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Even on this cloudy day, the church’s newly installed solar energy system is neutralising what we are currently taking from the grid. (It is a low activity day with just the office and kitchen fridge consuming power). Nevertheless, did you know that one unit of energy will:

• drive a car (@ 6 litres/100km) 2 km
• heat 20L of water 42°C once @ 100% efficiency (no losses)
• heat a room 3.2m x 3.3m x 2.3m by 5°C once @ 100% efficiency (no losses)
• lift 650L of water 600m (Perth water from Yarragadee aquifer @ 100% efficiency)
• run a pool pump for 1 hour (750 watt pump + salinator)
• run a big plasma TV (500watts) for 2 hours
• run a small TV (50 watts) for 20 hours
• run a twin outdoor security lamp for 3 hours
• run a small fridge for 1 day
• run a pond pump (50 watts) for 20 hours
• run an electric resistance heater for half an hour
• run a reverse cycle air conditioner (small – 1 large room) for 1.25 hours
• run an evaporative cooler (whole house) for 1.5 hours
• keep an old 60W incandescent globe on for 17 hours
• keep a 15W fluorescent globe on for 67 hours
• keep a 7W LED globe on for 143 hours
• keep a 15W standby load standing by for 67 hours
• collect, produce, deliver and treat (as waste water) 1000L of Perth drinking water
• add 1kg of greenhouse gas to our atmosphere if obtained from fossil-fueled electricity as our coal and gas fired power stations provide
• add ~250g of greenhouse gas to our atmosphere if obtained from natural gas
• be produced in 1 hour by full sun shining on a 1kW photovoltaic system (with near zero greenhouse gas emissions)