Sun about to shine on $15m solar cities project

Bendigo Advertiser
Tuesday 10/6/2008 Page: 5

HOUSEHOLDS have been invited to become part of the solar cities initiative to be launched soon in central Victoria. The consortium set up to administer $15 million of federal funding for the project is seeking people to take part in Solar Cities Central Victoria, which will involve up to 3300 households in central and northern Victoria.

It is now finalising negotiations with the Department of Environment, Water, Heritage and the Arts, and the 14 councils in the region are expected to have an important role in promoting the project, providing information and supporting recruitment. In a statement released on the Central Victorian Greenhouse Alliance website, project organisers have asked supporters to be patient while final negotiations with the Federal Government are completed.

"While we understand the time delay between winning the bid and commencing the project is frustrating, we are asking people to please be patient for a little longer," it said. "We will be providing an update on the status and progress of the project to all those who have registered by June 30." The $15 million funding was announced last July. The project aims to ensure solar technologies, including solar hot water and solar photovoltaic products, are more accessible and affordable.

It will trial energy efficiency measures including smart meters and new tariffs as part of a pilot project that it is hoped can be replicated in other areas. The project is one of six to be funded under a $75 million program, which also includes projects in North Adelaide, Blacktown, Alice Springs, Townsville and Kalgoorlie.

The central Victorian project team includes 14 councils, Bendigo Bank, Origin Energy, La Trobe University, North Central CMA, Bendigo Access Employment, Bendigo Health Care Group and University of Ballarat.

As part of the study, two 300 kW solar photovoltaic parks would be established in Bendigo and Ballarat to help show how solar power is generated and then fed back into the electricity grid. If all homes and businesses in the region took up the energy efficiency measures in the Solar Cities project, it is estimated the region would save up to nine gigawatt hours of electricity, worth about $1.1 million, and 13,300 tonnes of greenhouse gases a year.