The Latrobe Valley in Eastern Victoria’s Gippsland region will become the central location for the Victorian government’s new Solar Homes plan if Labor is re-elected in November. The Latrobe Valley Express also reports that the new authority, Solar Victoria, will be located in the new GovHub building in Church Street, Morwell. The Government office hub should be completed by 2020.
In the meantime other renewable energy developments are happening in the Latrobe Valley. This is despite the region’s history as a source of coal power generation. However, since the closure of its Hazelwood power plant, the government has focused on supporting the area’s transition to renewable energy.
Solar Victoria: rolling out the Solar Homes program
Solar Victoria will roll out the government’s Solar Homes plan for 650,000 homes in the state. The plan — already active — offers 50 per cent rebates on standard rooftop solar installations.
The Solar Victoria development will create 50 immediate brand-new jobs for GovHub, and possibly lead to more in the future. The expectation is that the Solar Homes plan will result in increased numbers of trades jobs across Victoria.
Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews has expressed his confidence in the region for management of the plan. He told the Latrobe Valley Express that he is certain that local authorities “will make sure this is rolled out properly with practical skills and common sense”.
From coal to solar – energy transition underway
Last Tuesday the State Energy Minister Lily D’Ambrosio announced the Latrobe Valley Microgrid Grant program to fund greater uptake of renewable energy. The program’s purpose is to reduce energy costs, encourage local investment, and support the area’s transition to a low-carbon economy.
The microgrid will consist of a local power network that can operate independently of the main grid. This also includes locally-generated solar power, solar storage batteries, and blockchain technology.
In addition, earlier this year the government announced funding for other major solar programs in the region. One of these was the Solar on Public Buildings Program to fund solar installations on 30 local public buildings. Another was the Home Energy Upgrade Program for solar installations on 1,000 local low income homes.
