How this remote Indigenous community reduced every resident's power bill
June 26, 2024 1:46 PM Subscribe
How this remote Indigenous community has reduced every resident's power bill by 70 per cent. An Indigenous-owned solar farm, the first to be connected to a power grid, has been opened in the Northern Territory remote community of Marlinja.
Tagged solarpunk.
posted by doctornemo at 2:14 PM on June 26 [2 favorites]
posted by doctornemo at 2:14 PM on June 26 [2 favorites]
sweet!
posted by JoeXIII007 at 4:23 PM on June 26
posted by JoeXIII007 at 4:23 PM on June 26
Good on them!
posted by JustSayNoDawg at 8:48 PM on June 26
posted by JustSayNoDawg at 8:48 PM on June 26
Oh heck yes, this is wonderful.
Other places have used their natural resources to produce cheap electricity for their residents (Quebec is the case I’m most familiar with, where electricity starts at 6c/kwh (compare to about 27c here in Melbourne). It’s astounding that we haven’t done the same here as solar technology has advanced. I hope this model spreads to other communities in the Top End.
(Then we can nationalise energy production and retail, and stop the nonsense that is our current system.)
posted by third word on a random page at 4:38 AM on June 27 [1 favorite]
Other places have used their natural resources to produce cheap electricity for their residents (Quebec is the case I’m most familiar with, where electricity starts at 6c/kwh (compare to about 27c here in Melbourne). It’s astounding that we haven’t done the same here as solar technology has advanced. I hope this model spreads to other communities in the Top End.
(Then we can nationalise energy production and retail, and stop the nonsense that is our current system.)
posted by third word on a random page at 4:38 AM on June 27 [1 favorite]
It’s astounding that we haven’t done the same here as solar technology has advanced.
We have, but because we also run this fucked-up retail pseudo-market within which most of the retail players are wholly devoted to keeping their billing offerings as confusing and painful as possible, most people aren't aware that they can buy power more cheaply when the sun is shining.
As far as I know, Amber Electric is still the only power retailer in Australia that passes anything resembling the actual market spot price through to end users at cost, running its own business off a fixed monthly subscription fee rather than keeping a direct incentive to maximize the amount of energy its customers buy.
Judicious use of their app has been saving me bucketloads. Outside the winter months I regularly see the prices available to me fall below 5c/kWh; that winter is noticeably more expensive reflects the scale of rooftop solar PV in this country.
Amber also offers battery management, which is something I fully intend to look into more once I'm able to acquire an EV without paying five figures for a week's worth of new-car smell.
posted by flabdablet at 6:59 AM on June 27
We have, but because we also run this fucked-up retail pseudo-market within which most of the retail players are wholly devoted to keeping their billing offerings as confusing and painful as possible, most people aren't aware that they can buy power more cheaply when the sun is shining.
As far as I know, Amber Electric is still the only power retailer in Australia that passes anything resembling the actual market spot price through to end users at cost, running its own business off a fixed monthly subscription fee rather than keeping a direct incentive to maximize the amount of energy its customers buy.
Judicious use of their app has been saving me bucketloads. Outside the winter months I regularly see the prices available to me fall below 5c/kWh; that winter is noticeably more expensive reflects the scale of rooftop solar PV in this country.
Amber also offers battery management, which is something I fully intend to look into more once I'm able to acquire an EV without paying five figures for a week's worth of new-car smell.
posted by flabdablet at 6:59 AM on June 27
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posted by HearHere at 1:59 PM on June 26