Theory into practice: That year, I started a construction
company called Sunpower Design in Mount Macedon. Ash Wednesday in 1983
was really the first opportunity for us to get into passive solar
design, and we replaced about 15 buildings up there.
Waiting for the others to catch up: I was also burnt in the
bushfires and as a result, the State Electricity Commission gave me
compensation, which I used go to America in 1984. There I studied
sustainable building design and met Balcomb and people such as Ed Mama,
who wrote what was then the only definitive manual – The Passive Solar
Energy Book. I came back enthusiastic about the whole idea, not
realising, of course, that I was about 15 years ahead of the times. It
really started to take off when the Victorian Government introduced
five-star and water-saving regulations – the awareness started to
shift.
Energy efficiency now a going concern: These days we have five
people working in the business and we’re growing at the rate of 10-15
per cent a year. We’ve designed more than 400 buildings and have won
well over 20 state and national energy efficient and sustainable design
awards. In our business we can make a huge difference to the survival
of our planet. If we all did solar hot water, rainwater catchment,
five- or six- or seven-star energy-efficient buildings we would make an
enormous difference to the amount of energy reduction we need as a
society.
Wanting to make a difference: When you talk to young people
today, they’re really worried about these issues and I can say to these
kids, “Well, indirectly, we’re one of growing numbers of people
actually wanting to make a difference.”
The Age, 8/2/2006
Source: Erisk – www.erisk.net