Gippsland dairy farmers, residents and businesses are being encouraged to jump on to an energy scheme that could slash their power bills and put energy production and distribution into their own hands.
Workshops will be held in Morwell next week explaining an Australian-first peer-to-peer solar scheme which is being launched in the Latrobe Valley, in partnership with energy company LO3 and Dairy Australia.
LO3 director Belinda Kinkead said they are conducting a feasibility study into a community-owned virtual energy network in which dairy farmers would trade solar power within the local community.
The study will include up to 200 dairy farms, 150 homes and 20 industrial consumers in the Latrobe Valley.
Ms Kinkead said potential participants will get free on-farm energy assessments and will need to provide their historical energy use for analysis.
“Dairy farmers have a high energy demand when they are milking. How can dairy farmers cap their energy-use?” Ms Kinkead said.
“A local energy market place means they can sell the energy they produce in the middle of the day to community members.”
She said the Australian Renewable Energy Agency-funded study should be finished by November after economic modelling is conducted and could be implemented next year.
The mircogrid is based on a similar concept operating in Brooklyn, New York, but Ms Kinkead said they would need to assess how to adapt the model to regional Victoria.
The concept will allow farmers to get a better feed-in tariff per kilowatt and let other people purchase power at a cheaper rate than what they can get through commercial retailers.
The system would use exiting poles and wires and people could opt-in or out with a smartphone app, depending on what their energy priorities were.
Farmers can install solar power at no upfront cost through loans, provided by the Sustainable Melbourne Fund.
This is repaid through council rates, giving businesses immediate cash injections with the possibility of additional net income generated through the microgrid.
GippsDairy regional manager Alan Cameron said, if successful, the scheme could be rolled-out to other dairy communities.
“This is an exciting concept for dairy farmers and a welcome opportunity to be paid more for the energy they produce from renewables,” Mr Cameron said.
“This will make the industry more sustainable. Any initiative to enhance profitability is welcome.”
The Latrobe Valley microgrid workshops will be held at the Morwell Bowling Club on Tuesday, May 29 from 7pm-9pm, and on Wednesday, May 30 from 10am-noon.
To register, email info@latrobevalley.energy.
