Monday, July 04, 2011

Pine Gap installs 40 household solar systems

The number of rooftop photovoltaic (PV) solar systems in Alice Springs has increased by around ten per cent with the installation of 40 systems on Pine Gap staff housing.

Each system is two kilowatts in size and together they will produce 130,000 kilowatt hours per year, which is the entire annual consumption of around 15 average Alice Springs homes.

Alice Solar City has been working with the Joint Defence Facility Pine Gap (JDFPG) to help increase energy efficiency of staff housing around Alice Springs.

Margaret Larkin, Deputy Chief of the JDFPG said "It is a goal of the Joint Defence Facility Pine Pap to make a contribution to protecting the environment through energy, water and other conversation measures.”

“Increasing our energy efficiency through the use of solar energy will assist the Facility to achieve this goal”.

“The solar installations will save approximately $25,000 per year off the combined annual electricity bills of our residences.”

Alice Solar City General Manager Sam Latz says, “The 40 PV systems represent increased household energy efficiency for 10% of JDFPG’s housing stock and we congratulate them on this contribution to sustainability in Alice Springs.”

“I would like challenge the Alice Springs community to match this level of 10% of all Alice Springs homes generating electricity from the sun”.

Pine Gap resident Edward said, "It is satisfying to know that I am living in a home that benefits from solar energy while supporting the objectives of the local Alice Solar City program”.

The number of household solar PV systems has increased from two to just over 500 since Alice Springs became a solar city in March 2008.

Twittercue: Pine Gap residents install 40 household Solar Power systems to increase their energy efficiency http://tiny.cc/2n8h0 #sustainable #alice

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For media enquiries please contact Laurelle Halford from Creative Territory on 0417 222 211 or (08) 8952 9412 or laurelle@creativeterritory.com
About Alice Solar City

The Alice Springs Solar City Consortium is led by the Alice Springs Town Council and includes broad community support from the Northern Territory Government, Power and Water Corporation, Tangentyere Council, the Northern Territory Chamber of Commerce, the Desert Knowledge Cooperative Research Centre and the Arid Lands Environment Centre. Funding sources include the Australian Government, the Northern Territory Government, Power and Water Corporation, and Alice Springs Town Council.