Thread by @AlisonSBarrett

The second breakout sessions for the afternoon are about to begin.

I'm joining in the session on 'Clean energy solutions for healthy environments and lives'.

@mariemcinerney will be covering the food security session @CroakeyNews

New thread
#HEAL2022

Professor @SotirisVard @HEALenviron is chairing the session & provides a welcome & brief overview of CE4HEAL (clean energy for healthy environments).

#HEAL2022

The project aims to identify best practice and ways to provide clean energy in Australia and India, increase adoption and identify barriers.

Highlight that this is better for health and the environment – @SotirisVard
#HEAL2022

Prof Krishna Vasudevan, Indian Institute of Technology Madras, is the first speaker in the session to talk about microgrids for clean energy.
– Vasudevan #HEAL2022

Central issue for remote communities in India is that they do not receive power from the grid due to cost of laying power lines, returns to the utility are low and not commercially advantageous. Energy supply that is available is unreliable.
– Vasudevan #HEAL2022

Energy needs include communication, entertainment, illumination & education. Not very energy-intensive
– Vasudevan #HEAL2022

Developed solution - use of local energy sources including sun, wind, biogas and waste.

Electrical network distributed by microgrids
– Vasudevan #HEAL2022

Microgrids are deployed in communities in India, USA, Japan, China.

In India, largest energy source for microgrid is sun. Diesel generators are very common (larger consumers and richer communities).

– Vasudevan #HEAL2022

Benefits from microgrids include less smoky indoor environments, increase in study time, & thus, improved education levels
– Vasudevan #HEAL2022

Barriers to deployment of microgrids in rural areas:
- user non-participation (don't see benefit)
- long time to break even (installations are expensive, lowering costs of energy storage will help)
- how much subsidy?
- power grid expansion
– Vasudevan #HEAL2022

Microgrids are socially beneficial but commercial and technological aspects need addressing
– Vasudevan #HEAL2022

Assoc Prof Veronica Matthews & Dr Supriya Mathew @MenziesResearch are up next to talk more about CE4HEAL
#HEAL2022

Power supply for rural/regional communities in Northern Territory is mostly off-grid. Some solar but mostly via generator. Power outages are common.
Payment via Pre-paid meters.
– @DrVMatthews #HEAL2022

Barriers and enablers to solar energy adoption span beyond technical and economic, to community and social.

Key is to work with communities and understand their needs and barriers.
– @DrVMatthews #HEAL2022

Housing inadequately designed, adds to cost.

Participatory approach required to planning
– @DrVMatthews #HEAL2022

Stakeholder interviews were undertaken to determine benefits that could be promoted, and barriers & enablers for solar adoption
– Mathew #HEAL2022

Barriers for solar adoption:
- high initial capital cost (higher costs for remote areas) & ongoing maintenance
- complex administration (the system to get solar is not easy)
– Mathew #HEAL2022

Barriers cont:
- issues gaining access to land
- many people don't own houses, difficult to install solar on rental and/or government properties
- public awareness
– Mathew #HEAL2022

Enablers for solar adoption:
- government commitment and support
- provision of financial incentives
- citizen ownership and funding models
- peer pressure & pride (to be part of new technology)
– Mathew #HEAL2022

Ideas for promoting solar:
- reduced power bills
- maintaining indoor thermal comfort & how it can be linked to reduced hospital visits
- reduced air pollution & associated lung diseases (from diesel generators, campfires)
– Mathew #HEAL2022

Jimmy Cocking is jumping in to talk about Desert Knowledge Australia and Alice Springs Future Grid
@JimmyCocking #HEAL2022

dkasolarcentre.com.au

Very complicated to integrate renewables into the grid. With Future Grid, they're looking at ways to overcome the challenges – @JimmyCocking #HEAL2022

Challenges include regulatory as discussed by Veronica and Supriya (& bureaucratic inertia), and knowledge about low-voltage
– @JimmyCocking #HEAL2022

First Nations Clean Energy Network – made up of First Nation people, communities and organisations to collaborate with industry, investors, unions, academics, etc.
Very important for community engagement and empowerment – @JimmyCocking #HEAL2022

firstnationscleanenergy.org.au

They are looking forward to finalising project...maintaining momentum is vital as it has dropped in the past, where government funding has been misdirected into fossil fuels
– @JimmyCocking #HEAL2022

Funding needs to be sustained to help maintain momentum on solar – @JimmyCocking #HEAL2022

Dr Thomas Longden, Australian National University, is next up in the clean energy session.

Pre-payment for power mainly used in remote communities
#HEAL2022

A recent study for the Close the Gap Steering Committee found that 9 out of 10 households in some remote communities experienced a disconnection from electricity at some time during 2018-29.
– Longden #HEAL2022

Report here: humanrights.gov.au/sites/default/…

Most of the power disconnections occurred in more extreme heat and cold temperatures
– Longden #HEAL2022

Future of healthy homes - homes that are well-designed and insulated for passive cooling/heating, Solar PV and battery storage to become mostly self-reliant
– Longden #HEAL2022
sustainability.vic.gov.au/research-data-…

Longden outlines why this is important in this article
@ConversationEDU
#HEAL2022
theconversation.com/heat-kills-we-…

This thread by @ThomasLongden3 outlines more findings from their research and work on energy insecurity during extreme temps in remote Australia
#HEAL2022

https://twitter.com/ThomasLongden3/status/1471601197442162693

@threadreaderapp unroll pls