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Solar Suburbs
Significantly increasing residential solar PV uptake via a unique campaign utilising social norm-based mechanisms and community based social marketing
How this will impact Adelaide's carbon emissions
Residential buildings are significant users of energy within the Adelaide City Local Government Area, yet only 14% of households within the Carbon Neutral Adelaide boundary have implemented a solar PV solution (as at 22/3/16).
A significant opportunity exists to (1) not only overcome existing barriers to more widespread take up of solar PV, but also (2) implement a carefully coordinated best-in-class campaign that utilises social norm-based mechanisms to encourage individual households to install solar PV as well as increase the engagement between both Adelaide City Council and its constituents, and between local community groups (e.g. schools, sporting clubs, religious and other community groups) and their members.
With the exception of campaign resource costs (e.g. up to 2 FTE for total 6 months and collateral), the implementation model has been designed to be self funded.
The model will also allow residents that have traditionally been excluded from accessing solar PV (e.g. apartment dwellers) to participate and therefore significantly increase the uptake of renewable energy within the Carbon Neutral Adelaide boundary.
Voting has now closed for the Wildcard prize. Stay tuned to find out which project will be the 11th finalist.
Rob Welsh
15 Jul 2016
For new Solar PV installations which don't attract a feed in tariff, I think it is only fair and reasonable that the owner should be paid at least parity with the cost of purchasing a Kilowatt hour for every Kilowatt hour they provide to the grid. New installations will be financially viable for those who use the energy during the day, but if you are not home, selling power at 6 kWhr cents back to a retailer who charges more than 30 cents kWhr does not make the investment financially viable.