With a population of over 30,000, the regional city of Mildura, located on the banks of the Murray in Victoria’s north-west, is regarded as one of the centres of the state’s agricultural industry.
The more observant among us may have thought that the climate that Mildura enjoys (semi arid) – ideal for grape and fruit production – may also prove to be beneficial for solar energy. And they’d be right.
The region was to be the site of the Mildura Solar Concentrator Power Station, one of the world’s largest solar photovoltaic systems of its kind. Alas, it wasn’t to be – but where that project failed, the installation of solar panels on local homes and businesses has been a stellar success.
More than 2,900 rooftop solar solar power systems with a collective generation capacity of more than 20 megawatts had been installed in Mildura by the end of June 2020.
Mildura City Council is also utilising solar energy in novel ways. A Solar Distillation Demonstration Site uses special panels to produce clean water from contaminated, stormwater or saline sources, which is then used to irrigate the landscaped areas at the Mildura Eco Village.
Council has also installed more than 355 kilowatts of solar power systems and solar hot water systems on 30 buildings, resulting in substantial savings on its electricity costs - and is continuing to install PV on its assets.
If you live in Mildura, you can also benefit from electricity bill savings by harnessing the sun’s energy – submit your details now for a quote on solar panels from the trusted installers listed above.
