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Last week, some buildings in Derbyshire/West Kimberley, Western Australia completed street light upgrades and rooftop solar installations.

The launch is part of Horizon Power’s efforts to support the McGowan government’s Western Australia recovery plan; part of it is a US$66.3 million renewable energy package.

To date, the $5.2 million Derby solar, battery and smart street light project has installed rooftop solar panels on 13 Shire buildings and upgraded more than 1,100 street lights.

So far, the remote solar solution owned by Derby natives has installed 283 kilowatts of rooftop solar on public buildings in Shire, which will save an average of US$130,000 in electricity costs and avoid 230 tons of greenhouse gas emissions per year. The new system includes a 40kW sunshade structure installed in the Derby Memorial Swimming Pool.

"This project provides Horizon Power with the opportunity to work with Shire, local contractors and communities to give back something that really makes a difference. It shows that we are serious about providing energy solutions for regional growth and vibrant communities. "Said Horizon Power CEO Stephanie Unwin.

Western Australia Energy Minister Bill Johnston said in commenting on the initiative:

"The McGowan government is committed to working closely with communities to provide renewable energy solutions to help them reduce electricity costs and create jobs."

As part of the Derby plan, more photovoltaics and battery storage will be installed-a huge 364kW system and community batteries at Derby Hospital. For unknown reasons, the solar energy is significantly smaller than when it was first announced (550kW). At that time the battery installed capacity was 275kWh, but perhaps this has also changed.

Due to the limitation of web hosting capacity, it may be challenging for families to install solar panels in some towns in the Horizon Power service area, but the current situation in Derby does not seem to be the case.

When I last checked in September 2020, Derby had 211 kilowatts of usable solar hosting capacity to compete for. The Horizon Power tool used to determine eligibility has been changed and no longer provides hosting capacity status, but it means that I will be able to install residential systems up to 10kW or commercial systems up to 40kW.

Therefore, for people in Derbyshire, now is a good time to consider installing solar for homes; for businesses as well—especially when the current available hosting capacity is unclear. Homeowners and business owners can use the SolarQuotes solar calculator to estimate estimated savings and returns.

As for the recent small-scale (<100kW) solar power generation in Derby, this situation has picked up. As early as September, about 151 systems were installed, and the total number is currently about 172.

Michael discovered solar problems after purchasing components to assemble a small off-grid photovoltaic system in 2008. Since then, he has been covering Australian and international solar energy news.

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