BUSINESS SUPPORT
WHAT’S GOING ON MID-MARCH 2020 seems a long time ago. But it was just three months ago that the threat of the pandemic was fast taking grip and unravelling life as we knew it. No longer could we go about our normal daily routines. We were entering a bizarre new and surreal chapter. Lives were upended.
Smith from the Smart Energy Council noted. Homeowners stuck
And when the lockdowns began to take effect we watched in horror as friends and relatives in tourism, hospitality, arts and entertainment lost their jobs. As shoppers went about stockpiling bathroom products, hand sanitisers, pasta and rice. Widespread disruption and uncertainty are generally accompanied by the need for knowledge. There were more pandemic posers than answers: about the nature and spread of the virus, the impact on health and a million more questions about how to adapt our lives and work practices while observing safety protocols. In a bid to address many of the issues – and alleviate some of the anxiety – the Smart Energy Council hastily convened a series of webinars delivered via the user-friendly Zoom platform. Drawing on the expertise of industry specialists, the range of webinars provided much needed clarification and understanding. And, happily for the smart energy industry, there were a number of positive early signs. Rather than fall victim to the new world under the virus, a countercyclical trend was taking hold.
returns.
Community dynamics The positive trend arose from a series of key aspects: electricity is an essential service; and during times of uncertainty people seek greater self-sufficiency, whether it’s planting vegetables and herbs to generating power from the rooftop. More people were spending increasing time at home and became more conscious of their spending, in particular their energy bills, Wayne
indoors were increasingly aware of their surrounds and focused on home improvement. They also had more time to research the merits of PV systems. Plummeting superannuation funds also played in favour of an industry that bolsters energy security while providing one of the best financial Sam Craft of NRG Solar suggested early on that the focus in customer communications needs to be on creating self-reliant solutions for families they can enjoy now and in the future. Geoff Bragg of Sunman Solar agrees, saying rooftop PV presents a compelling proposition for households; financial returns are both immediate and long term, and the community needs to be made more aware of this. This is an industry that can thrive, John Grimes said, we can buck the trend against an economic recession, however the government could ramp up incentives for homeowners, and with more people now working from home there is a compelling case for more solar and storage installations. “Greater incentives would help restore the economy, reduce household power bills and employ more people. That is our vision.” It’s a vision that in the broader context of energy efficiency,, emissions reductions and the economy is widely shared among business, environmental and lobby groups. Read more on a Renewables Led Recovery at www.smartenergy.org.au The Smart Energy Council’s webinar series covered a range of topics from Infection control, protection and recovery; State of the Market: household, commercial and large scale; Global Review of COVID-19 Impacts; Virtual Power Plants; Public Buildings; Capital raising for projects and more. And recognising the need to communicate with fellows in the industry, virtual cocktail hours staged by the Smart Energy Council connected members across Australia from the comfort of their own home.
