25 June, 2012
Bellinger Valley clean energy leaders
An off-grid Bellinger Valley community illustrates the abundant opportunities for generation of renewable energy around the Coffs Coast, according to the Nature Conservation Council of NSW.
NCC CEO Pepe Clarke, said the region had a prime opportunity to embrace renewable energy as the price of solar photovoltaic panels falls.
“In the Bishops Creek community, residents have shown what can be done, with much of the community solar powered and generating its power needs independent of the grid,” Mr Clarke said.
“And with the introduction on 1 July 2012 of the Federal Government’s price on carbon, projects like this show how the price is intended to work: to encourage people to adopt new, renewable energy technology.
“There is a great opportunity to invest in wind power on the coast and on top of the Great Dividing Range and in micro-hydro technology to take advantage of the region’s high rainfall and runoff.
“And of course long, sunny days on the coast make solar power a logical choice,” he said.
Bishops Creek community member Mark Graham said the village had been off the grid for over 20 years.
“Six houses out of 13 are powered by the sun, with one supplemented by a micro-hydro electric power,” he said.
“Most hydro-electricity needs a dam or a weir to capture and direct the water, but a community member at Bishops Creek has invented a floating hydro-electric generator which sits on the surface of our creek, generating base load power without any negative consequences for the health of the catchment.”
Mr Graham said most homes had installed solar hot water and the majority had not had to resort to the use of fossil fuels to power their homes in the years since the community was established.
Mr Clarke said there was no shortage of natural resources to replace coal fired power.
“This region is in a great position to take advantage of new technologies,” he said.
“We are one of the wealthiest nations on earth but we are the greatest polluters.
“We have the technology, the expertise and the financial resources to do it and Bishops Creek has shown it is possible.”
As part of its 100% Ready campaign the Nature Conservation Council held a Clean Energy Forum in the Northern Rivers area to hear from locals and clean energy experts who are leading the future on clean energy.
“Solar is the single greatest opportunity we have," said solar consultant and forum participant, Warwick Johnston.
“If you compare the costs of generating solar power on household roofs to the costs of coal-fired power out of the socket, solar is already on par and only going to get cheaper.”
The 100% Ready campaign, which is supported by the Department of Climate Change and Energy Efficiency, aims to raise awareness of clean energy projects by telling real stories of real people making the transition to clean energy.
Tags
Climate and energy
Let others know about this issue