Byron Bay-based community-owned energy retailer Enova says it will provide customers with locally generated rooftop solar power.
The company plans to purchase enough renewable energy to supply 100 per cent of its customers’ needs.
To meet demand, Enova will buy rooftop solar power from customers, as well as community solar farms and gardens. The company will also generate its own solar for customers by installing an 18 kilowatt rooftop solar power system on its Byron Bay office.
These solar resources will meet around 40 per cent of current user demand, according to Enova Community Energy MD Tony Pfeiffer.
As demand grows, the company plans on investing more money into community-based renewable projects. To encourage more local rooftop solar, it has boosted its solar feed-in tariff by 33 per cent, to 16 c/kWh.
“Enova’s vision to produce enough renewable energy to meet all of our customers’ needs is being realised,” Mr Pfeiffer said.
“Everyone can now join the energy revolution, even if they don’t have solar.”
Scheme encourages community solar power projects
In addition to increased feed-in tariffs, Enova will offer a range of new energy plans. Customers will be able to choose GreenPower and sign up to Enova’s Renewable Development Initiative (RDI)
Profits from energy usage charges will flow into funding more community solar projects.
Consumers purchasing energy under the national GreenPower program commit retailers to buy the equivalent amount of electricity from accredited renewable energy generators. Since 2009, more than $660 million has been invested back to generators through GreenPower purchases.
Rooftop solar supply model already successful overseas
While many Australian towns have signed up to solar buyers groups, few local communities have moved to ‘local’ supply models.
Enova is one the first grassroots retailers in Australia to buy community generated rooftop solar and sell it to customers who do not have access to solar panels.
Tony Pfeiffer said the future of the energy retail market would increasingly centre on locally generated and consumed renewable energy.
“Fossil fuels are on the way out and complete reliance on large-scale energy generation will not be far behind,” he said.
