Heads of Noosa Brewing Co. installed 300 solar panels on the roof of their production brewery in Noosaville as part of several energy-saving measures incorporated since opening in January.

Co-owners Lance and Craig Masterton said investing in solar was a “no-brainer” for the business. 

“The long-term benefits for the business and the environment are just too good to pass up. It’s a significant cost now but we’re big picture thinkers and we’re in this for the long haul. The decision was an easy one,” Lance said.

Your car tyres could soon be used to generate electricity.

Japanese tyre manufacturer Sumitomo Rubber has developed a small device that sits inside the tyre to capture static electricity created as the tyre rotates.

Developed in conjunction with Kansai University in Osaka, the "power generating device" or "Energy Harvester" is something Sumitomo says has "great potential for practical applications as a power source for various automotive digital tools".

Big energy users look set to be rewarded for reducing their power usage during peak periods, under a plan to prevent summer blackouts.

The energy market rule-maker has released a draft version of its so-called "demand response mechanism" for public consultation.

Demand response is when consumers reduce their electricity use at peak times to avoid shortfalls and forced blackouts.

Wow, it’s nearly a year and a half since I wrote the original ‘EV buyers guide’ article, and almost 12 months since its first update…

But here we are in a markedly changed electric vehicle world, even over that short period. So it’s time, again, to review the options and possibilities for joining the rEVolution!

CLIMATE action advocate Professor Ian Lowe has provided his six-point plan to the ABC's website The Lab.

This formed part of the The Road to 2050 as part of the expert solutions:

1. A domestic emissions trading scheme should be set up, structured so as not to penalise corporations that have taken early action to reduce emissions, with a price for emitted carbon high enough to stimulate action (for example $35/tonne).

BIKE On is offering the first of two free cycling workshops this month, thanks to grants obtained from Noosa Council by Zero Emissions Noosa (ZEN). 

The 1.5 hour workshops, on Saturday, July 20, will be held at Girraween Sports Complex (Eenie Creek Rd, Noosa Heads) utilising the cycling infrastructure Noosa already has in place. 

Every new technology has its early adopters, those passionate individuals at the cutting edge of change who help spread the word and bring prices down for a wider market.

Mobile phones and solar panels are two such examples. Now we are seeing the same major change accelerating with electric vehicles.

One such passionate early adopter is long-time Sunshine Coast resident Jake Pettiford, who will be bringing his electric Hyundai Kona SUV to the Noosa Electric Vehicle Expo on Saturday.

Jake will be speaking with expo visitors about his experience with personal use and as an electric car Uber driver. 

Jake has a young family and his interest in sustainability and renewables started when he was working in East Africa and Europe. 

Noosa ratepayer savings through tapping into solar continues to soar with the council reporting its switch to major roof panels on one of its main buildings slashed energy consumption from the grid by up to 72 per cent during summer.

Project officer Annie Nolan said the Noosaville depot, now equipped with a 50KW system, achieved the biggest saving over summer with the 72 per cent saving.

"The reduction in the grid power usage delivered a 59 per cent cheaper bill for the depot,” she said.

"Typically power consumption rises in summer as air-conditioning works harder to keep indoor temperatures to a comfortable level however, thanks to the new solar systems, we've managed to slash our grid power consumption and the costs that go with that, and still weather the hottest summer on record.

"Almost 204,000 locals and visitors used the free buses over the Christmas holidays, saving approximately 100,000 car trips. This greatly reduced traffic and emissions."

A free Go Noosa App will provide information on bus timetables, scooter and bike parking, bike paths, walking tracks plus carparking and traffic levels in the Hastings St precinct.

"The positive response to the Christmas trials created the momentum to use Easter to collect even more data. We will use the information to decide what works well and what can be improved,"

"We are incredibly grateful to Junction landowner Michael Tozer, whose generosity has given us and the people of Noosa this opportunity,” ZEN president Vivien Griffin said. 

"This is the heart of the next wave for the Noosa Biosphere. The low emission world is changing rapidly and we want to celebrate Noosa residents and businesses which have already gone down this path.

"We will also promote emerging and truly sustainable transport and energy initiatives.” 

NOT only is Noosa Council looking to put a new roof over its head, but the $770,000 administration building tender also offers sustainable solar energy.

And the tender awarded at a special council meeting recommended allowing for a $72,000 contingency plan in the "worst case scenario" that the works require sections of council staff to be relocated to rented space.

The initial plan is for council staff forced to relocate to use existing council buildings.

BEING "sun smart” is taking on a whole new meaning at Noosa Council as its solar panel push continues to pay major dividends in cost savings to ratepayers.

Solar has provided more than 65per cent of the electricity needs of the Noosa Community Support facility at Wallace Park since January, with the large PV solar system exporting electricity back to the grid.

This means the facility's net grid power consumption is just 9per cent.

"Transport emissions just from local residents comprise 30 per cent of Noosa's carbon emissions, so it is definitely time for Council to step up, particularly since sustainable transport is one of their five focus areas in their Cities Power Partnership pledge. "

Ms Griffin said four local councils in West Australia trialled the use of electric bikes to replace private vehicle commuter journeys, and achieved great reductions in kilometres travelled to work by car.

"Many governments around the globe are subsidising the purchase of electric bikes. Electric scooters should also be part of the mix," she said.

IN THE beginning, there is the Word.

You start with mapping out the letters, then you organise 'letter leaders' to rally enough people to shape a letter. 

Last Saturday afternoon, about 1000 people gathered on Peregian Beach to send a one-word message to Prime Minister Scott Morrison and his Coalition government.

They organised to spell out a nine-letter word: renewable.

The whole idea was borne of a local government meeting last October, seeking ways to send Canberra a message that more needed to be done about tackling climate change, Noosa Council's council's carbon reduction project officer Anne Nolan said.

"Many councils vowed to act, including Noosa,” she said.

One of the largest electricity consumption sites for Noosa Council has recorded an 80 per cent reduction in power usage over the past 18 months thanks to going solar and other initiatives.

The Noosaville depot on Eumundi Noosa Road accommodates 105 staff members and was targeted for savings as part of its Zero Emissions Strategy adopted in 2016.

Council aims to have its operations at zero net emissions by 2026 with carbon reduction project officer Annie Nolan rating the depot as an ambitious place to start making changes.

"A 50 kilowatt roof top solar system was installed which has had a great impact on overall electricity use,” Ms Nolan said.

Cr Wellington said after hopping off at the Hastings St transit stop, this was the first suite of trials "that will continue to roll out over the next year or so”.

"This is just the beginning of a long-term plan to shift people away and goods away from the traditional means of travelling around the shire,” Cr Wellington said.

"It's our aim not to make it easier for cars, but rather to make it easier for essential deliveries to occur and easier for people to move around.”

The mayor said the Go Noosa trial aims to "create a more care-free, fun, alternative travelling experience for everyone, that's residents as well as visitors.”

"The tuk-tuk is ubiquitous throughout Asia and is currently noisy and polluting. This group of innovators clearly understand the need to reduce global transport emissions.”

Cr Wilkie said since November 24 "this inspiring team has travelled some 1900km from Melbourne” with "what must have been a very brisk detour up Mt Kosciuszko”.

He said this would show Noosa and others the way to a cleaner, smarter and more sustainable future "and we applaud you for that” and "your sense of adventure”.

Ms Bolton said the team's quest was exciting with its tangible efforts to bring this technology to the world.

A QUIET revolution is unfolding in Cooran thanks to the efforts of a few dynamic Noosa locals. 

Spending an hour or two on a Saturday morning learning how to unlock the secrets of electricity bills (and inspecting a home for more clues on household energy usage), is probably not your ideal weekend activity. 

But this hardy group of locals begs to differ.

Following on from their Declaration of Cooran as a Coal and Gas Free Community on August 11 this year, members of the Cooran Earth Rights (CER) group have been meeting with volunteers from Zero Emissions Noosa (ZEN) to take back the power, one household at a time. 

Cr Griffin and Cr Melrose were up for the fight with developer TM Burke and helped organise a huge public protest, which saw thousands of locals and other Noosa lovers bused in to line the David Low Way to protest.

The aim was to stop wall-to-wall development, and it worked thanks to the "High Noon and the High Dune'' rallying call coined by Ms Griffin.

"That's the name I dreamed up for it, High Noon for the High Dune - I'm not great at that stuff, but that one I liked,'' she said.

"That was one of the really great partnerships between the council and the community and (town) planner Raul Weychardt.