GUEST SPEAKER - MALCOM PRICE

 

The Chair, Doug Maclean introduced Malcom Price as our guest speaker. Malcom is a born and bred Warrnamboolite. He left school part way through form 5 to begin a 4 year electrical appreticeship with the Warrnambool firm RG & BF Norley. Malcom worked for them for 10 years and when his employer retired, he started his own electrical business. He currently employs 5 staff and has trained 13 apprentices over the years. He currently has his first female apprentice who is about to begin her third year. Major projects completed include the ATC Warrnambool Campus, Ward 9 SWHC, Warrnambool Bowls Club, Proudfoots Boathouse, Wannon Water Gateway Road office building, Wannon Water Contract 255 just to name a few. Price Electricals were awarded state and national winner for its carrying out of Contract 255 with the National Electrical Contractors Association in 2005 and Mal has been a member of that association for over 25 years. Hobbies include hunting, fishing, competition clay target shooting, drinking red wine and living life to the max.

Malcom talked about solar energy, being off the grid using batteries, the savings that can be made with good electrical appliances and using LED lights. Some other points raised were:

  • The world uses 19% of energy on lighting.
  • Today's solar panels now have micro inverters which makes them more efficient when shads occurs on panels.
  • When considering changing to solar, always go with a reputable installer who can maintain the panels and give advice. Even though it is a highly regulated industry, you still get the "cowboys".
  • How much energy you need to run your home will determine what type/size solar panels you need to get.
  • Check how much energy your appliances are using, maybe you need to buy more efficient products.
  • Find out what are off peak times with your energy supplier. Shop around for the best deal.
  • Change to LED lighting which is cost efficient and safer. Don't just change the globes, but the whole installation.

If you are interested in going off the grid, i.e. storing hour energy in batteries, hold off a while, as the industry is still doing research and safety checks of various batteries and how to best store them. And over time the costs will come down, like all new technology.

For more information, go to the website: www.cleanenergycouncil.au

Following a number of questions, President Steve thanked Malcom for his extremely interesting talk.