Geelong Community Solar Program

The Geelong+ Community Solar Program concluded in late 2021, having supported 276 households and businesses to install solar and battery systems.
The results speak for themselves:

1.7MW Solar and 835kWh battery storage

5,117 solar panels installed

$4M+ of renewable energy investment

54,740 Tons CO2e emission reduction over 25 years

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Launch of the Geelong+ Community Solar Program with Local Government Mayors and project partners 

276 households and businesses participated in the Geelong region’s largest ever community solar bulk-buy program. This resulted in 2.5MW of renewable energy installed and over 2,000 Tonnes of carbon emissions saved each year, the equivalent of taking approximately 460 cars off the road.

Geelong Sustainability partnered with RACV Solar and Mondo to help homeowners and businesses switch to clean, affordable energy by providing them with high quality solar and battery solutions, delivered by the region’s leading solar providers.

The Program was open to homeowners and businesses in the Greater Geelong, Surf Coast, Colac Otway, Queenscliffe and Golden Plains Shires, and had the support of local councils and community groups.

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Unique to the program, residents had the option to participate in Mondo’s Geelong+ Virtual Power Plant and make an extra $150 per year when installing a battery. The Virtual Power Plant connects home batteries to others in the community to form a larger 'virtual battery' that delivers renewable energy to both your home and the grid. Participants helped stabilise electricity supply, support more renewable energy and reduce prices for everyone.

The program also provided a broader community dividend with our project partners RACV Solar donating a solar panel for every system installed as part of the program. Over 100kW of solar was donated to eight not-for-profit community organisations who were nominated by local residents and community groups:

  • Anglesea Art House, 7.8kW
  • Apollo Bay Mechanics Institute Hall, 5kW
  • Birregurra Bowls Club, 6.4kW
  • Feed Me Bellarine, 20kW
  • Gellibrand Community Hall, 10kW
  • Norlane Community Centre, 22kW
  • Point Lonsdale Bowls Club, 25kW
  • Torquay Tigers Clubrooms, 26kW
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What’s Next

The success of this program and positive feedback from the community has encouraged Geelong Sustainability to now run the 2023 All-electric Homes program. This program moves beyond simply solar and batteries to support households to get off gas and switch to an efficient all-electric home powered by renewable energy.
Learn More