Solar Panels Helping Power Slim Dusty Centre EV Charging

EV owners arriving the Slim Dusty Centre in Kempsey, NSW can now top up their electric cars while enjoying their visit.

Australian cultural icon Slim Dusty (David Gordon Kirkpatrick) was a country music singer-songwriter, guitarist and producer whose career spanned nearly seven decades. One of the projects he was involved with just prior to his passing in 2003 at the age of 76 was the Slim Dusty Centre; a facility showcasing his music and life, and the role Australian country music has played in the culture of the North Coast of NSW.

The Centre was eventually opened in 2015 and includes a visitor information centre, retail shop, art gallery and of course, the famous Slim Dusty Museum.

Late last year, ownership of most of the Centre (excluding Slim Dusty Museum exhibits and memorabilia) was transferred to Kempsey Shire Council by the Slim Dusty Foundation. This was transferred by the Foundation at no cost, to give the Kempsey community its very own cultural and tourism centre.

Centre Goes Solar

Council invested in the installation of a 99 kW solar power system to help power the Centre and two electric vehicle charging stations that were to soon follow. According to Council, In December last year the PV system generated 7 MWh of clean electricity, with at least 80% of energy use at the Centre supplied by the solar panels.

Assuming that’s a full month, 7 MWh seems a little low for a 99 kW system; but Council seemed pretty pleased with the result.

EV Charger Added

More recently, EV charging has become available. The Plugshare app, which lists public EV charging stations across Australia (and the world), indicates there are two 22kW charging points at the Centre costing $2.50 for each 30 minutes of use.

Council says many travellers and residents have already been stopping in to power up their vehicles.

I wonder what Slim Dusty would have thought of all this!

The PV and EV charger installation were supported by the Building Better Regions Fund, which provided $93,500 towards the $187,000 project. The Building Better Regions Fund (BBRF), now discontinued, was a Morrison Government regional grants program designed to deliver funding for regional infrastructure projects and community development activities.

Kempsey Shire Council And Renewable Energy

The new additions at the Centre are making a significant contribution to Kempsey Shire Council’s long-term renewable energy and water strategy. The Strategy includes installing more solar panels (and batteries where feasible) at Council-operated sites, and investigating the potential for implementing more electric vehicle charging infrastructure. The PV installation at the Centre appears to be the largest for Council yet, with the only other significant system noted being a 50kW installation at the Kempsey Shire Council Depot.

Added: There’s also another 99kW system that was installed on the rooftop of the Civic Centre on Tozer Street last year.

Generally in Kempsey, solar panels are already a common sight on the roofs of homes and businesses across the community. More than 3,814 small-scale systems (<100 kW) have been installed in the 2440 postcode area as at the end of 2022.