About the Savings and Loans Green City Festival

Aims

The aims of the Festival are to demonstrate what we can do to save resources (and money), to show how we can reduce our ecological footprint and to explain what's happening with renewable technologies in SA and in the World around us.

Concept

Savings and Loans Green City is a free festival of interest to anyone who wants to learn more about the practicalities of sustainable living. The festival will showcase energy efficient house design, water management, transport, recycling and the latest developments in large and small-scale renewable energy.

Practicality is the key word. The festival is all about the nuts and bolts of sustainable living rather than policy and theory. You can find out exactly how to improve the insulation and shading of your home, make your garden more water efficient and spend less on transport.

And it is a festival, so there will be local music, a food and market bazaar area featuring “Low Production Miles”, so you will find items grown, produced or made locally in SA by South Australians.

A kids' area will feature fun and interactive activities based on sustainable living. Get down and dirty with soil and worms, plant seedlings and have fun with solar energy displays. Plus face painters, music and performers.

What you'll find

Businesses involved in energy efficiency, renewable energy and water management displaying and explaining their products and services.

Community groups giving out free advice about retrofitting your home to improve passive heating and cooling, energy efficient appliances and active solar devices such as power generation and water heating.

Councils and government departments explaining how your waste is recycled, how home energy consumption can be reduced and what is being done to improve your local environment.

Children's activities showing how learning about sustainability can be fun.

Music, dance and other entertainment.

Plus free seminars and workshops describing how you can:

• Reduce heating and cooling bills by better house design
• Save money by low cost energy saving modifications to existing homes
• Find the right site for an energy efficient house
• Manage the design and building of an energy efficient house
• Find out about solar electrical systems and hot water systems - what's available and what will suit your needs
• Conduct a home energy and water use audit
• Catch, treat and reuse greywater
• Build a rainwater collection, storage and usage system
• Reduce household water consumption
• Reduce heating and cooling costs by better shading and insulation
• Reduce heating and cooling costs by lifestyle changes
• Design your garden to reduce water and maintenance

Everything you wanted to know but never had the opportunity to ask

• What's the latest in geothermal or 'hot rock' power generation and how long before it powers our homes and industry?
• We see small wind generators on our public buildings but are they really a viable option for suburban homes?
• How much of our energy needs could be provided by large-scale wind farms?
• What are the Big Dish and the CSIRO Solar Tower? How do large-scale solar thermal systems work and how do they generate electricity?
• What happens to green waste after the council has collected it?
• How much domestic waste could be diverted from landfill if we really tried?
• Could Australia grow most of its own biofuels?
• How can Adelaide be self sufficient in water?
• What happens to storm water and sewage after it's left my property?
• How do desalination plants work and can they be made more energy efficient?
• Will domestic solar electrical systems become more affordable and when?
• What are the viable biofuels and when will they really compete with fossil fuels?
• Hybrid, electrical and hydrogen. What will power cars in the foreseeable future?
• Could renewable energy and energy efficiency really create a jobs bonanza?