Hobsons Bay City Council is taking the lead to achieve zero net greenhouse gas emissions for the city by 2020 and the community by 2030 through the large-scale rollout of a Virtual Energy Network (VEN) and new solar panels on more than 40 Council-owned buildings.
Partnering with the city council on the project is Australian firm Enervest, specialising in the design, delivery and operation of solar energy generation and storage assets.
The VEN will generate almost 4 megawatts of solar power, enabling the city council to share energy from buildings generating excess electricity with other facilities that require more. In other words, the energy goes where it is needed, not just where it is generated.
The solar energy system will reduce greenhouse gas emissions by approximately 4,000 tonnes per annum, or up to 55 per cent of the city council's direct emissions, which is equivalent to taking almost 600 homes off the grid.
The project also enables the city council to install systems on tenanted buildings. The city council and the tenant benefit financially from the investment. Tenants will soon have the ability to purchase solar energy at a discounted rate, save money, and reduce carbon emissions.
The rollout of new solar panels on tenanted city council buildings has commenced this month.
The project will generate substantial year on year savings for the city council by reducing energy costs, which the city council can put back into community services and programs. The project will pay for itself within nine years, which is similar to a residential solar installation.
Importantly, this is a future-proofed project, with the opportunity for the VEN to become a true Virtual Power Plant (VPP) by adding battery technology at any stage in the future.
Furthermore, there are opportunities for the community to participate in a Hobsons Bay Community Solar network. This will enable anyone to opt-in to be a producer of energy, a user of energy, or both. Under this model, community cost savings will grow even further.
An extensive community consultation program will soon commence, engaging Hobsons Bay community members in having input into the design of the VEN model. This will help determine how the benefits are shared across the community. Expressions of Interest to be involved in this process are open, and community members are encouraged to apply. For more information and to apply, visit participate.hobsonsbay.vic.gov.au/community-solar-program
The city council's solar project has been developed in response to community feedback received during the Hobsons Bay 2030 Community Vision.
For more information, visit https://www.hobsonsbay.vic.gov.au/solar