Today
Older, ‘cheaper’ houses hide costs that bite owners
More than 80 per cent of Australia’s houses have half the energy efficiency of the latest standards – and that’s going to make them less valuable.
- Michael Bleby
November
The unusual reason home batteries are making more financial sense
The price of installing batteries to go with your home solar system hasn’t changed much in years, but the rising cost of electricity is making storage more cost-effective.
- Nila Sweeney
How much does that big house really cost you?
A new exhibition challenges thinking about houses at a time when Australia’s homes are the biggest in the world.
- Michael Bleby
October
- Drinks With Max Allen
- Life & Leisure
Ever heard of a beer farm? This paddock-to-pint brewery is onto something
Provenance is all around you at Devilbend Farm Beer Co, where Mike Shaw grows his own ingredients, from barley to hops – even the yeast.
- Max Allen
Ever wondered what companies do with their old laptops and iPhones?
Sydney entrepreneur Annette Brodie creates new opportunities for obsolete tech via her social enterprise The Reconnect Project.
- Hannah Tattersall
This humble ‘house’ in Nepal has lured celebrities and revived a village
Buy the stunning hand-woven rugs of Phaplu that grace the floors of Happy House, or wander down the road to watch the ateliers at work.
- Nina Karnikowski
What makes this Himalayan valley so alluring is its inaccessibility
In Ladakh’s fabled Zanskar Valley, remote villages, dramatic landscapes and ancient monasteries await adventurers. But will a new highway destroy the remote culture drawing visitors to the region?
- Nina Karnikowski
- Sustainability Category
- Energy Awards
Solar panels saved from the scrap heap
By 2027 Australia will be generating a million waste panels a year. ElecSome can put them to good use.
- Christopher Niesche
September
The $660k home that has no heating or cooling costs
Higher thermal standards make homes more comfortable and cheaper to run. And they don’t have to be that much more expensive to build.
- Michael Bleby
Cotton power couple list $70m ‘carbon positive’ farm
David and Danielle Statham are selling their largest holding – St Ronans in Far North Queensland – as they focus on developing a large renewable energy project.
- Larry Schlesinger
The fridge-in-reverse that can cut $1000 from home energy bills
Heat pump hot water systems can deliver large savings on energy bills, but there are issues to be aware of.
- Nila Sweeney
The green renovations that could make you $100k
The potential to save thousands of dollars and add value to homes is enticing more households to install sustainable features when renovating.
- Nila Sweeney
How this office building is saving money – and carbon
This retrofit saved 57,000 tonnes of embodied carbon emissions, as companies rethink the design of office buildings.
- Michael Bleby
Warning on the growing solar panel scrap heap
The industry is nearing a tipping point as the nation grapples with unprecedented levels of waste.
- Nina Hendy
Soil carbon capture surges as AI drives down costs
Artificial intelligence can reduce barriers to implementing soil carbon projects as ag tech creates new opportunities.
- Agnes King
Homeowners rush to buy batteries to avoid ‘sun tax’
Electricity companies are starting to charge homeowners for excess solar energy. Some owners are taking their power back.
- Nina Hendy
Seven ways to retrofit your home and slash energy bills
This homeowner cut her electricity bills to zero by upgrading a 1970s house to modern energy-efficient standards.
- Richard Pullin
August
Green super: Why investors hesitate to walk the talk
Lower investment returns and concerns about greenwashing are proving strong headwinds for green super.
- Michelle Bowes
Jessie French turns algae into art, and conjures a PVC alternative
The materials researcher found a way to make art – and replace petrochemical-derived plastics – with algae.
- Stephen Todd
July
- Special Award
- Sustainability Leaders
This trailblazer turns destructive weed into a replacement for coal
Biomass Projects has plans to build the world’s largest biochar production on a 225,000-hectare Pilbara plot that is overrun with mesquite.
- Gus McCubbing
