The Wyndham Solar City Project
The Wyndham Solar City Project has been designed to reduce the energy demands and greenhouse emissions of the municipality’s community buildings through the installation of solar panels and advanced battery technology.
The program began in 2015, with solar PV panels currently installed across 75 Council owned and managed buildings. The focus for the program has primarily been on high use energy sites, community centres, kindergartens and sporting pavilions throughout the Wyndham municipality.
This Large-Scale Solar Project is considered to be one of the largest rollouts of commercial-scale, rooftop solar by local government in Australia. With over 2.63MW of solar PV and 373kWh of battery storage installed to date. This includes more than 8,600 solar panels and 91 unique grid connected solar systems added to the ever-growing fleet.
When released in 2020 the Victorian Local Government Solar Survey results indicated Wyndham City was leading the clean energy transition with more than double the installed rooftop solar capacity of next highest LGA in Victoria. This shows a clear commitment to renewable energy uptake and a lead by example attitude as Council transitions toward a net zero future.
The $4.3 million project has been largely funded through a $3.1 million Federal Government grant, with Wyndham City investing $1.2 million to support the initiative. Council is also investing in upgrades to all of our existing solar assets. This includes installing hardware for advanced remote monitoring of operations, solar energy generation, site energy consumption and provides a clear understanding of overall impact these systems are having on operations.
In addition, construction is currently underway to build a bespoke solar car parking and shade structure at one of our new Integrated Family Centres. This project will be completed by end of FY 21-22 and includes plans for electric vehicle charging directly from the renewable energy being produced on site. When completed this project will further reduce Council's environmental footprint while also providing local access to EV charging infrastructure for our community.
Wyn-R Program
Council has a commitment to continue the rollout of renewable energy systems under the new Wyn-R Program (Reduction, Renewables, Resilience). With an eye to the future this next phase of capital infrastructure works will focus on the many new Council community buildings being planned and constructed across our municipality.
The project will oversee and manage the integration of new and advanced technology with the attention on the key pillars of energy efficiency, energy production and energy storage. This program will ensure all new buildings required for our ever-expanding community include considered, appropriate and sustainable design elements for best long-term operation.
For more information, contact the Sustainability Team: sustainability@wyndham.vic.gov.au
Features
- One of the largest rollouts of rooftop solar by a Local Council in Australia
- A clear commitment to renewable energy uptake
- A lead by example attitude as Council transitions toward a net zero future
- Currently 91 individual solar systems connected to the supply grid
- 75 Council owned and managed buildings with solar PV and counting
- 19 buildings with a combined capacity of 373kWh of energy storage already installed
- Over 2.75MW and 9,000 solar panels to be installed in total by the end of FY 21-22
Benefits
- Combined production of 3.25 GWh of emissions free renewable energy from the sun each year
- Equivalent energy required to power over 700 residential homes in Wyndham annually
- Greenhouse gas abatement of 3,800 Tonnes each year
- Equivalent CO2 offset to planting 19,000 trees each year
- Cash positive activity with over $17.7 Million in expected savings from the current solar fleet (over a 20-year asset life)
- Helping Wyndham keep pace with population growth and increasing energy demands
