$13.9million for Perth Solar City

Perth has secured $13.9million in Commonwealth funding towards the new Perth Solar City project.

The Perth Solar City project is worth a total of $85million over five years and consists of cash and in-kind support, including the Commonwealth contribution of $13.9million and a State contribution of more than $4million.

The Perth Solar City project would find more efficient ways to generate and use electricity and had the potential to deliver greenhouse savings of 50,000 tonnes per annum and cut peak electricity loads of six megawatts per annum.

A number of communities, initially in Perth’s Eastern Region, will be able to use the sun to generate electricity using roof-mounted photo-voltaic power systems, heat water using solar water heaters and take advantage of an integrated suite of energy saving measures including:

·        ‘smart’ electricity meters;

·        in-house electricity monitors;

·        time-of-use tariffs;

·        efficient, energy-saving light bulbs;

·        in-house energy audits;

·        low-flow showerheads; and

·        insulation and other energy saving measures identified by the in-home energy assessments.

The Perth Solar City Consortium was led by the State Government, through the Housing Authority, in a partnership between State and local governments, including the Eastern Metropolitan Regional Council and the Town of Bassendean, City of Bayswater, City of Belmont, Shire of Kalamunda, Shire of Mundaring and City of Swan.

The program would support people to better manage their energy consumption, with a key aspect of the program being an interactive, voluntary program that worked with householders and businesses to improve their energy performance.

Free energy assessments will be provided to householders and businesses to assist them to manage and reduce their energy consumption.

To help manage demand, new ‘smart’ electricity meters that measure the power being used and in-house monitors will help people see their energy usage and cost in ‘real time.

Householders will be able to access information about their electricity consumption and can make informed choices about managing their demand, allowing them to make substantial savings in electricity costs, as well as benefitting the environment.

More than 6,000 households and businesses will be directly involved.

Other Perth Solar Cities consortium members are:

·        BP Solar and the Perth firm, Solar Sales, now a part of the International SunPower Group, who manufacture and supply the photovoltaic panels;

·        electric meter manufacturers Ampy Email;

·        solar hot water manufacturers Solahart;

·        building owner Perron Group and managers, Jones Lang Lasalle;

·        the Research Institute for Sustainable Energy Monitoring;

·        EcoSmart, who are involved in the community engagement and social marketing for the energy wise program;

·        land developers Multiplex;  and

·        the Eastern Metropolitan Regional Council and its six constituent local governments.