new energy forum, tamworth

7/27/2019 New Energy Forum, Tamworth

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Change inhange inthe windthe windRegion powersup renewable

energy projects

the wBy Alena Nickell

THE North West has wel-comed the official launch oftwo community renewableenergy projects set to revolu-tionise sustainable powergeneration in the area.

Funding for Farming theSuns new community-ownedsolar farm project and stagethree of the New England

Wind Farm Initiative wereunveiled by member for Tam-

worth Kevin Anderson

yesterday.

Mr Anderson announced

$35,000 from the Office forEnvironment and Heritage,

which will help Farming theSun negotiate host sites forfive community-owned solarfarms throughout north east-ern NSW, incorporating theNew England high countryregions, Liverpool Plains,Gwydir Shire, Northern Riversand the North Coast.

Each community solarfarm will range in size from100kW to several hundred

kilowatts or more, with a

100kW farm producing the

equivalent electricity of about30 average homes, Mr Ander-son said.

Community solar farmswill allow residents to invest ina large (100kW+) solar farm ona host site that uses energyduring the day, seven days a

week, such as local govern-ment departments, largeretail or educationalinstitutions.

The host buys the solar toreplace energy from the grid

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Power to renewable projects rom pageat a reduced price, which stillallows a return to communityinvestors. It is anticipated theminimum one-share invest-ment will cost between $2500o $3000 per share.

If we are to reduce ourdemand on fossil fuels, this ishe future, Mr Anderson said

of the wind and solar farmrojects.Its all about community-

owned renewables, allowinghe community to support

and control its own energyuture.

We have the ability to leadhe way in NSW.

The announcementcomes after Bindaree Beef

was granted $23 million inederal funding last week forhe construction of a world-irst biogas system that will

slash operating costs andincrease jobs at Inverellsbiggest employer.

In yet another boost to theregions sustainability drive,orum members were alsoold of another state govern-

ment grant of $50,000 whichwill go towards stage three of

he New England Wind com-munity project.

New England Wind isworking to establish the firstcommunity-owned wind

arm in NSW.The eight to 12-turbine

wind farm could potentiallyroduce an astounding

amount of energy equivalento half the electricity needs ofhe Tamworth region.

Theres only two othercommunity-based windfarms in Australia, so if wemake this work it will be a fan-tastic outcome for theregion, New England Windtechnical director ChrisBlanksby said.

The first stage of the proj-ect consisted of establishing

whether there was commu-nity support for a wind farm,

while the second phaseinvestigated possible sites forthe farm, the engineer said.

Invitations were put outfor people to express interestin hosting a wind farm ontheir land and we got a hugeresponse a fantastic level ofinterest, Dr Blanksby said.

He said the most recentfunds would help progressthe project further into phasethree, which would consist oftechnical work at potential

sites and improving commu-nity involvement and under-standing of what weredoing.

Project director AdamBlakester of rural sustainabil-ity expert Starfish Enterprises

said solar and wind energywas available throughout theNew England region for busi-nesses and communitymembers to harness.

Instead of sending moneyout of the region to pay a util-ity for power, community-owned renewable energyensures the communitysmoney stays within the com-munity, Mr Blakester said.

In effect, money spent oncommunity-owned renew-able energy becomes anoth-er renewable source.

Meanwhile, Gwydir ShireCouncil announced it was aprospective solar farminghost at yesterdays new ener-gy launch.

Mayor of the fiercely inde-pendent council, John Coul-ton, said he had consideredutilising solar panels since hebegan his term of council and

jumped at the chance to getinvolved when he heardabout the Farming the Suninitiative.

When this project cameup we were pretty keen on it,Cr Coulton said.

PARTNERSHIPAGREEMENT:Andrew Blakesterof StarfishEnterprises andRob Taber of NewEngland Solar signa memorandum ofunderstanding atyesterdaysrenewable energylaunch.090713GOA06

Power to renewable projects

frompae1atareducedprice,whichstillallowsareturntocommunityinvestors.Itisanticipatedtheminimumone-shareinvest-mentwillcostbetween$2500to$3000pershare.

Ifweareto reduceourdemandonfossilfuels,thisisthefuture,MrAndersonsaidofthewindandsolarfarmprojects.

Itsallaboutcommunity-ownedrenewables,allowingthecommunitytosupportandcontrolitsownenergyfuture.

WehavetheabilitytoleadthewayinNSW.

T h e a n n o un c e me n tcomesafterBindareeBeefwasgranted$23millioninfederalfundinglastweekfortheconstructionofaworld-firstbiogassystemthatwillslashoperatingcostsandincreasejobsat Inverellsbiggestemployer.

Inyetanotherboosttotheregionssustainabilitydrive,forummemberswerealsotoldofanotherstategovern-mentgrantof$50,000whichwillgotowardsstagethreeoftheNewEnglandWindcom-munityproject.

NewEnglandWind isworkingtoestablishthefirstcommunity-ownedwindfarminNSW.

Theeightto 12-turbinewindfarmcouldpotentiallyproducean astoundingamountofenergyequivalenttohalftheelectricityneedsoftheTamworthregion.

Theresonlytwoothercommunity-basedwindfarmsinAustralia,soifwemakethisworkitwillbeafan-t a s t ic o u t c o m e f o rt h eregion,NewEnglandWindtechnicaldirector ChrisBlanksbysaid.

Thefirststageoftheproj-ectconsistedofestablishingwhethertherewascommu-nitysupportforawindfarm,whilethe secondphaseinvestigatedpossiblesitesforthefarm,theengineersaid.

Invitationswereputoutforpeopletoexpressinterestinhostingawindfarmontheirlandandwegotahugeresponseafantasticlevelofinterest,DrBlanksbysaid.

Hesaidthemostrecentfundswouldhelpprogresstheprojectfurtherintophasethree,whichwouldconsistoftechnicalworkatpotentialsitesandimprovingcommu-nityinvolvementandunder-standingof whatweredoing.

Projectdirector AdamBlakesterofruralsustainabil-ityexpertStarfishEnterprises

sai solaran win energywasavailablethroughouttheNewEnglandregionforbusi-nessesand communitymemberstoharness.

Insteadofsendingmoneyoutoftheregiontopayautil-ityforpower,community-ownedrenewableenergyensuresthecommunitysmoneystayswithinthecom-munity,MrBlakestersaid.

Ineffect,moneyspentoncommunity-ownedrenew-ableenergybecomesanoth-errenewablesource.

Meanwhile,GwydirShireCouncilannounceditwasaprospectivesolarfarminghostatyesterdaysnewener-gylaunch.

Mayorofthefiercelyinde-pendentcouncil,JohnCoul-ton,saidhehadconsideredutilisingsolarpanelssincehebeganhistermofcouncilandjumpedatthechancetogetinvolvedwhenhe heardabouttheFarmingtheSuninitiative.

Whenthisprojectcameupwewereprettykeenonit,CrCoultonsaid.

T IAGREEMENT:

AndrewBlakesterofStarfishEnterprisesandRobTaberofNewEnglandSolarsignamemorandumofunderstanding atyesterdaysrenewableenergylaunch.090713GOA06

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