Geelong Council Going For Renewables Gold

The City of Greater Geelong has adopted an environment strategy that will see it increasingly turning to renewable energy.

In 2018-19, Council’s total emissions were 41,344 tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent – and it wants to get that figure down to zero sooner rather than later. This is made more challenging by the local government area’s rapid growth, with its population forecast to reach 387,900 by 2036 – a jump of more than one third on its 2018 estimated resident population. At the end of June last year, the City’s population was estimated at 258,934.

Key energy related targets in the recently adopted Environment Strategy 2020-2030 are:

• City-managed operations to be carbon neutral by 2025
• City-owned light fleet vehicles to be powered by zero-emission sources by 2030
• 100 percent renewable electricity supply for all City owned and operated buildings and streetlights by 2025

The Strategy also mentions Council will pursue financial divestment away from fossil-fuel-aligned investments.

“We have a responsibility to reduce our emissions, as well as prepare for the potential outcomes a changed climate may bring,” states the document.

The community was extensively consulted during the development of the Strategy, and Council states there was overwhelming support for the goals, principles and actions contained within it.

The other goals of the Strategy are in relation to:

• Greener community spaces
• Waste reduction
• Biodiversity
• Water management

In terms of City of Greater Geelong’s renewable energy aspirations, the document doesn’t detail how this energy will be sourced. But Council has already been busy installing solar panels on various buildings and by April last year its solar capacity had reached half a megawatt. It has also supported ReEnergise Geelong, a community-led transition to 100% renewable energy and was the third City in Australia to be awarded One Planet certification; a component of which relates to making buildings energy efficient and delivering all energy with renewable technologies. A list of Council’s zero carbon energy buildings can be found here.

Solar Uptake In Geelong

More broadly in the City of Greater Geelong local government area, the use of solar energy continues to grow. Last year we mentioned approximately 15.5% of compatible dwellings in the LGA had solar panels installed as at January 2019 according to the Australian Photovoltaic Institute (APVI). By the 30th of June this year, that had grown to 18.1%, so quite a jump. In terms of the number of small scale solar installations in Geelong, in January 2019 17,324 systems had been installed and in June 2019 the figure was 21,345 systems.