The Queensland Government has announced $40 million of funding towards a Local Renewable Energy Zone (LREZ) in Townsville.
The LREZ will provide local network-connected batteries allowing renewable energy generated by rooftop solar to be shared amongst the whole community.
Queensland Conservation Council energy strategist, Clare Silcock, said the announcement by the Queensland government is a crucial step towards achieving the state emission reduction targets.
“Queensland communities have a huge opportunity to reduce emissions, help meet our renewable energy targets and save money, and this investment will help show how this can happen,” said Silcock.
“We need to be building all scales of renewable energy to end our reliance on polluting fossil fuels, and we look forward to local renewable energy zones being rolled out more broadly to benefit Queenslanders across the state.”
The LREZ allows households with rooftop solar to feed into community batteries during the middle of the day when demand is low.
All residents connected to the LREZ network can then access this clean, community-generated energy during peak times in the evening.
This system has the added benefit of giving clean, affordable energy to community members who are unable to install rooftop solar, like renters or those in social housing.