Working Group

Electrify our community

Where do we begin

Many people in our community are already travelling along this pathway, however there are limits to what we can achieve as single householders.

Within the Electrify Our Community working group we try to identify the key building blocks needed to deliver a low-carbon future for the entire area. Our vision is to create a coherent framework so that individual householders and businesses who wish to come on board can maximise their personal and community contribution.

To do this, we plan to take a phased approach to answer the following questions:

  • What is our current energy consumption?
  • How can we change the future?
  • What is feasible?

All feasible options will be presented to the community for discussion.

Snapshot of our energy consumption

Our current estimate is that we consumed around 34GWh of energy as a community in 2023, or 24MWh per household. This comprises all forms of energy used in our homes, businesses and for transport.

Although only an estimate, understanding where our energy comes from and how it is used enables us to identify opportunities for change.

Key insights:

  • As a community we spend around $8.3 million each year on all forms of energy, which is nearly $6,000 per household every year.
  • Every house is responsible for emitting 10 tonnes of greenhouse gases per year, enough to fill 10 large houses per dwelling.
  • Transportation accounts for half of all the energy we use and 40% of greenhouse gas emissions.
  • 30% of our energy comes from the Electricity grid, but this accounts for nearly 60% of greenhouse gas emissions.
  • After transport, heating and hot water use most energy in our homes.
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Working Group FAQ’s

Energy usage in the Electrify Bouddi area is based on a wide range of local and national data, including the results of the online Home Energy Survey. These are combined within a model that includes both energy sources (grid electricity, wood, gas, etc) and end uses (lighting, cooking, heating, etc).   

Yes, we are working on a system that will enable households to sell their excess solar electricity to others in the community that currently do not have rooftop solar PV. It is likely that we will run a trial in 2024 to examine whether this is a viable option.

A community battery provides electricity to multiple households, storing excess solar power when it is not needed and then feeding the electricity back to our households when we need it. It is usually cheaper to buy a single large battery than the equivalent capacity of smaller household batteries. Through sharing one battery amongst many households, the system is often more efficient and cost effective.

Renewable energy supplies from the sun and wind often exceed demand, so a battery enables us to store this excess energy to use at a later time. In this way we can make the most of these renewable energy resources. 

Yes there are already Federal and State Government supported pilots and projects successfully working around Australia, with more under development. 

Take a look at the following examples: 

Electrify Bouddi Resources

We’ve been busy looking at how we use energy in the Bouddi community, surveying the uptake of solar power systems and planning ways to decarbonise:

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Join this working group

If you wish to be actively involved in this Working Group please complete the form below and one of our friendly team will contact you shortly!