Solar Cities in Australia

Solar Cities is an innovative AU$ 75 million demonstration programme designed to promote solar power, smart meters, energy conservation and new approaches to electricity pricing such as feed-in tariffs can combine to provide a sustainable energy future in urban locations throughout Australia. Adelaide, Alice Springs, Blacktown, Central Victoria and Townsville were nominated to be the first Solar Cities of Australia, in the 2007 election campaign the Labor government committed to expanding the programme to include Coburg and Perthcite web
author=Department of Water, Environment, Heritage and the Arts
author-link=http://www.environment.gov.au
title=Federal Solar Cities initiative
url=http://www.environment.gov.au/settlements/solarcities
accessdate=2008-7-5] .

Key goals of the program are to demonstrate the possibilities for solar power, smart meters, energy conservation, new approaches to electricity pricing and sustainable living in urban locations. It is a partnership approach that involves all levels of Government, the private sector and the local community. Consumers will be able to purchase solar photovoltaic panels using discounted loans. The project also plans to help low-income and rental households in the community share in the benefits of the project through other cost-saving initiatives. [ [http://www.renewableenergyaccess.com/rea/news/story?id=45948 Solar City to Advance Renewable Energy Down Under] ]

olar City projects

Adelaide

Alice Springs

Some proposed features of the project include:
# Several large notable solar power installations.
# 400 smart meters in 350 homes and 50 businesses. These will be combined with a time-of-use tariff to encourage customers to reduce their energy use at times of high demand.
# Residential and commercial photovoltaic systems that will provide solar energy for Alice Springs.
# A buy-back tariff for energy sold back to the grid to encourage takeup of photovoltaic panels.
# 1000 solar hot water systems for households
# 850 'walkthrough' energy audits to help the community better manage their energy use. Reductions of up to 20 per cent off their future energy bills are expected. [ [http://www.alicesprings.nt.gov.au/astc_site/community/solar_city solar city / community / ASTC - Alice Springs Town Council ] ]

Blacktown

The lead organisation for this project is BP Solar. This project includes efficiency audit trials, 3,500 energy efficiency consultations installation of solar water heaters and photovoltaic panel installation that supplies one megawatt of solar energy, amongst other measures. [ [http://www.greenhouse.gov.au/solarcities/pubs/fs-blacktown.pdf Blacktown Solar City Project] . Retrieved on 23 November 2007]

Central Victoria

Coburg

Perth

Townsville

Ergon Energy is the leader of the consortium initiating the 2007 to 2013 project. The project involved free energy audits, installation of smart meters and solar photovoltaic systems installed in selected homes and public buildings.

See also

*Andrew Blakers
*Building-integrated photovoltaics
*Feed-in tariffs in Australia
*Martin Green
*Photovoltaics
*Photovoltaic and renewable energy engineering in Australia
*Renewable energy commercialization in Australia
*Solar America Cities
*Solar power station in Victoria
*Wind power in Australia

References

External links

* [http://www.renewableenergyaccess.com/rea/news/story?id=48152 $12.3 M for First Solar City in Central Australia]
* [http://www.treasurer.gov.au/tsr/content/pressreleases/2007/064.asp Central Victoria Solar City Energises Community]
* [http://www.environment.gov.au/minister/env/2007/pubs/mr06oct07.pdf South Australia's Solar Capacity Set to Double]
* [http://www.publish.csiro.au/?act=view_file&file_id=EC131p12.pdf Solar cities: Generating new approaches]
* [http://www.alicesprings.nt.gov.au/astc_site/community/solar_city Alice Springs Solar City]
* [http://www.environment.gov.au/settlements/solarcities/ Australian Government Solar Cities page]