Image: ecoenergiafutura
Wollondilly Shire’s Deputy Mayor wants to see solar panels compulsory for all new residential housing developments in the region.
Wollondilly Shire is located at the south-western fringe of the Sydney metropolitan area and covers 2,560 square kilometres. According to the Wollondilly Visitor Center, it stretches from Bargo in the south, Appin and Menangle in the east, Warragamba in the north; and with the Nattai wilderness, Yerranderie and Burragorang Valley to the west.
The Shire is home to around 48,500 people and like any other area in Australia, its residents are struggling with electricity costs.
Councillor and Deputy Mayor Robert Khan believes every home should have solar panels and wants to see all future residential developments in the shire include them.
According to a report on the Wollondilly Advertiser, Mr. Khan says these new homes should “include at least one five watt solar panel per house”.
5 watts will do very little, in fact next to nothing. It’s possible Mr. Khan (or the reporter) meant 5kW solar systems (5 kilowatts).
The Deputy Mayor will officially raise the proposal at the next council meeting in May.
Mr. Khan would know a thing or two about big electricity bills. He is the owner Khan’s Supa IGA Group consisting of ten supermarkets; one of which is in Picton and another in Bargo. It’s not clear if he has or intends going the commercial solar route for these premises.
It’s not the first call in Australia for solar power systems to be a compulsory part of new home builds and in at least one new suburb, Denman Prospect in the ACT, rooftop solar power is already mandatory.
In February we mentioned the Australian Sustainable Built Environment Council (ASBEC) and ClimateWorks Australia published a report recommending solar panels or other renewables be compulsory for all new homes built in Australia in an effort to slash energy costs, network investment and emissions.
A good start would be ensuring the rooftops of all new homes with suitable solar resources can support a 5kW system (space permitting) – and not as an optional extra. It seems what’s known as “slender roofs” may not just be an issue for commercial rooftops in recent new builds in Australia.
Side note: another big solar energy opportunity in the Wollondilly Shire region may be around the corner. On Friday, NSW Energy and Utilities Minister Don Harwin announced the State Government wants to see private sector investment in renewables such as floating solar facilities built on the state’s dams and other water infrastructure. Wollondilly Shire is home to Australia’s largest urban water supply dam – Warragamba Dam. Perhaps we’ll see a floating solar installation on the dam reservoir in the not-too-distant future.
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With the text in the article
It’s not the first call in Australia for solar power systems to be a compulsory part of new home builds and in at least one new suburb, Denman Prospect in the ACT, rooftop solar power is already mandatory.
as Judge Bullingham would say, It is just plain common sense.
And, with the text in the article
Wollondilly Shire is located at the south-western fringe of the Sydney metropolitan area and covers 2,560 square kilometres
building of new houses, being required to include self-sufficient electricity supply including both panels and batteries, could make building the houses cheaper, with not needing to be concerned about new poles and wires, and, could result in higher electricity security and stability for the new houses, than poles and wires over distances.
This should be law. All new buildings should have at least a 5kW solar system, space permitting. No solar? No build.