How important are the environmental benefits of solar power and renewable energy?

Alice Bovill lives in Jamberoo, and her single-story home is designed in a U shape to take advantage of the view of the rainforest. The house is powered by solar energy, and she believes that harnessing natural products like sunshine is essential for a greener planet. By using solar energy, she can use her swimming pool for longer, and the financial benefits of solar panels are evident in her power bills.

Alice believes in contributing to a greener planet by growing vegetables, harvesting rainwater, and planning to switch to an electric car in the future. She thinks that every individual can make a difference by using as many green products as possible, and solar energy is one of the best ways to help the planet for future generations.

My name is Alice Bovill and we live just outside Jamberoo, just under the escarpment. It's a single story home, it's sort of a U shape, and it takes advantage of the view and it's a lovely backdrop with the rainforest. I think it's wonderful, and I think the fact that we're harnessing this natural product up here, the sunshine is very important. And it's... I think it's just wonderful that we can do something to help our planet as well. Of course it makes financial sense, it certainly does, yes. So the bills are proving it, and the fact that we can use the swimming pool for a lot longer than we have been able to.

I think an electric car is something when we replace our cars, would be something to consider. We do harvest our own water, we do have a little bit of gas, but now we've got our own water, we've got our own power. I think we're doing quite well, we do grow some vegetables as well. I think it is important to have solar, I think it is, because it makes a difference to the power bills. And as I said, it's harvesting our sunshine. We have lots of sunshine and I think we should be using as many things as we can to help our planet be a greener place, and a better place for future generations, because I think it's up to every individual.