Skip to Content
  • Hi, having trouble finding what you're looking for? Would you like to live chat with customer service now?

    Webchat technical failure!
    Sorry, chat is currently unavailable.
    Live chat is available Mon-Fri 8:30am - 4:30pm.
    Your details
    Press enter to send message while in chat.

  • phone

    (08) 8416 6333

  • sms

    0429 205 943
    SMS Only

  • speedy

    Waste chatbot

  • Environment
  • Renewable energy
  • Solar energy
  • Main Menu
    • Search
    • UP one level
    • Popular
      • Report an issue
      • Community Engagement
      • Contact council
      • Make a payment online
      • Online services
      • Parking & Expiations
      • Which bin to put out?
      • Hard waste
      • Thebarton Community Centre
      • Development applications
      • Zoning information
      • Minutes & Agendas
      • Dog registration
      • Hamra centre library
      • Borrow from library
      • Library catalogue
    • Building & planning
      • Buying a property
      • Development assessment
      • Renovations & extensions
      • Other development advice
      • Building Permits & licenses
      • Policy planning
      • Placemaking project - Admella Lane
      • Public Realm Design Manual
      • Fact Sheets - Engineering Guidelines for Development
    • Community
      • Australia Day Awards 2020
      • Care and support
      • Children youth and families
      • Community arts
      • Community Centres
      • Community events calendar
      • Financial counselling
      • Grants, donations, rebates & sponsorships
      • Justices of the Peace
      • Lifestyle and inclusion
      • Major projects
      • Promote your community event
      • Talking Points Magazine
      • West Torrens Road Safety Group
    • Council
      • Emergencies & disasters
      • Employment and volunteering
      • Feedback, compliments and complaints
      • Local history
      • Make a payment online
      • Meetings
      • Our City
      • Rates & charges
      • Tenders, contracting & purchasing
      • Your Council
      • Information
    • Environment
      • Climate change
      • Plants & animals
      • Renewable energy
      • Water
      • Trees
      • Urban greening
    • Library
      • Hamra Centre Library
      • Activities and events
      • Digital literacy
      • Home Library Service
      • Learn english
      • Library catalogue & app
      • Library Fees & charges
      • Library News
      • Library resources & collections
      • Little Libraries locations
      • Membership & borrowing
      • Mobile Library
      • Computers and WiFi
      • Local History
    • Services
      • CityWatch - report an issue
      • Information & staging events
      • Parking in the City of West Torrens
      • Pets and animals
      • Public & environmental health
      • Streets roads footpaths and permits
      • Street Sweeping
    • Waste and recycling
      • About your bins
      • A-Z guide to waste and recycling
      • Bindy the Waste and Recycling Chatbot
      • Tips to reduce waste
      • Organics bin and food waste recycling
      • Recycling bin
      • Waste to landfill bin
      • Electronic & electrical waste
      • Hard waste
      • Bin collection notifications
      • Chemicals and paint
      • Illegal dumping
      • Education - School and Community
      • Where recyclables go after collection
      • Plastic Recycling: it's not by numbers!
  • Popular
  • Building & planning
  • Community
  • Council
  • Environment
  • Library
  • Services
  • Waste and recycling
Report an issue
Community Engagement
Contact council
Make a payment online
Online services
Parking & Expiations
Which bin to put out?
Hard waste
Thebarton Community Centre
Development applications
Zoning information
Minutes & Agendas
Dog registration
Hamra centre library
Borrow from library
Library catalogue
Report an issue
Community Engagement
Contact council
Make a payment online
Online services
Parking & Expiations
Which bin to put out?
Hard waste
Thebarton Community Centre
Development applications
Zoning information
Minutes & Agendas
Dog registration
Hamra centre library
Borrow from library
Library catalogue
Buying a property
Development assessment
Renovations & extensions
Other development advice
Building Permits & licenses
Policy planning
Placemaking project - Admella Lane
Public Realm Design Manual
Fact Sheets - Engineering Guidelines for Development
Australia Day Awards 2020
Care and support
Children youth and families
Community arts
Community Centres
Community events calendar
Financial counselling
Grants, donations, rebates & sponsorships
Justices of the Peace
Lifestyle and inclusion
Major projects
Promote your community event
Talking Points Magazine
West Torrens Road Safety Group
Emergencies & disasters
Employment and volunteering
Feedback, compliments and complaints
Local history
Make a payment online
Meetings
Our City
Rates & charges
Tenders, contracting & purchasing
Your Council
Information
Climate change
Plants & animals
Renewable energy
Water
Trees
Urban greening
Hamra Centre Library
Activities and events
Digital literacy
Home Library Service
Learn english
Library catalogue & app
Library Fees & charges
Library News
Library resources & collections
Little Libraries locations
Membership & borrowing
Mobile Library
Computers and WiFi
Local History
CityWatch - report an issue
Information & staging events
Parking in the City of West Torrens
Pets and animals
Public & environmental health
Streets roads footpaths and permits
Street Sweeping
About your bins
A-Z guide to waste and recycling
Bindy the Waste and Recycling Chatbot
Tips to reduce waste
Organics bin and food waste recycling
Recycling bin
Waste to landfill bin
Electronic & electrical waste
Hard waste
Bin collection notifications
Chemicals and paint
Illegal dumping
Education - School and Community
Where recyclables go after collection
Plastic Recycling: it's not by numbers!

Click here for COVID-19 information.

Listen

Solar energy

Radiant light and heat from the sun is harnessed to provide energy and is used in technologies such as hot water systems, photovoltaic cells and thermal heating.

Solar energy types are defined by how light and heat is captured and converted using various technologies.

Passive solar energy

This utilises the sun’s natural thermodynamic properties to provide energy such as:

  • a washing line to dry clothes
  • using windows for light
  • orientating a house to face north for winter warmth
  • building homes with solar thermal mass or shading to keep rooms cool in summer.

Active solar energy

This uses constructed technologies to capture and convert solar radiation such as:

  • photovoltaic solar cells for electricity generation
  • solar thermal collectors to heat water for hot water systems.

Active solar energy systems such as photovoltaic cells can be used on your roof to generate small amounts of electricity to power appliances, lights, heaters and air-conditioners inside your home.

Large solar farms have hundreds of solar panels installed together to transmit energy into the electricity grid network.  

These provide enough power for a township or a number of homes or businesses.

Solar energy during daylight hours

Active solar energy systems only operate in daylight hours. At night photovoltaic cells shutdown and electricity for your home needs to be provided from another source such as:

  • batteries charged by the solar panels during the day
  • the main electricity grid network.

Designing your new home with solar energy

New homes can be designed to reduce the amount of electricity needed from the grid by:

  • using passive solar systems to reduce the volume of energy consumed
  • installing active solar energy systems which provide a renewable source of electricity during daylight hours.

Making the most of solar energy

  • hang your washing outside to dry
  • install solar photovoltaic cells on your roof
  • install a solar hot water service
  • install skylights in dark rooms
  • orientate living rooms with windows to the north to capture winter sun
  • avoid facing windows west or overhang a verandah to reduce hot summer sun
  • use building materials with thermal mass that store and release heat more evenly throughout the day.
 

Pages in this section

  • Council renewable energy projects
  • Reducing your energy bills
  • Solar energy
  • Wind power

Pages in this area

  • Council renewable energy projects
  • Reducing your energy bills
  • Solar energy
  • Wind power

On this page

Show section menu
 

Civic Centre

165 Sir Donald Bradman Drive
Hilton South Australia 5033
T. +618 8416 6333
Email Customer Services
csu@wtcc.sa.gov.au
ABN 16346877634

Hamra Centre Library

1 Brooker Terrace
Hilton South Australia 5033
T. +618 8416 6228
Email Library
library@wtcc.sa.gov.au
ABN 16346877634

© 2019 All rights reserved