Mandatory Solar Energy Or Living Rooftops Ahead In Moreland?

Image: moerschy

Victoria’s Moreland City Council will vote tonight on investigating the potential to make solar panels, solar hot water or “living roof” space mandatory for new residential and commercial builds.

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UPDATE:  Cr. Dale Martin says Moreland Councillors voted (9-1) in favor of taking the next steps to mandate 15% of roof space being allocated to either solar panels or green roofs on every new residential or commercial property.
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Moreland is a municipality in the inner north of Melbourne incorporating suburbs including Brunswick East/ West, Coburg/North, Glenroy, Pascoe Vale/South and Oak Park. Covering 50.9 square kilometres, the region is home to more than 162,000.

Moreland City Council  has been very active in slashing its emissions and encouraging community uptake of solar power – and this new proposal could see its solar energy street cred further cemented.

Proposed by Councillor Dale Martin who was inspired by California’s compulsory solar push, a change to the Moreland Planning Scheme would mandate at least 15% of all new building roof space is allocated to either solar panels, solar hot water collectors or a “living roof“.

No doubt there will be exemptions where all options simply aren’t viable for whatever reason; well, you’d think so anyway.

Electric Vehicle Charging Infrastructure

The report called for in October further delving into the prospect would also include details on implementing changes to the planning scheme making electrical infrastructure mandatory in all new developments enabling the installation at a later date of recharging points for electric vehicles.

With solar panel costs being as low as they are, many may opt for a larger system rather than the bare minimum in order to get best bang for buck, but even a very small system will provide significant savings says Cr. Martin.

“Initial research indicates that the installation of a 1.5kW solar system and necessary electric infrastructure for future electric vehicle charging connections would cost less the 1% of the median Coburg house price yet save occupants 10-20% of their home energy and fuel costs each year.”

At that system size and with a current median house price in Coburg of $977,500 according to RealEstate.com.au, it would want to cost substantially less than 1% for a relatively rapid payback.

According to the Moreland Leader, Cr Martin said a Facebook poll he conducted on the concept received 94 per cent approval.

“I would love to go up to the tallest building in Moreland and look out and just see green roofs and (solar panels) across the entire city, that would be magnificent,” he said.

Further details on the proposal can be found in tonight’s meeting agenda (PDF – starting on page 390),

Moreland City Council was among the first councils in Australia to be certified carbon neutral for its corporate operations and the community is on track to being “zero carbon” by 2045. As well as installing solar panels on its own facilities, Council has also supported initiatives including solar bulk buy schemes in the community.

Among the novel ways it is addressing emissions, Moreland City Council received government funding last year for a project to transition its diesel-fuelled waste trucks to hydrogen extracted using wind and solar power.