Imagine your community empowered by its own clean energy sources, fostering local resilience, economic benefits, and a stronger sense of ownership over your environmental future. Community energy projects, encompassing everything from solar farms and battery storage to energy efficiency initiatives and electric vehicle infrastructure, offer a tangible pathway to achieve this. By collaboratively investing in these sustainable solutions, your community can reduce its reliance on fossil fuels, lower energy costs for residents and businesses, and create a more vibrant and sustainable local economy.
CORENA is passionate about supporting the growth of impactful community energy projects across Australia. We offer interest-free loans to help your community implement a diverse range of initiatives, from installing solar panels on local buildings to establishing community-owned batteries and solar farms. Let us partner with you to unlock the numerous benefits of community-led renewable energy, energy efficiency, and sustainable transportation, building a more resilient, equitable, and environmentally responsible future for all.
Solar Panels for Community Energy Projects
Deploying solar photovoltaic (PV) systems on community-owned or hosted infrastructure, such as schools, community centres, businesses, agricultural buildings, or even as solar farms on underutilised land. Projects can range from small rooftop installations to larger, grid-connected arrays.
Specific Benefits:
- Localised Renewable Energy Generation: Directly contribute to increasing the supply of clean energy within the community, reducing reliance on fossil fuel-based power from the grid. For example, a community solar farm providing clean electricity to participating households.
- Revenue Generation for Community Benefit: Income generated from electricity sales can be reinvested in local community projects, infrastructure upgrades, or further sustainability initiatives.
- Community Ownership & Empowerment: Foster a sense of local ownership and control over energy resources, empowering community members to participate in the transition to a sustainable energy future.
Learn more in Solar Panels – A Guide For Non Profits
Renewable Energy Batteries for Community Energy Projects
Integrating battery storage with community-owned renewable energy systems to enhance grid stability, optimise energy use, and provide backup power for critical community infrastructure. This can include community-scale batteries serving multiple properties or smaller batteries at individual sites.
Specific Benefits:
- Enhanced Grid Stability & Reliability: Batteries can help smooth out fluctuations in solar generation and provide grid services contributing to a more stable and resilient local grid.
- Maximised Value of Renewable Energy: Store excess solar energy for use during peak demand periods or when solar generation is low, increasing the financial viability and environmental benefits of the project.
- Community Resilience During Outages: Provide backup power for essential community facilities like emergency shelters or local businesses during grid outages, enhancing community resilience.
Learn more in Solar & Renewable Energy Batteries: Why, When & How To Use Them
Energy Efficiency Initiatives within Community Energy Projects
Incorporating energy efficiency upgrades into project planning and implementation, as well as promoting energy efficiency within the wider community:
- Energy Audits & Retrofits: Offering or facilitating energy audits for homes and businesses within the project area, and potentially supporting retrofitting programs.
- Efficient Building Standards: Constructing energy efficient community-owned buildings.
- Community Education & Awareness: Running workshops and campaigns to educate residents and businesses about energy conservation measures and the benefits of energy efficiency.
Specific Benefits:
- Reduced Overall Energy Demand: Lowering the total energy consumption within the community reduces the need for large-scale renewable energy generation and grid infrastructure.
- Lower Energy Bills for Participants: Energy efficiency measures directly translate to cost savings for households and businesses involved in the community energy project.
- Stronger Community Engagement: Promoting energy efficiency fosters greater awareness and participation in the community energy transition.
Learn more in Energy Efficiency Audit Guide For Non Profits
Heat Pump Hot Water Systems within Community Energy Projects
Including heat pump hot water installations as part of community-wide renewable energy initiatives, particularly for larger communal facilities or incentivising their adoption in residential and commercial buildings within the project area.
Specific Benefits:
- Reduced Fossil Fuel Use for Water Heating: Directly decrease the community’s reliance on fossil fuels or electricity for water heating, a significant energy end-use.
- Lower Energy Costs for Hot Water: Reduce energy bills for participating households and businesses.
- Complementary Technology to Solar Panels: Solar hot water can work synergistically with solar PV to address a broader range of energy needs within the community.
Learn more in Green & Energy Efficient Water Heating Guide For Non Profits
Heat Pumps within Community Energy Projects
Promoting the adoption of energy-efficient heat pumps for heating, cooling and hot water systems within the community, potentially through bulk purchase schemes or information campaigns linked to the energy project.
Specific Benefits:
- Efficient Electric Heating & Cooling: Provide a lower-carbon alternative to traditional gas heating and less efficient electric systems, especially when powered by locally generated renewable energy.
- Improved Comfort & Air Quality: Enhance the comfort and health of residents and building occupants.
- Reduced Greenhouse Gas Emissions: Contribute to the community’s overall emissions reduction goals.
Learn more in Heat Pumps Guide for Non Profits
Induction Stovetops within Community Energy Projects
Encouraging the use of induction cooktops in homes and businesses within the community energy project through awareness campaigns and potential incentives.
Specific Benefits:
- Energy Efficiency in Cooking: Offer a more energy-efficient cooking method compared to traditional electric or gas stoves, especially when powered by renewable electricity.
- Safety Benefits: Reduce the risk of burns compared to gas or traditional electric cooktops.
- Alignment with Electrification Goals: Support the broader transition to an electrified energy system powered by renewables.
Learn more in Induction Stovetops Guide for Non Profits
Electric Vehicles within Community Energy Projects
Integrating electric vehicle (EV) infrastructure and promotion into community energy projects, such as installing community charging stations powered by renewable energy, EV bulk buy schemes, or community service vehicles such as buses.
Specific Benefits:
- Reduced Transportation Emissions: Address a significant source of greenhouse gas emissions within the community.
- Increased Demand for Locally Generated Renewable Energy: Encourage the use of clean electricity for transportation, creating a stronger local market for renewable energy.
- Community Benefits of Shared Mobility: Explore opportunities for community-owned or shared EV fleets powered by renewable energy, providing affordable and sustainable transportation options.
Learn more in Driving Change Together: Community Energy & Shared Electric Vehicles
Get Your Project Started
By embracing these diverse sustainable technologies, community energy projects in Australia can create more resilient, affordable, and environmentally friendly local energy systems, fostering greater community participation and accelerating the transition to a clean energy future. They serve as vital catalysts for broader societal change.
Check out some of CORENA’s community energy projects around Australia.
Interest-Free Renewable Energy & Efficiency Loans for Community Energy Projects
Here at CORENA we love community energy projects that allow the community to participate in, and receive the benefits from Australia’s Renewable Energy Revolution. If you are working on a community energy project that would benefit from a zero-interest loan, get in contact, we would love to discuss it with you.
We receive, record, and transparently report donations received from the public. We use that money to give interest-free loans to fund:
- Solar Panels
- Energy Efficiency
- Getting Off Gas – Replacement of fossil gas appliances with electric alternatives
- Electric Vehicles
- A combination of the above
You don’t pay any interest on your CORENA loan, and the quarterly loan repayments are set to be a little less than the savings on your operating costs averaged over a year. This means you are never out of pocket, but you don’t save much overall in the short-term. However, after your loan is fully repaid you reap the full financial benefit of having lower operating costs.
To learn more, check out how to apply for a loan, or register for one of our upcoming Online Q&A Information Sessions.
