Sustainability and Energy Efficiency

Council is committed to helping residents reduce energy usage, save money and lower greenhouse gas emissions.

What is sustainability?

To learn more about sustainability, you can read a paper prepared by a member of Council’s Clean Energy Committee, Mr Michael de Mol, titled “What is Sustainability?”.

Click the following link to view the paper What is sustainability?(PDF, 715KB)
 

NSW Government Resources

The NSW Government has resources to assist with energy efficiency.

Please follow the links below:

           Energy Efficiency - for Households

           Energy Efficiency - for Business

Buying Renewable Energy

If you are unable to put solar panels on your home, you can still purchase 100% renewable electricity. GreenPower is a government-managed program that makes sure the power households and businesses buy from GreenPower providers supports greater renewable energy generation in Australia. GreenPower independently audits electricity providers to make sure the right amount of renewable energy is fed into the grid on the customers’ behalf.

Visit www.greenpower.gov.au for more information.
 

Solar Gardens

A solar garden is a centrally-located, grid-connected solar PV array with the purpose of providing solar gardeners with a credit on their electricity bill for the solar energy generated by the panels – similar to if the panels were on their own roof. Community-owned solar gardens are for people who can’t have solar panels on their own roof and subscribe to a solar garden by purchasing a “plot”. In return, they receive the financial benefit of the electricity generated by their plot, in the form of credits added to their electricity bill. Currently, more than one-third of Australian households are locked out of accessing rooftop solar because they are renting, live in a unit or apartment or do not have a roof suitable for solar panels. Solar gardens are an innovative solution that allows these households to take part in renewables. A collective effort by the community energy sector has enabled the first solar gardens to be established in Australia. These efforts have included research, partnerships, and financial support.

One example of a new solar garden in NSW is Haystacks Solar Garden. The Haystacks Solar Garden is an exciting partnership initiative that will allow 333 people who can’t have roof top solar to participate in the clean energy revolution. For everyone who wants solar on their roof but can't because they're a renter, live in an apartment or don't have an appropriate sunny roof - this project provides a solution.

For more information, visit Haystacks | Solar Garden | Solar garden project

Community Energy Groups

Across Australia and the world, many local communities are forming local community energy groups to explore the best ways for their community to access clean energy. It may be forming and funding their own, community-owned clean energy project or by creating a revolving energy fund, which members can use to borrow funds to invest in solar panels or by creating their own solar garden. The Community Power Agency has resources which community groups can use to explore how to create a community-owned renewable energy project.

For more information about resources that can assist community energy groups, go to Community Power Agency – driving a faster & fairer transition to clean energy (cpagency.org.au)