THE MEANING OF OZ - All you need to know!

@msolga,

I think the light bulb thing is pretty cool actually,

All my non-ceiling lights are low energy ones...and they last and last and last.

The ceiling ones are reasonably low energy.

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@dlowan,

Yes. And I received an extremely generous gift (25 of them), I realized, after checking the prices of em at the supermarket.

I'm absolutely no authority on this, but I've come across comments in the media that they do not save nearly as energy efficient as claimed (compared to the "old" globes). Anyone know more about this?

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The government gives a REC (renewable energy credit) for each lightbulb installed (or each household, not sure which) to the installer. These are like tradeable securities usually sold to a "rec bank" effectivly these rec banks are stores for electriciy companies and the like to purchase recs to ofset their carbon emissions.

http://www.green-bank.com.au/

The same applies to solar generation units and solar hot water units. My solar power unit generates 4 recs each year. (i think thats right). These are generally signed over to the installer in return for some kind of discount on the installation or product.

STAY AWAY FROM DOOR TO DOOR INSULATION OFFERS.

shoddy workmanship has led to a number of house fires. If you want insulation installed, contact a reputable company.

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@dadpad,

Thanks, dp.

I knew you'd know more about this!

Gotta go out now, so I'll read the information you supplied later.

(Now I'm concerned about installing those new light bulbs myself. )

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I have installed a number of low energy globes. i find that in some areas of the house like bedrooms or outside the front door they are annoying in that they take longer to come up to a usefull light level. These may be older technology now i'm not sure.

I recently installed a small LED solar light with its own panel for the front door. Its enough and it has a movement detection cell so people can actually find the doorbell in the dark.
My solar panel operated extreemly well and generates around 4 or 5 kilowatts each day. on cloudy or rainy days it drops to 2 or 3. Unused energy is sent back into the grid and we recieve a credit on our power bill for that amount.
Cost of the panel and installation was around $10K rebate from Gov was $8K
total cost to us was 2K. It will still take a long time (8 years) to pay back the 2k but thats not why we did it.

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@msolga,

Question for you, dp, if that's OK:

These new light globes I have. Is it better that I have someone else install them? Lots of folk I know have installed them themselves. I thought it was just a simple matter of out with the old & in with the new. Wrong?

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@msolga,

Ooops. Just saw the answer to my question in your first post.

Quote:

STAY AWAY FROM DOOR TO DOOR INSULATION OFFERS.

shoddy workmanship has led to a number of house fires. If you want insulation installed, contact a reputable company.

OK then. Will do.

Don't wanna burn my house down!

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woo hoo

hamish and andy are back, my ipod is happy (and so am i)

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@djjd62,

Know what, djjd?

I have never listened to Amish & Andy. (That's right. Sorry.)

But I'm interested to know what is is about their broadcasts that you enjoy so much. Smile

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I'm posting this here in case some of you might be interesting in watching this tonight. The Naked Lentil, 8:30 PM on SBS.

Lentil As Anything is a bit down the road from me, in Brunswick. I've been there a few times & let me tell you, the food was brilliant!
But it was the concept of "pay by donation" as you leave (if you choose) that drew me there in the first place. So unique & so enlightened. I'm saddened to hear that Shanaka Fernando is facing financial difficulties. But I'll be very interested to hear more of the story. :

http://www.sbs.com.au/shows/resize/index/id/6022/w/629/h/354/

Quote:

Nine years ago, charismatic Sri Lankan migrant Shanaka Fernando dropped out of law school to open ‘Lentil As Anything’, a crazy little restaurant in Melbourne where there are no prices, no cash registers, and no rules " but where you can always get a great vegetarian meal even if you can’t pay a cent. Today Shanaka runs a string of busy pay-as-u-feel venues staffed by 100 migrants from all around the world, who rely on the organization for work, training, accommodation, driving lessons and a vital social network. Shanaka even won the Australian of The Year Local Hero award in 2007. But while he may be a visionary, he’s no business manager, and his quixotic creation has racked up a huge debt that’s threatening to sink the whole organization and pull everyone down with it. Now the question is " can a place that relies solely on human generosity survive in this world; or will it be torn apart by competing egos, chronic chaos and crippling debt?

http://www.sbs.com.au/shows/nakedlentil/about/page/i//show/nakedlentil

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climate change or what/
Mt Buller receives summer snow
18 Jan 2010
about 10 days ago it snowed here. i've been hoping to get pictures but no luck yet.

Mt Buller has received some unseasonal snowfalls overnight, with approximately 4cm of snow falling at the Victorian High Country resort. These snowfalls follow months of above average rainfall, which has resulted in stunning green surrounds and fields of wildflowers whilst helping reduce the risk of bushfires in the area.

Mt Buller Alpine Resort Management Board Marketing and Communications Manager, Amber Gardner, said it was unusual to have snow at this time of year but is all part of life in the alps. "While Mt Buller tends to be at least 10 C cooler in summer than in Melbourne and the surrounding regions, it's rare that we get the sub-zero temperatures that enable snow to fall at this time of year

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Morning, Oz.

An absolute stinker predicted for today.

37 C degrees with those mad, Melbourne winds thrown in for good measure! Shocked

Soon I'll close the all the doors & windows ... batten down the hatches for the day ..

I hope you're faring better today in your neck of the woods.

Fingers tightly crossed for all those "at risk" country areas in Victoria & SA.

Good luck!

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@msolga,

Hi msolga. Same pattern in SA, 37 as well, clear heat though and no winds. Will knock off a couple of Crown Lagers to keep cool. Smile

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@Dutchy,

And why not, Dutchy? Smile

I must do a quick dash to the shops before it gets nasty here!

Meanwhile, in northern Queensland ......

Quote:

Wild winds, rain lash Queensland
Posted 2 hours 55 minutes ago
Updated 2 hours 34 minutes ago

An ex-tropical cyclone and a monsoon trough are dumping heavy rainfall and whipping up gale force winds across Queensland.

Flood warnings are current for coastal rivers and streams from Townsville to Mackay, including the Don, Haughton, Flinders, Norman and adjacent Gulf rivers.

Yesterday, tropical cyclone Olga crossed the Queensland coast west of Karumba in the Gulf of Carpentaria around 5am AEST.

Senior forecaster Ben Annells says falls of up to 200 millimetres have been recorded in the Pioneer and Burdekin catchments.

He says a gale warning is also current from central Queensland to the state's far north.... cont>

http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2010/01/31/2805826.htm

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It's bloody beautiful down at Kiama (south of Sydney) - although already quite humid and expect it to heat up a fair bit. I've been out since 6.15am with my camera - down at Seven Mile Beach - about to check out the shots. Great breakfast at a new cafe find at Gerroa.

This is a fabulous part of the world.

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@margo,

Out to film the life-savers? Laughing

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@margo,

It is a fabulous part of the world, margo.

Half your luck on a day like this, I say!

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@Dutchy,

Funny you should say that, Dutchy - I was watching the life boat training, and then the Gerringong Nippers set up and started their training. There's something essentially Australian about the nippers out there Cool