Located in the dry, dusty centre of Australia, Alice Springs once relied exclusively on gas power and diesel trucked in for electricity generation, but has been evolving into a solar energy powerhouse in recent years.
By the end of June 2020, around 2,387 small-scale solar power systems had been installed in Alice Springs; representing a collective capacity of more than13,922 kW kilowatts. That’s a great result for a city with a population of around16,000.
Alice Springs also boasts the cutting edge Uterne Solar Power Station. Recognised with an Engineering Excellence Award from the Institution of Engineers Australia, the 1MWfacility generates around 2,300 megawatt hours (MWh) of electricity per year on average, which is equivalent to the average yearly consumption of 270 average Alice Springs households.
Built under an agreement with the Northern Territory’s Power and Water Corp, technology used at Uterne tracks the sun’s path throughout the day, which yields an estimated 30 percent additional energy than traditional fixed solar panels.
Alice Springs was also part of the Australian Government’s Solar Cities program, which delved into how solar power, energy efficiency technologies and new ways of tackling electricity supply and pricing could contribute to a sustainable energy future. The city went from two rooftops with solar panels at the beginning of the initiative, to 700 at the end of the program in 2013.
Aside from other major PV projects in the pipeline, Alice Springs is also home to the Desert Knowledge Australia (DKA( Solar Centre, which generates performance data on dozens of brands and types of solar panels operating under real-world and often harsh conditions.
As in many other Australian cities, solar power is helping residents and businesses in Alice Springs win the battle against increasing electricity costs. Make a start today on generating electricity from your own rooftop by getting a quote for solar panels in Alice Springs from pre-vetted installers participating our network.
