EAGA is currently delivering Solar Savers for ten councils, including four EAGA members (Glen Eira, Knox, Monash and Yarra Ranges) and six non-member councils. To find out more or to participate, please visit the dedicated Solar Savers website.
Background
Solar Savers was initiated in the City of Darebin in 2014 and pioneered the use of council rates as an underpinning finance mechanism to support low income households access solar. In June 2016, EAGA and its partners secured a $0.76M State Government Grant through the New Energy Jobs Fund to extend delivery of Solar Savers across 26 councils and four of Victoria’s Greenhouse Alliances. The grant funded program delivered over 434 solar systems (1.6MW) saving households an average of $260 per year. Independent evaluation demonstrated:
- solar provides low cost energy throughout the day meaning that householders could cool their homes during heatwaves without fear of ‘price shock’
- councils can facilitate private-sector investment within a community segment traditionally viewed as high risk to investors by establishing partnership finance models with the banking sector
- a shared services approach to project implementation enabled access to dedicated capability and thereby reduce resource requirements and risks to councils
The project methodology has been informed by two detailed business cases, available here.
To find out more, please contact Anna Imberger, Program Leader here.