ON Saturday, May 17, the Electrify Melville City Expo was an electrical awakening.
Held at the EcoHub in Winthrop, it was buzzing with residents eager to learn how to transition their homes toward cleaner, more efficient electric alternatives.
Organised by the Melville City Climate Action Network, the event aimed to empower the community with practical knowledge and tools to reduce carbon emissions and household energy costs.
One of the major learnings was that a totally electrified home in WA will spend $3,500 less per year on average than a home with gas appliances and a petrol vehicle.
• Expo visitors learned about electric vehicles and induction cooking, with the event organised by MCCAN’s volunteers. Photos by Carolyn Grazier
Electrified home
The Expo was opened by Labor Bateman MLA Kim Giddens and attended by Tangney MP Sam Lim and Melville mayor Katy Mair.
It was family-friendly, with face-painting and children’s activities, featured a range of energising activities, expert talks, and an induction cooking demonstration.
The venue, a hub for environmental education and sustainability initiatives, provided the perfect backdrop for this community-driven event.
A highlight of the Expo was the keynote address by Jatin Kala, a climate scientist from Murdoch University.
The presentation room was full to capacity so some attendees had standing room only.
Prof Kala discussed the science behind climate change and the significant role that electrification can play in reducing greenhouse gas emissions.
His insights underscored the urgency of transitioning to electric solutions in our homes and communities.
He shared the facts that the global “carbon budget” to remain under 1.5°C of global warming will be consumed in six years and the budget to remain under 2°C is 14 years.
This has underpinned why the City of Melville declared a climate emergency and has put in place its Corporate Climate Action Plan and a Community Climate Action Plan.
Tim McLennan shared his family’s story of embarking on a nine-month, fossil fuel-free adventure, towing a pop-up caravan with an electric 4WD.
Their mission was to take the iconic Australian road trip in a fully electrified way, extending the sustainable lifestyle they’ve built at home onto the open road – proving that long-distance travel across Australia without burning a drop of fossil fuel is not only possible but practical, while creating lifelong memories and having fun with their kids along the way.
The Australian Electric Vehicle Association was popular with one attendee commenting that, “It was good to have so many EVs together giving unbiased information from the owners of EVs – not from a salesman.”
Also on display were electric bikes.
These displays offered a tangible look at the future of transportation and the benefits of moving away from fossil fuels.
The presentation by Michael Andrewartha discussed the “duck curve” of “solar energy production vs grid demand” in WA and how the Mount Pleasant Primary School is a wonderful example of “distributed energy systems vs centralised generations systems”.
In addition, a live demonstration of induction cooking highlighted that induction cooktops are twice as efficient as gas cooktops, do not emit dangerous gases like nitrous oxide and are just so easy to clean!
Informational stalls provided guidance on installing solar panels, utilising home batteries and adopting heat pump hot water systems.
Experts were on hand to answer questions and help attendees understand the practical steps involved in making their homes more energy-efficient.
This included explaining the Synergy Virtual Power Plant for Perth.
The Expo emphasised six key decisions that households can make to electrify their homes.
• Switching to induction cooktops
• Installing reverse cycle heating and cooling systems
• Upgrading to heat pump hot water systems
• Installing rooftop solar panels
• Adding home battery storage
• Transitioning to electric vehicles
The Electrify Melville City Expo proved one thing: the future isn’t coming — it’s already here!
For more information, resources related to home electrification, or to become a member visit the Melville City Climate Action Network’s website at
www.melvillecitycan.org
by PAULA SAMSON
Secretary and founding member of Melville City Climate Action Network Inc.