Did you know that renewables produced more electricity than coal across the world in the first half of 2025? What a huge shift in a short amount of time. More change is to come, with projects like this photo, of an orchard in Switzerland (does the sun even shine there?) where panels produce 300MWh per year in electricity. What a harvest!
The good news is that Australia is a world leader in solar electricity, just think about all those roof panels saving homeowners household bills. If you have an EV and home battery, you are also getting cheap or free car travel. What's there not to like! As someone has written, "Burning fossil fuels is like burning old sunshine; now we can utilise the sun in real-time"
This week on EarthChat we talk to Mark Lyons, Clonbinane local and solar expert. Here is what Mark says about himself,
"I grew up down stream from Myrtleford and helped dad a lot while he was building various bits of equipment for the farm. This gave me a good mechanical understanding of things. I left school as soon as I was able and worked in a timber mill in Myrtleford before moving to Melbourne to study photography. That was my work for about 20 years and ran a photographic business in Northcote for about ten years.
"Towards the end of that I did a diploma in renewable energies. It became apparent I would need to pay an electrician to do much of the work I was planning. That was when I started an apprenticeship as an electrician which I completed in my forties. So for about 20 years now I have run my own electric contracting business as well as project managing large megawatt size solar installations for a company.
"Some time in my thirties I found a guitar that was being thrown out so I took it home and learned to play it, eventually writing my own songs and forming a fairly heavy rock band that played in pubs around Melbourne for about 5 years.
"I love making things like trailers, electric motorbikes, quad bikes and a small ride on mower I use as a small tractor. We left Melbourne 6 1/2 years ago for Clonbinane and have never looked back. During my late 20s I lived overseas for a couple of years where I met and married Mary. 33 years married now. We have a daughter, Hazel who is 30 now and is a nurse."
Mark and Tim will be chatting about how to make the most of wonderful opportunities renewables can offer. How can we better use the power of the sun? How do we apply for government subsidies around batteries and energy efficient appliances for everyone?

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