Community Owned Renewable Energy
Renewable energy project that transformed Geelong
CORE Geelong
CORE Geelong was established by Geelong Sustainability to facilitate the transition to a sustainable energy system. We enabled community investment in renewable energy projects that are financially self-supporting, and return economic as well as social benefits to the community. In short, we helped create an Energy Democracy!
Watch project leader Dan Cowdell explain how it is set up:
The CORE Geelong Project encouraged community participation and investment in renewable energy, and was focused on developing our community solar financing model.
Our Community Energy projects were designed so we could all actively participate in our energy future, making renewable energy accessible to all residents of Geelong, and taking back control of our energy bills from big corporations. They also allowed us to take action against climate change by driving projects that help not only our local community, but protect our environment for generations to come.
Our Projects
Project 1: Crowdfunded Solar System - INSTALLED
In April 2015 Geelong Sustainability in partnership with The People’s Solar launched the first ever community renewables crowd funding campaign in Geelong - to put solar panels on the roof of South Geelong Primary School.
$12,000 was successfully raised and a 9.25KW solar PV system was installed in May 2016. The school is delighted!
Project 2: Crowdfunded Solar System - INSTALLED
This project established the first replicable community solar investment model in Victoria and enabled Geelong Sustainability to coordinate community driven renewable energy projects in Geelong.
The project at MACS consists of 156kW of solar in total, 102.6kW on the Residential Care building and 53.4kW on Bella Chara. With over 500 solar panels it will significantly lower electricity costs for MACS and reduce emissions by 210 Tonnes of CO2 per year. That’s equivalent to planting over 1470 trees per year or taking 60 cars off the road.
The project was fully funded in April 2018 and the solar system installed in August 2018.
