Energy Fair 2008
The inaugural Energy Fair was held on 6 April 2008 at Warlands Reserve Victor Harbor and attracted approximately 1500 people. So successful was the event that exhibitors and the general public requested it be held again next year. The City of Victor Harbor and Energy Education Australia Inc have agreed setting aside Sunday 5 April 2009 for the second Energy Fair.
Exhibitors included the Mathematics Association of South Australia represented by the Australian Science and Mathematics School; Robotics represented by the Informatics School of Engineering from Flinders University; and the School of Chemical Engineering from The University of Adelaide with their hydrogen model car. Other popular exhibitors were:
- a Straw Bale House
- an electric motor bike
- a self reliant house that has no bills for energy throughout the year relying on solar and wind power to manage all power needs
- on road South Australian registered cars from the Electric Vehicle Association.
- a geothermal display by Primary Industries and Resources of South Australia
But the attention that earned the most interest from young and old was Tafe SA’s solar car called Kelly. Rides around the reserve were particularly popular!
At the fair the House Energy Rating Competition was launched with several schools already showing interest in participating. Sustainability Victoria kindly granted Energy Education Australia permission to distribute the Victorian Government’s 5 Star building software FirstRate to participating schools. Adelaide’s House Energy Rating company has offered free professional development to teachers whose school wishes to participate. The competition will run until Sunday 19 October when judging will be conducted at Victor Harbor. Judges from the Nursery and Garden Industry South Australia, the School of Architecture from The University of Adelaide and House Energy Rating company have been retained to oversee the competition.
Further information regarding the House Energy Rating Competition is available on the web by visiting www.energy.edu.au/herc_home.html.
