Australia selects fifth 'solar city'

CANBERRA, Australia, July 25, 2007. Central Victoria will receive Aus$15 million to promote the use of solar energy among its residents.

Funding under the federal ‘Solar Cities’ program will involve installation of 300 residential solar PV systems, using a subsidised buy-back rate to encourage uptake. There will be two iconic ‘solar parks’ or concentrated 300 kW PV installations with an ability to track the sun, one each in Bendigo and Ballarat. The Bendigo solar park will have battery storage to trial the potential for meeting peak demand.

Seven hundred solar thermal hot water systems will be installed in homes, and 1,200 smart meters will be installed to provide information on energy use. One hundred businesses and community facilities will receive energy efficiency audits, 700 homes will trial demand side management measures, 500 homes will undertake energy demand management measures, and 1,500 energy efficiency packages will be funded, of which 500 will recommend retrofits on insulation and lighting, 500 will consist of energy education and audit measures, and the balance will receive all measures.

“Implementing a Solar City is a major undertaking for a community,” says treasurer Peter Costello. “It involves exploring different business partnerships, trialling new ways of supplying and using energy, and encouraging involvement and investment from business and the community.”

Victoria’s new Solar City will be based around 13 municipalities, including Bendigo and Ballarat, with a consortium of local government, businesses and community organisations. The consortium consists of Sustainable Regional Australia, Bendigo Bank, Origin Energy, PowerCor, Central Victorian Greenhouse Alliance, E3i Developments, Sustainability Victoria, University of Ballarat and the Central Victorian Area Consultative Committee.

The partners will contribute an additional $26.8 million to the project.

“Participants in the trial in Ballarat and Bendigo will have a chance to ‘rent’ a portion of a solar park, use the energy it generates, and ultimately have the option to buy into the park,” adds environment minister Malcolm Turnbull.

The measures will reduce GHG emissions by 13,000 tonnes a year, equivalent to taking 3,200 cars off the road. Combined, the five Solar Cities in Australia will install 3,400 solar panels and 4,100 solar DHW systems, to reduce GHG emissions by 89,000 tonnes each year.

The $75 million Solar Cities program is part of the Australian government’s $3.4 billion climate change strategy. The initiative was announced by the Prime Minister in the Energy White Paper in June 2004 and will be implemented by the environment department through trials in five separate electricity grid-connected urban areas around the country.

Adelaide, Townsville, Blacktown and Alice Springs are the other four solar cities.

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