australia" - 
1. The Carbon Farming Initiative: new opportunities for additional farm-based revenue.
2. Australian pork producers have been cleared to start earning Carbon Credits under the Carbon Farming Initiative by cutting emissions from manure. They can also slash their power costs by turning the emissions into fuel.

Read more at "Get Carbon Technology Right".

Methane is the major component of natural gas and coal seam gas.

1. It can be distributed through existing natural gas distribution pipelines.
2. It can be used to fuel large gas power stations, domestic and commercial distributed power stations, or any other natural gas appliance.

Carbon dioxide separated from the methane can be stored permanently or sold for a number of applications. For example, algae farming requires reliable supplies of carbon dioxide. Algae can be dried to use as stock-feed, and are very productive; able to produce over 100 tonnes per hectare a year.

More on Science Daily report to remove CO2 from the atmosphere

Carbon storage safe, reliable: scientists 13 December 2011 Carbon dioxide can be safely and reliably stored underground, an Australian-led team of researchers has concluded. The team found that depleted gas fields would be able to store globally significant amounts of CO2 - a key strategy in tackling climate change. The scientists are based at the Cooperative Research Centre for Greenhouse Gas Technologies (CO2CRC) Otway Project at Nirranda South in south-western Victoria.

Another response to concerns over atmospheric carbon dioxide levels

Beyond Zero Emissions has produced a plan that calls for the replacement of all Australia's fossil-fuel power generation infrastructure with solar and wind turbine technology. Features of this plan are summarised below.

Considerable infrastructure is to be written-off, including -

1. All existing coal mines, road and rail transport of coal, and coal-fired power stations.
2. All natural gas power stations including gas peaking plants.
3. All of the natural gas distribution pipelines.

Considerable infrastructure is required, including -

1. Solar thermal power stations.
2. Solar thermal storage.
3. Wind turbines.
4. Electricity grid connections from multiple wind farms, where any or all of those wind-farms may be idle for extended times.

This massive and expensive infrastructure replacement planned by Beyond Zero Emissions will only reduce emissions of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere. It will do nothing to remove carbon dioxide already in the atmosphere.