Marlon Kobacker is an amazing leader of the sustainability business, Clean Energy Corporation Australia CECA, a company that offers many services relevant to development.
He brings decades of experience in the field of sustainable development & design and other green building projects. He is also a consultant, speaker, lecturer, and brings people together to discuss the importance of saving energy all over the world.
Marlon Kobacker understands the importance of renewable energy and climate change. He always shows a passion for sustainable design and strives to reduce wasteful practices in the environment.
Sustainability and Clean Energy Expert Marlon Kobacker
He attended the University of New South Wales, where he earned an undergraduate degree in engineering. He also took classes in Computing and Solar Energy, before earning his Master's degree in the Built Environment in Sustainable Design.
He is currently involved in many professional organisations, relating to green environments. He is also the author of many books, and articles- covering topics ranging from carbon foot printing, sustainable designs and corporate social responsibilities.
Abstract of Interview with FutureEnTech.com
What excites you about sustainable energy today?
I am passionate about how energy can be consumed and managed through our environment. This is also exciting for the needs of the future, which includes economics, ecology, culture and politics.
It's Environmental Science! We can all promote new energy sources by using, solar energy, hydroelectricity, wind energy, tidal power, energy efficiency, geothermal, and many others.
In what ways do you see energy consumptions in changing the future?
The future depends on an exploration of resources in developing countries. There would be hydroelectricity plants, who have few emissions. There would be more development of low-impact river projects. Asia has the greatest hydroelectric growth in the world.
There are also geothermal plants, that provide greenhouse gases and heat. We also looking for solar heating and cooling to reflect significant advance and play a major role in saving energy.
If we increase the number of electric vehicles on the road- and people arrive home from work at the same time, presumably- they will all plug in their cars at the same time, causing a large load on the electric grid. Would you delay or smart charging system fix that by charging some cars at 3 a.m. for example?
Electric cars are incredible. Since 2008, the use of them has surged, reducing green house gas emissions. There are many charging stations, and garages, and power sourcing places to charge these cars. Electric cars are now also using lithium-ion batteries, for faster charging- and flywheel energy storage, which will overtake batteries in the future.
When looking at existing buildings, are we (as a society), missing opportunities to increase passive, solar, wind and other forms of renewable energy, thereby lessening our need for fossil fuels?
There are many ways we can get involved with the opportunity to save energy. There is Thorium, which is used in nuclear power plants- reduces plutonium and actinide products, which is very sustainable.
You can also use biofuels, which can replace regular fuel, with a natural content of oils or a product called ethanol- which comes from wood and non-edible plants. Its use is very cost effective.
Additionally, there is also renewable methanol, which produces hydrogen, and helps with fuel exhaustion, solar wind, solar panels- which stores energy for use, during nighttime hours. There are many others.
When considering a sustainable future, we usually think of high-tech products like PV Panels. Are there low tech ways to minimise usage of electric power?
You can use pedal power technology- with the use of bicycles or low circulating fans, hydropower plants- which provides electricity, mechanical transmission- which is a powerful renewable energy source. That was a few, but there are many others.
The cost of utilising renewable energy sources, prices has fallen, and progress is still being made available for sustained energy, ecology, fossil fuels and sustainable systems to help climate change all over the world.