Let’s mark International Women’s Day with a report on the Community Energy Congress in Sydney, held over Wednesday and Thursday this week, a conference that just goes to show what a small bunch of women can achieve in a very short space of time.
This national conference for Australia’s booming community energy movement was organised in two months by just six women led by the awesome Heather Smith, chair of the Coalition for Community Energy.
Here’s a pic of all the women at the conference, an event financially supported by the Victorian Government and other renewable industry players (not a cent from the NSW Government).
We heard the first details of some inspiring community energy projects that are playing their part in the shift to 100% renewable energy across the country.
Chantelle Johns and Lauren Mellor of Original Energy told us about Australia’s first First-Nations owned, grid-connected solar-powered microgrid at Marlinja, in the Northern Territory, due for completion in May, with its 100 kilowatt solar array and 136 kWh battery.
Sally Hunter from Geni Energy in Narrabri, NSW, (where 57% of homes have solar, compared to 16% in the Inner West) told us about their community battery and EV charge stations, while Chris Wenban reported on the Narara Eco-Village on the Central Coast, where every house is a super energy-efficient 7-stars on the NATHERS scale and has at least 4 kilowatts of solar. Narara has its own community battery, too, and a microgrid they run themselves.
Karina Donkers of Geelong Sustainability reported on their Climate Safe Rooms project, whereby in the homes of people whose health is at risk from heat or cold, one room is retrofitted by insulating and draught proofing the room, installing a small PV system and a reverse-cycle air conditioning system. At $7300 per room, it’s a lot cheaper than doing the whole house.
And Marie Lackey of the Yarra Energy Foundation reported on the community battery they’ve installed in Fitzroy North, co-funded by the Victorian Government and YEF, a community battery that’s actually of benefit to the community – unlike most of the rest.
Congratulations to the Coalition for Community Energy for an inspiring couple of days. It was heartening to hear all the stories, from women and men around Australia, of the work being done by local communities, mostly by volunteers, to accelerate the switch to renewable energy.
Just imagine what we could do with a bit of government support. It’s time governments recognised that if they want the community’s support in the transition to net zero emissions, they need to engage with, and support, the community. This is a journey all parts of society need to take together.