CLICK HERE to join the Facebook event.

The Sustainability Expert Forum will include experts on:

• Solar power
• Off-grid solar
• Energy efficiency
• Lighting
• Building retrofits
• Landscape design
• Permaculture

Greater Shepparton City Council Mayor Dinny Adem said “Council has been working hard to reduce our energy usage and costs. We are very pleased to offer an opportunity for our residents to have access to local experts to learn how to make their homes more comfortable and energy efficient.”

• When: Sunday 21 May 2017 from 10.00am until 12.00pm
• Where: North Shepparton Community & Learning Centre, 10-14 Parkside Drive Shepparton
• Costs:  Free

CLICK HERE to register.

Our panel of experts

Advanced Environmental Systems - energy efficiency, lighting, Off-grid solar, solar hot water, solar pumps, solar PV

Advanced Environmental Systems Managing Director Peter Clinnick is an accredited commercial and industrial energy auditor with over 30 years’ experience in household, commercial and industrial resource use and assessment.  AES adopts a two pronged approach to reducing resource use; firstly by reducing overall demand and secondly by identifying wasted resources. In his own home Peter has installed solar air conditioning, 5 kW of solar PV, solar hot water and a 40 kL rain water storage – no bills. He can help with advice on a range of topics including: energy saving options for residential, commercial and industrial premises; building fabric selection and improvement; solar pumps for irrigation; lighting options; off-grid opportunities and costs; solar air conditioning for homes and businesses; solar and other hot water options.

Commodore Australia - Off-grid solar, solar pumps, wind power

Commodore Australia is dedicated to alternative energy, with quality products ranging from solar power, heating, through to generators, batteries and wind turbines as well as quality farm electrics. We can offer specialist expertise in domestic, agricultural, industry and off-grid power. Managing Director Boyd Dainton has lived in the Shepparton area all his life, with local family history going back to 1860s. He has 40 years’ experience in the electronics industry, and has built his own off-grid sustainable house. He can advise on a wide range of topics including off-grid solar, wind power, battery storage, and solar pumps. 

David Arnold - building retrofits, energy efficiency, gardens, owner building, permaculture design

David did his first energy efficiency and food self-reliance retrofit of a suburban house and garden in 1993. He has lived and worked in the Goulburn Valley district since 1995, working with permaculture projects ranging from energy efficiency building retrofit, productive home garden design and self-reliance, owner building, homestead development, tree crop agriculture, and farm scale landscaping with multi-purpose shelter belts and alley plantings. David teaches permaculture design, and specialist skills such as natural beekeeping and forestry, from his farm Murrnong at Violet Town.

Energy Smart Design - energy efficiency, ESD consultant

Energy Smart Design was started in 2001 by Henning Rasmussen and specialises in performing energy ratings and other energy efficiency assessments for a range of clients from high end architectural residential dwellings and volume builders down to more modest and low cost dwellings for various organisations and individuals alike. Henning’s involvement within a number of professional forums such as the Victorian Building Authority (VBA), Sustainability Victoria (SV), Building Designers Association (BDAV) and NatHERS are a testament to our depth of knowledge. Energy Smart Design has a high level of expertise in Energy Efficiency, and Energy Smart Design has trained over 600 energy raters at RMIT Carlton as well as trained in the BCA Elemental Methods.

James Seymour Architecture - designer

James Seymour Architecture is a small architectural practice based in Shepparton. James has experience working on a broad range of project types in regional Victoria. We believe that considered design solutions can maximise the opportunities present in all projects and provide real benefits to the users. We are particularly interested in the positive outcomes that can be achieved by considering key design elements such as Place (the site and the contribution it can make to the design solution); the positive outcomes from incorporating passive design principles; considered material selections; and Liveable Design Guidelines.  We believe an investment in good design advice early in the life of the project will provide a significant return in the sustainable outcomes.

Sustainable Building Design - designer

Director of Sustainable Building Design consultancy, David Halford is a Certified Passive House Designer and a registered building designer. With several decades of designing energy efficient buildings and three designs already approved by the Passive House Institute, he has experience in most of the elements that are required to achieve a successful design that embodies high comfort and low energy use. His long experience in the industry and also in building his self-sufficient house with his own hands helps him understand what is critical/valuable both in the design and construction of buildings.

JMB Constructions - James Briggs is born and raised in the Goulburn Valley. He is the managing director of JMB Constructions. JMB constructions specialise in building custom designed modern unique homes, green and high energy rated homes as well as renovations and extensions. James has researched, designed and in the process of constructing a shipping container home in Kialla, which is his own personal home and prototype. He has spent years researching best methods of construction for sustainability and energy efficiency. Making sure it would be water tight, have great thermal mass and making the best use of space that could be achieved with a container configuration. Finding benefits of modular construction.

Katamatite Garlic - Grahame Eddy has a degree in Horticulture from Melbourne University. For the last 10 years Grahame has been developing his permaculture property in Katamatite. Along with this he has used his skills in permaculture and growing organics to develop his business Katamatite Garlic.