General News
24 October, 2022
Solar switch for Newstead residents
The Newstead community is ready to light the torch for renewable energy with the construction of its long-awaited solar project set to begin shortly. As part of a partnership between community group Renewable Newstead and electricity retailer Flow...
The Newstead community is ready to light the torch for renewable energy with the construction of its long-awaited solar project set to begin shortly.
As part of a partnership between community group Renewable Newstead and electricity retailer Flow Power, the upcoming Newstead Energy Project will consist of a three-megawatt solar farm and a five-megawatt-hour battery energy storage system.
“The Renewable Newstead long-held dream is getting closer. The first idea for a local energy project in Newstead emerged in 2009. Local volunteers have helped bring this to fruition, and we’ve had a big hand with the help of a $1.1 million grant from the Victorian Government in 2018,” Renewable Newstead convenor Geoff Park said.
“Now we’re pleased to see Flow Power take on the project to bring our dream to life — locally generated clean energy and a retail offer for our residents to champion renewable energy.”
Flow Power will be in charge of financing, developing, building, and connecting the project. The retailer will also take on the ownership and operation of the farm.
“We’re proud to create an energy solution together with Renewable Newstead, that not only delivers a local clean energy generator, but incorporates solar, battery, energy hardware and community engagement,” Flow Power chief executive officer Matthew van der Linden said.
“This combination is the holy grail of the ideal energy system and is the missing link in what is needed to transition this industry to a 100 percent renewable energy market.”
The farm will have the capacity to supply enough energy to all households in the region, while the battery system will be able to feed into the grid at times of low sunshine and outside daylight hours.
Located west of Newstead, on Captains Gully Road, the system will be connected to the current powerline that runs along the Pyrenees Highway, between Castlemaine, Newstead and Maryborough.
“This project exemplifies how a community can work to ensure renewable energy is generated locally — that everyone in the community can tap into, whether they own or rent,” Renewable Newstead volunteer Genevieve Barlow said.
“We have had a positive response from the community that reflects a degree of pride in having ‘our own’ small-scale solar farm just out of Newstead.”
The construction is expected to take around nine months and the project is estimated to be operational subsequently.
