Tributes are pouring in across the clean energy industry following the recent sudden death of Australian solar pioneer Peter “Pedals” van der Wyk.
He died from a heart attack on Saturday, 16 September, 2023, in Nimbin, in northern NSW.
A desire for sustainable living saw van der Wyk form Rainbow Power Company in 1987, and the company is still going strong today, specialising in solar power, batteries, hot water and solar pumping systems.
Rainbow Solar Company posted a tribute to van der Wyk on Facebook on 18 September.
“It is with great sadness the Rainbow Power family shares the news of the passing of our founder, Peter ‘Pedals’ van der Wyk,” reads the company statement.
“Pete was a true pioneer of the renewable energy industry. Author of seminal work on homemade energy systems, Energy From Nature, his passion for renewable energy was a constant part of his life.
“From his pedal-powered Juicer, which saw him feature on That’s Incredible and Ripley’s Believe It or Not in the early ’80s, to the foundation of his ‘dream child’ with two mates in the late ’80s: that dream child was Rainbow Power Company.
“Long before Clean Energy Council and TAFE-approved solar courses, Peter helped produce the first off-grid solar accreditation that gave many titans of the industry their first taste of renewable energy.
“Nowhere else in the world could you learn about renewable energy in a factory run on renewable energy from people who mainly lived on renewable energy.
“Even after retiring a few years ago, he continued to pursue his passion, coming into Rainbow at least once a week to gather components for his latest project.
“He will be missed by all of the Rainbow Power Company family.”
Peter van der Wyk’s life and achievements will be celebrated at the headquarters of Rainbow Power Company at 1 Alternative Way in Nimbin on Sunday 1 October at 11am.
