- Rural and remote communities in Western Australia are set to receive access to renewable energy.
- The rollout will begin with 180 installations.
The government of Western Australia has announced the rollout of some 1,000 renewable energy off-grid power systems to bring electricity to rural communities. The standalone power systems (SAPs) being deployed combines solar photovoltaic systems and battery storage.
According to a local news report, the disbursement will kick off with 180 installations and a funding commitment of A$37 million (US$25.63 million) for the distributed resources. While SAPS deployments are increasing in Australia, particularly in rural areas, the Western Australian push is thought to be the largest initiative of its type in the country to date.
In a statement by Western Power, the state-owned energy company administering the programme, “rather than stretching power lines over long distances, customers can use on-site generated power and are likely to experience far fewer outages – up to 90% fewer, in some cases.”
WA energy minister Bill Johnston noted that the government will seek to deploy its 1,000 systems over the next four years. Johnston also said the installation would create 90 jobs, including 15 apprentice positions, and support local businesses that manufacture, install and commission the units.