Dubbo. The name may mean "head covering" in the local indigenous Wiradjuri language or "red earth". Dubbo, at the intersection of the Mitchell, Newell and Golden highways, has long been the central (and largest) city of the Orana region of NSW in the state's central west. Founded in the 1830s, Dubbo has a proud history which is borne out by its long standing lamb industry and magnificent buildings.
As well as an interesting past, the city has a bright future - with solar power. Back in 2012, Dubbo was named by the Clean Energy Council (CEC) as the city with the highest per capita average of houses with solar panels in Australia. This was an extraordinary achievement by the central west city and one that destroyed the myth that solar power is restricted to the richer postcodes of the major cities.
Dubbo's warm, sunny climate, and willingness to take on alternative power choices has seen solar panels continue to appear on rooftops throughout the city, with more than 7,500 systems installed by the middle of 2020. What a fantastic effort given the population of around 75,000! It works out to around 50% of all dwellings in the city are harvesting the energy of the sun to generate clean electricity - and no doubt that will continue to rise in the years ahead. To support this uptake, Dubbo has great solar installers, including the SQ-approved businesses mentioned above.
