Western Australian regional energy provider Horizon Power says almost 780 MW of rooftop solar has been installed across homes in the remote communities of Warmun and Bidyadanga as part of the Kimberley Communities Solar Saver (KCSS) program.
The program, a collaboration between Horizon and the Department of Communities, is installing shared rooftop solar systems across households in five Kimberley region communities, reducing their reliance on diesel generators.
Western Australia Energy Minister Amber-Jade Sanderson said the rooftop installations act like a solar farm, using residential rooftops instead of land, with the benefits being equally distributed among the community customers.
“This project is a wonderful example of shared assets bringing direct benefits to our remote communities,” she said.
“Instead of relying solely on diesel generators, community residents can benefit from shared solar power, resulting in a cleaner and cheaper type of energy.”
Horizon said 422 kW of rooftop solar has been installed on some of the homes in the township of Warrum with the benefits of renewables being shared with all 78 properties in the community.
Another 356.4 kW of rooftop solar has been installed across 33 properties in Bidyadanga with all 133 households in the community benefiting.
Horizon Acting Chief Executive Officer Krystal Skinner said the program is already having an impact, delivering more than $60,000 in energy-saving credits to the residents of Warmun and Bidyadanga since the rooftop installations were completed last year.
“KCSS is helping us deliver on the energy transition by providing remote communities access to renewable energy and savings on energy bills and, while not every home in a KCSS community is fitted with a solar system, the benefits of renewables are shared with all households in the community,” she said.
“We look forward to extending the project to other communities in the region, helping to ease cost-of-living pressures for other residents.”
Work is now underway in the Dampier Peninsula community of Ardyaloon where approximately 21 homes are being fitted with rooftop solar systems. When the installations are complete, about 85 households will share the benefits of renewable energy.
The KCSS program will also see rooftop solar deployed in the Beagle Bay and Djarindjin-Lombadina communities.
When complete, the program is expected to deliver up to 300 rooftop solar systems with a combined capacity of 2 MW across the five communities, providing an average annual household savings of approximately $450 in energy costs to approximately 430 households.
The KCSS program is funded by a $12.6 million investment from the state government and $7.3 million from the federal government, under the $7.3 million Community Solar Banks program.
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