Solar energy and AC/DC

“That’s how AC/DC got its name,” my husband says confidently though I can’t be sure he’s not joking.

We are standing in front of the hydro meter on the side of our house with the sales manager from the company that will be installing our solar panels. She has just explained the installation of an inverter that will change electricity from DC current into AC current and send it to our breaker panel.

After the visit, I mention this to my daughter and she adds her learnings from grade 9 science, “AC stands for alternating current and DC is direct current.”

Now I am impressed. But still sceptical about the origins of the Aussie rock band’s name.

Luckily I don’t need to understand any of the technical matters to know it’s a good time to go solar. Like most actions we have taken to be more environmentally conscious, there are practical and financial benefits. Here are a few examples.

Since we purchased our peppy Bolt EV three years ago we estimate we have saved at least $6,000 on gas and maintenance (no oil changes). (We figure we save a litre of gas for every 10 km if you want to do your own math.)

Our smallest little garden is producing fresh and yummy vegetables at the low cost of seeds and soil. Our food share box helps us stay local with our produce throughout the year.

Shopping locally and seeking eco-friendly options often leads to better quality and longer lasting products (my all-natural shampoo bar of soap will last well over a year with zero packaging).

Coffee tastes better in my reusable ceramic mug rather than drinking from a disposable paper cup.

The push lawn mower? We save on the cost of energy and it is a serious workout (not for me admittedly!) so you could say it replaces a gym workout.

The financial benefit of solar energy is easier to identify. With electricity prices going up (and up), solar energy will bring us savings in the short term (on our hydro bill) and the long term (it is estimated we will pay back our investment in 10 years).

I am not saying we are a completely ‘green’ household. We can certainly do more. But each action helps to reduce our carbon footprint.

Which brings me to the topic of travel. I was flipping through Lonely Planet’s Best in Travel 2020 (to spark some travel dreaming) and sustainable travel is a serious consideration in vetting the top 10 countries, regions and cities to visit in 2020.*

* published pre-pandemic

Aruba plans to transition to 100 percent renewable energy in 2020 and ban single-use plastic and reef-destroying sunscreens. Costa Rica, a country that “flies the flag for sustainable tourism” generates 90 percent of their energy from renewable sources and could be the first carbon-neutral country in 2020. Bhutan, a tiny Himalayan country, requires a high daily entrance fee to minimize impact from tourism, is carbon-negative and poised to become totally organic by 2020. (Interestingly, Bhutan is the country that introduced the concept of Gross National Happiness in the 1970s.) Liberia, in West Africa, is halting all deforestation by 2020 to preserve its rainforest.

Each (destination) is chosen for its topicality, unique experiences and ‘wow’ factor. We also take sustainable travel seriously – helping you have a positive impact wherever you choose to go.

Lonely Planet, Best in Travel 2020

Among the top 10 regions, Lord Howe Island (600 km off the coast of Australia) only allows 400 visitors at a time to protect its unique ecology of lush forests, pristine coral reefs and rare birds. In Northeast Argentina, the recent establishment of Iberá National Park is now the largest freshwater wetland in South America.

Beyond the destinations themselves, Lonely Planet provides some tips for reducing your carbon footprint (plane travel being the biggest contributor to emissions as an individual traveller). Flying less is one way. Staying longer in a destination and taking ground travel is a better choice as train can offer a carbon savings of 90 percent compared to flying. Some countries, like Norway, have a good (and stunningly scenic) infrastructure for touring by electric car. When you do fly, small changes can reduce your footprint, such as choosing a direct flight (take-off and landing burns the most fuel), travelling with lighter luggage and researching carriers for their fuel efficiency.

Full disclosure, I have never chosen a destination based on sustainability criteria (or purchased a carbon offset for my flight). I have generally planned my trips based on where I wanted to go and what could reasonably fit into my allotted vacation time. But with this travel pause, it seems like a good opportunity to rethink my travel goals and how I want to travel in the future.

For now, back at home, our solar panels will have the capacity to produce approximately 12,000 kilowatts. It’s small amount of renewable energy, but should be enough for our consumption. Solar energy has the potential to power much larger scale projects. Like an airport. In fact, Kochi, India (one of the top 10 cities to visit in 2020) has the world’s first airport fully powered by solar. Cool.

The inverter for the Cochin International Airport must be huge. And produce a whole lotta raw energy, just like AC/DC, whose name and high voltage logo is indeed based on the flow of electrical charge.

My husband was right. That’s how AC/DC got its name.