Mitcham COMMUNITY SOLAR PROGRAM

As a staunch advocate of small business, social equity, sustainability and the environment I am delighted that the City of Mitcham has announced ShineHub as our partner to deliver a community solar power project that will provide solar panels with no upfront costs to residents and provide access to cheaper power. The community solar program will be developed to support our local business community by providing opportunities for indigenous businesses, innovative start-ups and local small businesses. In addition to encouraging a wider uptake of solar panels, the project envisages a pathway for community energy storage and management by increasing battery storage capacity and reducing reliance on the grid.

We are very excited that the project has been praised by Andrew Nunn, the South Australian Government’s chief entrepreneur, and Prof. Monica Oliphant AO, solar pioneer and 2016 Senior Australian of the Year.

Over the last two years council has delivered many projects that build resilience in the local community and reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Council has invested heavily in the installation of roof top solar on council owned buildings which has not only dramatically reduced our reliance on power made from fossil fuels but is also delivering savings through a reduction in electricity costs. Since declaring a climate emergency in October 2019, council has undertaken additional measures such as energy efficiency upgrades to buildings, switching residential streetlights to LED, purchasing electric vehicles and installing of public charging stations, all of which reduce our reliance on fossil fuels and will ultimately save council money.

Now, as leaders responding to a climate crisis, we are taking the additional step to help increase the uptake of renewables in our community. With over 50% of community emissions directly attributed to electricity consumption council believes there is an opportunity to have a major impact on reducing emissions through a broader uptake of solar panels and energy efficient technologies. While solar uptake has been quite successful in the City of Mitcham, with solar panels installed on close to 40% of properties, council is interested in making solar accessible to all properties. 

The project seeks to remove barriers to solar uptake; upfront cost, lack of understanding of the technology and a lack of trust in the quality or value of various products, by partnering with a trustworthy provider of quality systems.

Importantly, this initiative includes both residential and business properties, and will be available to both tenants and landlords. Currently it is extremely difficult for tenants to access solar as there is little incentive for landlords to outlay for a purchase which won’t save them money. However, by offering a solution which both removes the upfront cost and provides immediate access to cheaper power, both tenants and landlords are incentivised. With around 20% of Mitcham properties house either residential or commercial tenants, their transfer to solar could reduce the city’s total emissions by 10%.