While community energy is thriving overseas, Australia remains behind the curve.
Denmark Community Windfarm (DCW) has built a two turbine windfarm, with permission for two more, in response to locals wanting to build a small, community-scale windfarm that would:
- feed electricity into the regional grid
- improve the quality and reliability of the district’s power
- reduce the community’s reliance on fossil fuels
Nicky Ison, a senior research consultant for the Institute for Sustainable Futures at the University of Technology, Sydney, stated that in 2009, there were just three or four community energy projects under development in Australia. Now, however, there are 10 projects operating and over 50 in development.
“Globally we are seeing huge innovation in the business models for renewable energy. Because of government policies in Australia, selling electricity into the grid for smaller community energy projects is not economically viable so these projects need to sell energy directly to electricity users,” Ison says.
In Denmark’s case, locals decided to form a limited company rather than a co-operative structure. The company issued 1.2 million shares at $1 each and it now has 116 shareholders, most of whom are local residents. DCW will pay its first dividend this year, after just 15 months of operation. Some of the profits will be returned to the community for other projects.
“We calculated that after the first year of operation we had provided 55 per cent of domestic electricity consumption, which was slightly better than our projections,” says DCW Director, Craig Chappelle. “In overall terms, we are providing 35 to 40 per cent of commercial, industrial and residential consumption for the entire district. It’s not bad for two little 800kW turbines.”
Not too bad at all!
Repost of : The Winds of Change | Sydney Morning Herald
