Remote households in the Kimberley region are saving money on their energy bills thanks to a rooftop solar program. The Kimberley Communities Solar Saver (KCSS) program is helping bring renewable energy to areas that have not had access to rooftop solar before.
Solar panels have been installed in the communities of Warmun and Bidyadanga. Work is now underway in Ardyaloon, which will become the third community to benefit from the program.
Since August 2024, the program has delivered nearly $60,000 in energy saving credits to residents of Warmun and Bidyadanga. Warmun received 422 kilowatts of rooftop solar, helping reduce the community’s reliance on costly diesel generators. The 78 properties in Warmun share the benefits of this renewable energy, even if not all homes have solar panels installed.
In Bidyadanga, 33 properties have received a total of 356.4 kilowatts of rooftop solar. The 133 households in this community have already received two rounds of energy saving credits, totaling about $33,000.
In Ardyaloon, solar systems are being installed on about 21 homes. When finished, around 85 households will benefit from the renewable energy.
The program aims to install up to 300 rooftop solar systems across five Kimberley communities. The combined solar capacity will be about two megawatts. This will deliver average annual savings of approximately $450 on energy bills to about 430 households.
The project is a collaboration between Horizon Power and the Department of Communities. It is funded by a $12.6 million investment from the State Government and $7.3 million from the Federal Government under the Community Solar Banks program.
Horizon Power’s acting chief executive, Krystal Skinner, said the program is already making a difference by lowering energy costs for residents. The program will expand to more communities to help ease the cost of living for more people in the region.