Manager for Solar Cities

Centralian Advocate
11/01/2008 Page: 5

A MANAGER has been found to take charge of Alice Springs' $40m Solar Cities project. Brian Elmer from Queensland's Environment Protection Agency was announced yesterday as the project's general manager. Alice Springs Solar Cities Consortium selected Mr Elmer because of his previous work developing and promoting renewable energies in Australia and Scotland.

Mr Elmer says he believes the project is a world first for measuring solar power use over an entire town. He said: "It's one of the best jobs to have in renewables at Australia at the moment. "On a concentrated city-wide basis we can measure supply and demand, emissions and build local awareness." Mr Elmer begins work in Alice Springs on January 28 organising next month's project launch.

He said: "Climate change is starting to be felt on the local level. "Australia is one of the sunniest countries in the world, but the uptake of solar power here is quite low compared to other countries. "But I'm surprised in Alice Springs every second house it seems has a solar hot water system." The consortium aims to have 225 photovoltaic systems and 1000 hot water systems installed across Alice Springs over the next six years. Plans for the project's solar power station - to be located beside Power and Water's sewerage ponds at Ilparpa - are now on exhibition at the Department of Planning and Infrastructure's Alice Plaza offices for public comment.