Bega Council says the agreement has saved it more than $116,000 in electricity bills. Photo: Bega Valley Shire Council Facebook.
A South Coast council has renewed an agreement made as part of its renewable energy push.
A memorandum of understanding (MoU) was first signed between Bega Valley Shire Council (BVSC) and Clean Energy for Eternity Incorporated (CEFE) in 2013.
The organisations partnered to support the installation of solar panels on council-owned property and other assets.
The most recent MoU expired on 30 June, with CEFE proposing a new agreement.
At a recent meeting, councillors voted to renew the document, taking it through to at least 2030.
Councillor Helen O’Neil pointed to the agreement as an example of the council making small, consistent changes to become more sustainable.
“[This memorandum] has provided not just real savings, but real change in how we deal with our energy issues here.
“A lot of this report is about savings, but I just want to acknowledge, too, that we are making a real difference in reducing our energy use and [changing] the sources of our energy use in the shire, because of the leadership of this group.”
According to council documents, the MoU has saved the council $116,542 in electricity bills across multiple projects.
The first project was solar panels at Tathra Sewage Treatment Plant (which are known as Tathra Solar Farm) in 2015, before similar infrastructure was installed at the shire’s RFS sheds.
“Since the project’s inception, council has contributed $58,228 to CEFE from renewable energy savings calculated from the Tathra Solar Farm (i.e. cost savings + solar credits) and $2688 in solar credits from the RFS sheds,” the agenda states.
“RFS shed solar credits are handed directly onto the rural fire brigades (for the purchase of equipment) by CEFE, and the solar farm contributions are reinvested back into more renewable energy projects on council assets.”
The renewal of the MoU will see CEFE continue investing in renewable energy systems and infrastructure on council assets, with any net savings from projects “funded partly or wholly by CEFE Inc” being transferred to CEFE biannually.
The meeting agenda also states that replacement of the infrastructure should be considered on a case-by-case basis (taking into account things such as technological developments and replacement cost).
“If future replacement is deemed necessary, costs will be covered by council’s asset managers or through council’s renewables budget funded by the environment levy,” the agenda states.
“The average cost of these systems is $8000 ([for a] solar battery system). … With the projected costs of solar and batteries coming down over time, it is likely future costs will be less relative to current valuation.”
The organisation has also undergone a restructuring since the previous MoU was signed.
“Staff have reviewed the new structural arrangements and are confident that CEFE can continue to deliver as agreed in the MoU,” council documents state.
It means that a ‘CEFE Tathra Chapter’ will oversee all funds and projects in the Bega Valley, while administrative tasks and insurances will be managed by CEFE Inc from its northern beaches branch.
During the meeting, Mayor Russell Fitzpatrick also thanked CEFE members for their efforts.
Earlier this year, the council also signed a three-year MoU with Eden Tourism Inc and Port Authority NSW, to support the region’s cruise industry.
