By Evolution Solar Sunshine Coast

The Greens have revealed their “Solar Powered Social Housing Initiative” which aims to install around 30 000 solar power systems on public and community houses. The initiative would cost $68million and its purpose is to support those who are in need, reduce carbon emissions, decrease reliance on power stations, encourage development of renewable energy and combat rising electricity costs in the state.

With an election looming in Western Australia, the initiative puts solar power in the spotlight. It is recommended that it may be in the Labour Party’s best interest to embrace the Greens initiative in a bid to win back voters that abandoned them last election. The WA government recently announced a solar-pilot program for public housing wanting to install solar power systems to 500 properties for $1million. The Greens Initiative said “this is inadequate and underwhelming and lacks a long term commitment.”

The Initiative says that 98% of tenants in Australia’s public housing and 93% of tenants in community buildings are in the lowest 40% of household incomes. Around 65% of public houses in Australia were built before 1980 and therefore cost significantly to heat and cool. Houses then were not built as efficiently as they are today. For example, an average 3 star rating home will cost almost double that of a 5 star rating home.

Lynn MacLaren, Housing spokeswoman for WA Greens believes this is a solution to our growing energy needs and will bring “down the cost of electricity by an average of $500 a year.” Electricity in the state is said to have risen by 62% in four years. She said, “We have 22 000 public housing homes and apartments across WA and another nearly 8 000 community housing units. Their roofs could be used to assist householders in meeting rising utility cost while at the same time reducing the states growing carbon footprint.”

The plan will cost around $2000 per home for the solar panel installation and $276 per home for smart meters making a total of approximately $68million. The combined solar power systems will generate 65 700MWs per year.

Other Solar Powered Social Housing Initiative benefits include:-

– Generating local and rural employment

– Providing $15million direct grants to the Community Housing sector who will install solar power on 7 500 of houses which it manages

– Lowers carbon emissions by 74 000 tonnes annually

– Reduces the demand for another centralized power station (the solar power systems would be equivalent to a 45mW power station)

– And it would support and encourage further develop of the state’s renewable energy sector

With the election due in March 2013 many will be watching and waiting with great anticipation. Hopefully this is the start of many government housing solar power installations around the world.