Renew Magazine

Fact-based and human-interest stories about building climate and energy resilience in your home and community. All the latest in sustainable issues and technology, as well as useful how-tos for reducing your footprint and contributing to a more resilient future.

Renew Magazine

Editorial

Quarterly round-up

PRODUCTS-EV ROUNDUP

Carbon-free steel • Steel production produces a lot of CO2, but it doesn’t have to. One of Australia’s most forward-thinking mining companies shows the way.

3D printed housing scales up • Printing homes using concrete can make for fast construction and efficient materials use. Denmark is taking it to the next level.

Mining goes electric everywhere • Heavy vehicles are just as easily electrified as light vehicles, as the mining industry is demonstrating.

What an energy assessor taught me about my 1960s home • Bhree Lowry discovers why a large solar system can’t compensate for a poorly performing building envelope—and how an energy assessment helped her work out what to tackle next.

First-time buyers guide to owning an EV • Thinking about buying your first electric vehicle? Electrician, long-time EV reviewer and driver Bryce Gaton shares 12 practical tips to help smooth the transition from choosing your first BEV to charging and driving with confidence.

Do I need a portable charger for my new EV? • Portable EV chargers can be a handy back-up for weekends away, road trips or emergencies, but with several types and charging speeds available, which one is right for you? Bryce Gaton runs through the options and what to look for when choosing one.

How the UK is using comedy to sell heat pumps • Daniel Simons looks at how UK climate advocates are turning to comedy to get people talking about renewable tech.

Protein for the planet • Fiona Smith explores the case for putting feral deer, wild boar and other introduced species on the menu—and asks whether our food choices could help tackle one of Australia’s biggest environmental problems.

The secret to building a sustainability network • Sarah Coles encounters some unexpected answers as she tries to write an article about how to build and maintain a sustainability network.

The electrified backyard • From solar shelters and EV charging to battery garden tools, electric barbecues and pool heating, electrification is moving beyond the walls of the house. Jacinta Cleary looks at what’s possible, and how a little planning now can make future upgrades easier.

The long life of unwanted clothes • As Australians send mountains of unwanted clothing to op shops and landfill, Janina Waldmann explores the growing textile recycling industry and what it will take to keep our clothes in circulation for longer.

Making renewables go viral • We sit down with Rosemary Barnes, clean energy engineer and the face behind the popular YouTube channel, Engineering with Rosie.

Electrification for homes with limited power connections • If you want to ditch gas but your home has a limited electrical connection, what are the options?

Balcony solar—solar for everyone! • More countries and jurisdictions are allowing small solar systems that homeowners can install themselves. Will Australia follow suit?

Greening the hood • Efforts to “green” our neighbourhoods—which start in our own backyards and spill out into initiatives like verge gardens, community gardens, tree planting and wildlife corridors—can play an important role in cooling our suburbs and encouraging biodiversity, Jane Hone reports.

Drumming up biogas II • Callum Morrison presents a follow-up article to his “Drumming up biogas” article way back in Soft Technology 45 in 1993, to explain how we need to reduce the climate impact of organics and used food atoms.

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