- 10 January 2006 - Air Conditioners which run
on solar energy should become a compulsory part of Australia's
residential and commercial building projects
On the eve of the major international Greenhouse Conference
in Sydney, Archicentre, the building advisory service of
the Royal Australian Institute of Architects, has called
on the Federal Government to set up a Solar Powered Air
Conditioner Task Force.
Mr Robert Caulfield, Managing Director of Archicentre said:
"With increasing temperatures due to climate change we need
to be implementing a solar powered air conditioning strategy
nationally with the latest existing technology and new technology
yet to be developed.
"Energy authorities have been warning for years that the
explosion of power hungry air conditioners in Australia
threatens the stability of the electrical grid during peak
power demands in summer.
"When this demand is at its highest, potential solar energy
supply is also at its highest level. This is a natural association.
"The Government has just announced a $30 million research
project to bury carbon dioxide through geosequestration.
This suggests that governments are committed to burning
more coal rather than looking at creative new 21st century
technologies."
Mr Caulfield said that this is confirmation that Australia
is addicted to coal and it is like telling a smoker to cut
back from 40 a day to 35 and use filter tips rather than
suggesting they quit.
"Our energy and climate problems are a clear and present
danger and one has to ask the question why all of the Government
funded agencies supposed to be dealing with issues of the
greenhouse have not been coming forward with a plan to develop
solar powered air conditioners.
"Australia has a fantastic opportunity to develop and patent
new non fossil fuel technologies that have world wide application.
"Australia's energy planning bureaucracies appear to be
in the dark over the latest technologies or are unable to
find Google on their computers."
Mr Caulfield said that every Member of Parliament in
Australia should spend five minutes searching 'Solar Powered
Air Conditioners' on Google to see the plethora of information
and products available.
"Even the Pentagon in Washington has solar powered air
conditioning."
"The question in Australia we need to be asking is why
our governments and agencies responsible for the developing
of energy policies are still in the dark over this matter,"
Mr Caulfield added.
Pentagon Link
This link provides a summary of just how advanced the technology
is.
Australian Example www.coolmax.com.au/coolmax/solar.htm
