Page 146 - ISES SWC50

7.12 SWC50 Supporter: RENEW

About Renew
Renew is an Australian national, not-for-profit member-based organisation that inspires, enables and
advocates for people to live sustainably in their homes and communities.
Founded in 1980 as the Alternative Technology Association, Renew provides expert, independent advice on
sustainable solutions for the home to households, government and industry.
Renew has helped thousands of households and organisations save money and reduce their environmental
footprint with information on energy efficiency, solar power and batteries, rainwater tanks, materials reuse
and waste.
Renew provides advice and consultancy services based on its technical expertise in energy, water and
communications.
Renew also advocates in government and industry arenas for policies that promote renewable energy and cut
emissions, make our homes healthier, more affordable and climate resilient, and protect consumer rights in our
rapidly changing energy markets.
Renew has around 11,000 members (mostly individuals) and a network of 14 active volunteer branches around
Australia and beyond, but also engages with more than 250,000 people each year through its publications,
events, services, and projects. Its community of influence and action includes:
• readers of its two market-leading sustainability magazines Renew and Sanctuary;
• attendees at its annual Sustainable House Day and EV (electric vehicle) Expo events;
• participants in its Speed Date a Sustainability Expert events and information sessions;
• users of its online information, calculators, and analysis tools such as the Sunulator solar
assessment tool;
• people and businesses using our energy advice service; and
• people and organisations partnering and engaged with its research and advocacy work.

History
Renew’s genesis was in a decision by Friends of the Earth in 1976 to form a group to be proactive on green
energy and technology – the Alternative Technology Cooperative. In early 1980 it reconstituted itself as a fully-
fledged organisation called the Alternative Technology Association (ATA) and started publishing a regular
newsletter, which morphed into a magazine called Soft Technology by June.
In 1983 ATA members built the solar workshop at CERES environmental park in Melbourne’s north, and in
1984 they published their first book, drawn from the best content in Soft Technology magazines. This was
also the year they started establishing branches in different regions.
In 1986 ATA members first wrote a submission to a government inquiry – regarding electricity generation
and insulation regulations. As became common, their recommendations were influential in the legislation
and regulations that were implemented as an outcome of the inquiry. By 1989 they developed their first
fully-fledged strategic policy platform, setting out a path to renewable energy for the State of Victoria. It was
subsequently used as a basis for numerous submissions to state and federal government inquiries on the
issue.
By the 2000s, the ATA was well established as a national organisation with a highly regarded alternative
technology magazine (Renew, the renamed Soft Technology) and the new, increasingly popular Sanctuary
magazine focusing on modern sustainable home design. It was becoming an increasing presence and influence
in energy policy advocacy. It was also in this decade that the precursors to the Speed Date a Sustainability
Expert and Sustainable House Day were first held. And in 2007, ATA launched its International Projects Group
to develop and implement a solar lighting program for remote villages in Timor Leste.
During the 2010s all these activities increased in scope and significance, cementing ATA as a key organisation
in inspiring and enabling people and communities to live more sustainably, informing households’ decisions
to increase their energy and water efficiency and invest in energy technology, and influencing state and
national energy and climate policy development – winning Climate Change Leadership awards from the
United Nations Association of Australia and the NSW Government in 2017. A key achievement was the
development of Sunulator – a comprehensive solar and battery analysis tool that uses climate and weather data,

128 | ISES SWC50 - The Century of Solar-Stories and Visions