Port Adelaide Enfield Council has kicked off a pilot subsidy scheme to support small-to-medium enterprise investment in solar power and other green initiatives.
The City of Port Adelaide Enfield is one of the largest metropolitan councils within South Australia. Covering inner north and north-western suburbs of Adelaide; the LGA is home to more than 129,000 people and to a bunch of businesses.
Council’s pilot Green Business Incentive Scheme is looking to support projects in:
- Renewable energy
- Energy efficiency
- Sustainable transport
- Plantings
- Water efficient irrigation systems
… and other initiatives aligning the aims of the scheme – reducing the City’s greenhouse gas emissions, reducing urban heat and boosting its tree canopy.
Subsidies For Solar And Batteries
On the renewable energy side of things, SMEs can apply for up to maximum of 50% of the cost (to a maximum of $5,000) for solar power systems or for battery systems. I’m not totally clear on whether a total of $10,000 may be available for installing both as Council mentions up to 10k can be applied for across the various themes, and these items exist within a single theme.
This is a competitive grant scheme – under the pilot this financial year, total available funding is $75,000. Applications for this round close on May 20, with assessments to begin soon after. It’s expected applicants will know the outcome of their application within 3 weeks of the closing date, and those successful will be awarded their grant funding before June 30.
More information on City of Port Adelaide Enfield’s Green Business Incentive Scheme along with eligibility and application details can be found here. The scheme will run for a further two years after this round, with the next call for applications in November 2022.
Solar Energy In Port Adelaide Enfield LGA
The local government area is well represented in terms of solar installations, estimated by the Australian Photovoltaic Institute to be more than 22,400 and boasting a collective capacity greater than 135MW as at the end of December last year. In what would be considered the small commercial solar segment (10kW to 100kW capacity), there have been around 1,469 installations for a total capacity of approximately 36.3MW.
As for Council’s own efforts, it says the organisation has installed 14 rooftop systems on its buildings with a combined total capacity of 490kW. Among Council assets with solar panels installed is the Civic Centre in Port Adelaide (pictured above).
Even at the small end of the commercial solar range, a 10kW system installed in the Port Adelaide Enfield area can be expected to generate around 16,500 kWh of clean electricity a year. Assuming normal business hours, payback can be achieved within just a few years – and with Council’s generous subsidy, even more rapidly.
Just as a guideline on price, a good quality 10kW commercial solar installation currently costs between $10,000 – $13,000, the upper end of the range being for best-in-class components installed by a particularly fastidious installer. Costs for a 20-30kW system may be as low as $700 a kilowatt.
Solar is a slam-dunk business decision for most commercial enterprises with a suitable rooftop, with or without City of Port Adelaide Enfield’s grant.
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