Emerging from a hiatus with a new committee, it is useful to review where we are and where we are heading, as seen by new convener Geoff Davies.
The broad goal of BCE is to establish a means to produce community-based zero emission, low cost electricity for Braidwood and nearby villages. We also support improved energy efficiency of homes. We investigate and promote community support, participation, technical feasibility, financial viability, legal/regulatory compliance, and our capacity to deliver social, economic and environmental benefits.
Over the several years of our informal and official existence we have looked at several options, including a local solar photovoltaic (PV) farm, ‘water battery’ (off-river, pumped-hydro) energy storage, micro-grids or local grids to link existing rooftop systems, and home energy efficiency.
A brochure and a couple of papers outline the basis for the solar farm and pumped hydro. You can see them on this web site.
My personal priority is to promote the pumped hydro and solar farm projects, the former because it is highly promising, little used and appreciated, relatively simple, uses mature technologies, involves few negative side-effects and would be a great example in a very confused national discussion/slanging match. It could also be the most financially viable part of the system.
Situation
We have interacted with some other communities that have developed or are working on solar PV, notably Goulburn, Tathra/Bega Valley and Yackandandah. We have gained some information about efforts at other places, such as Tyalgum NSW, Newstead and Daylesford VIC.
A couple of organisations are potentially important.
Enova is a community-base retailer in the Byron region. They would sit between us and the (horrendously complicated) National Energy Market. They offer competitive retail rates and feed half their profit back into the community. They would be keen to work with Braidwood, given a customer base here. You can use them individually anyway. We will be in touch with them about whether and when we have a sufficient customer base here to receive a community bonus.
Pre-Power is an ACT co-op that facilitates community financing by novel means that avoid commercial interest rates and link local investors and users in mutually beneficial arrangements. We had Kevin Cox speak to us last year about this, and will endeavour to clarify for everyone the rather novel arrangements involved. A Braidwood version could be created.
Prospect
We will need expert evaluations of the solar farm and pumped hydro projects, including their fit with the local communities, prior to seeking serious investment. This will require identifying potential consutants, obtaining grant money for the studies and specifying the questions to be addressed. Identifying potential consultants will focus efforts to raise the money and to specify terms, and will be my short-term priority.
Other possible projects mentioned earlier are there to be pursued, but in a volunteer organisation of course that depends on someone being willing to take the project on.