Church hall goes solar
Yarragon Uniting Church Hall recently launched its new solar system at Baw Baw Sustainability Network's Celebrating Energy Transitions in Gippsland event.
The solar system initiative received funding support from the Gippsland Community Power Hub, a program delivered by Sustainability Victoria on behalf of the Victorian Government.
Attendees included members of the Gippsland Climate Change Network, Community Power Hub, Yarragon Uniting Church committee, BBSN members, Heidi Hamm from Sustainability Victoria and the general public.
Chief executive officer of EnviroMicroBio Emily Scholes provided a presentation on bioenergy work and Gippsland's opportunities.
BBSN has identified bioenergy and biomanufacturing as potential growth sectors in the region. Bioenergy is a type of renewable energy derived from organic materials called 'biomass'. It includes materials such as harvest residues and purpose-grown crops, as well as organic waste from homes, businesses, and farms.
Dr Scholes said educating people about bioenergy was important.
"People don't necessarily understand what bioenergy is... (education) helps people to understand the technology, and therefore the proponents of projects," Dr Scholes explained.
She said education helped organisations educate people to understand the technolog.
"Bioenergy is very commonplace in Europe, has been for many decades," Dr Sholes explained.
"We are a little bit behind because we have had a historical richness of coal and gas
"People need to be thinking about these things or it simply won't happen, or a big corporation comes in overseas because we are already behind most of Europe and then the profits will not actually extend back to the community as they should d
Network president Malcolm McKelvie said education was key so that people become aware and took action.
"I think we all need to move to efficient electrical appliances and better buildings," he said.
"Community buildings are very, very often inefficient. They're hard to heat and cool."
Dr McKelvie said BBSN hopes that Gippsland makes a rapid transition away from fossil fuel use.
"We know that there is a big waste stream, whether that be organic waste, food waste, or other green waste and there might be a better use for that - certainly better than going into landfill," he said.