Technologies

Sustainable technologies refer to technologies that are environmentally friendly, often more so than the functionally equivalent technologies dominant in current practice. The 1973 Aquarius Festival planted the seed for thousands to question the way they lived their lives. For those who stayed on in Nimbin, the employment of alternative, energy-generating technologies was essential to the quest for a more sustainable life. Many local communities pioneered the use of alternative technology systems such as solar, wind and hydro, leading the rest of Australia in this movement towards employment of renewable energy sources with varying degrees of success.

Peter Pedals was one of those people who settled in Nimbin following the Festival. A passionate advocate for alternative energy sources, Peter co-founded Rainbow Power, an organisation established to pioneer, manufacture, sell and install renewable energy equipment.  Rainbow Power Company, an unlisted public company that incorporated in 1987, has evolved from a backyard operation in a shed on a community to become one of Nimbin’s biggest and most valued employers.

Rainbow Power has been a major protagonist of the increased use of renewable energy both in Australia and in overseas countries. Their unparalleled commitment to education, demonstration and innovation provides Nimbin with a display factory that receives thousands of visitors a year. The company’s dedicated and experienced workforce, well-equipped factory and comprehensive range of products and services are testament to their leadership in the renewable energy field, a leadership that is focussed on turning the tide from environmental destruction towards environmental harmony.