Hepburn Shire in central Victoria is leading the state in solar installations under the Victorian Government’s Solar Savers program, the Courier reports.
Hepburn Shire Council joined the program in August 2017. Since then, forty five households in the Ballarat region have joined in the program for cheaper solar panels.
This is higher than any other region either near Ballarat or elsewhere in the state.
How Solar Savers program operates
The Victorian government-funded Solar Savers program helps pensioners install solar panels at no upfront cost.
To be eligible, applicants need to be pensioners who (usually) own their own home and who are generally at home when the sun is up – that is, the time when most solar power is being generated.
Before approving an applicant, the Solar Savers program first checks if they will benefit from a solar installation. If so, Solar Savers arranges quotes, finance, installation and provides ongoing support.
Participants can pay back the low-interest loan provided to fund their solar installation over ten years.
Hepburn already keen on solar
Hepburn is no stranger to solar power. In April 2018, the shire launched the Hepburn Community Solar Bulk-Buy program, designed to help local households, businesses and community organisations install rooftop solar panels.
As well as solar panels, the program offers the option to install Tesla Powerwall 2 batteries. Solar home batteries such as Powerwall enable solar panel users to store energy generated during the day to use in the evenings when the sun is down.
MASH covers Central Victoria with solar
Over a thousand households and businesses have also installed solar under the MASH community solar program since it began in 2014.
MASH (More Australian Solar Homes) is a bulk-buy program for central Victoria covering Mount Alexander, Macedon Ranges and Bendigo.
According to MASH leader Jo Kaptein, 19 per cent of homes in Hepburn Shire now have a solar panel installation.
The Hepburn community also owns a hybrid wind and solar park. This consists of 3 MW solar panels and 4.1 MW of wind generation. This project was awarded $500,000 funding under the Victorian government’s Renewable Communities program.
