Australian Consulate-General, Guangzhou
Media Release PD16/07 Date: 28/06/2007
Australia Red Centre - New Home for $12.3 Million Solar City
Australia is to develop the first Solar City in the country’s Red Centre with a $12 million project in Central Australia to harness sunlight for energy.
Announcing the innovative project recently, the Minister for Environment, Mr. Malcolm Turnbull, and the Minister for Industry, Mr Ian Macfarlane, said the project would be set up near Alice Springs, where solar energy concentrator dishes would be installed in up to four locations to capture solar power.
The Alice Springs Solar City project is part of an overall $328.5 million Government Renewable Remote Power Generation Programme designed to increase the uptake of renewable energy technologies in remote areas of Australia, which presently relied on fossil fuel for electricity generation.
Other Australian solar cities such as Adelaide, Townsville and Blacktown in Sydney, which are also part of the programme, would help to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 76,000 tonnes each year.
The cities would install over 3,200 solar photovoltaic panels on private and public housing and other buildings, conduct almost 7,000 energy efficiency consultations and assist more than 250,000 residents and businesses to reduce energy use and save money.
Mr Turnbull said the Alice Springs Solar City project would install solar photovoltaic panels on 230 homes and businesses; 1000 solar hot water systems; roll-out 400 smart meters; and provide solar installations to generate heat and power for the Alice Springs airport, the Araluen Arts Precinct, the town swimming pool and sewerage facility.
“With the highest concentration of sun in Australia, Central Australia had the ingredients for a successful Solar City,” Mr Turnbull said.
Alice Springs has for some time, embraced solar energy technology, with half of its houses already using solar hot water systems. And with community support and adoption of the new project, the project was expected to deliver annual savings of around 10,500kWh in electricity demand and 12,000 tonnes in greenhouse gas emissions.
The Australian Government would provide $12.3 million to the Alice Springs Solar Centre Consortium comprising the Alice Springs Council, Northern Territory Government, the Desert Knowledge Cooperative Research Centre, Arid Lands Environment Centre, and the Northern Territory Chamber of Commerce.
Mr Macfarlane said the new project would also boost local industries, through supply of products to consumers and energy efficiency and smart metering.
“Solar Cities projects were an innovative way to combine solar technologies, energy efficiency, smart metering and better electricity pricing to create more energy sustainable communities,” Mr Macfarlane said.
“The level of interest shown in the Solar Cities concept highlighted the enthusiasm which business and the community were expressing to examine all options to determine the best energy mix for the future.” he added.
The Alice Springs Solar City would receive funding through the Australian Government’s National $75 million Solar Cities initiative and the Renewable Remote Power Generation Programme.
The Australian Government’s $328.5 million Renewable Remote Power Generation Programme aimed to increase the uptake of renewable energy technologies in remote areas of Australia that presently rely on fossil fuel for electricity generation.
Both programmes were part of the Australian Government’s climate change strategy which has committed more than $2 billion to develop clean, low emission technologies; build an effective global response to the issue; increase understanding of climate change science; and help communities adapt to the impact of climate change.
For further information, contact Ellen Chen, Public Affairs Officer on（020）3814 0183.