A potentially volatile market has turned Tamworth Regional Council away from establishing its own solar farm to power its facilities.
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At their meeting on Tuesday night, councillors were very wary about pouring money into solar power right now with a strong sense "public policy" on renewables would shift dramatically in the next 12 months.
However, the council has made strides in this sense searching for lower emissions options and switching to solar at the Swan Street pump station and the airport.
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There were 16 expressions of interest in the council's solar scheme, but its sustainability officer Tim Hurcum advised councillors to walk away from the project in favour of buying more renewable power from retailers and installing more solar panels where viable.
Mr Hurcum said the council was focused on increasing its uptake of renewable energy.
“Recently council sought information from the market on options for large scale solar energy supply to council owned and operated sites,” he said.
“A number of proposals were put forward, including the construction of a large-scale solar facility, however projections of future electricity costs indicate that the financial viability of such a project would be marginal.”
At Tuesday's meeting, deputy mayor Phil Betts said the council had been vindicated in its earlier decisions to install "behind-the-meter" solar array at 11 facilities in the region, including the sports dome, TRECC and library.
The council deferred a push to install solar power panels on the roof of one of its most distinctive buildings, citing aesthetic concerns.
A solar bid at AELEC is undergoing further research after councillors called for further research into the viability of a solar array installed on the ground at the equine centre, rather than the unique roof.
But more facilities could make a switch in the future.
“Based on current electricity cost projections, the consultants agree the best way forward at this point in time is for council to investigate buying renewable energy on the open market whilst continuing to pursue ‘behind the meter’ solar installations, where it can be shown these are financially viable,” Mr Hurcum said.
“Purchasing renewable energy may come at a higher price to traditional sources so this option will need to be further investigated by council.”