An innovative pilot program for residents to reduce their power bills and give them greater control over their energy usage is underway in Broome North.
Visiting the project area this week, Energy Minister Ben Wyatt said the program involved installing Smart Sun household energy packages through an incentive scheme to existing Broome North residents and future property owners in the estate.
“Energy technology is rapidly evolving and so is customer demand for renewable energy solutions,” Mr Wyatt said.
“People want to improve their energy use, reduce their power bills and have minimal impact on the environment.
“Families want greater control over their energy use to manage the household budget.
“This government is committed to reducing the level of high-cost electricity infrastructure traditionally required for new developments.
“The key challenge is integrating new technologies and energy sources into our existing electricity networks to ensure all people continue to enjoy a safe, stable supply of power.”
The package includes rooftop solar panels, a storage battery and inverter combined with ‘smart’ appliances including air-conditioning, pool filtration and hot water systems.
An energy management system and mobile app will enable customers to track their energy usage and potentially reduce their energy consumption.
Established homeowners taking part in the pilot program are having their homes retrofitted with the technology package.
While all of the properties are still connected to the existing network, the package will enable households to use solar-generated electricity to satisfy the majority of their energy needs.
The Smart Sun pilot program is a joint project between Horizon Power and Landcorp, and forms part of Horizon Power’s broader strategy to expand the capacity of its existing network to cope with higher levels of solar energy for residents in remote and regional Western Australia.
