JESSE NEILL

TRANS-TASMAN company Energy Democracy is looking to form a co-operative in Mallala to help establish South Australia’s first community-owned solar park.
Members of the co-operative would purchase shares equivalent to a parcel of solar panels and battery storage to meet their energy needs.
The solar park is planned to be located just off Aerodrome Road, between Hall Road and the Mallala Motorsport Park.
Membership for the co-operative is open to anyone in the Gawler, Barossa, Light, Playford, and Adelaide Plains areas.
Energy Democracy managing director Alan Major said he is “looking forward to being in SA” and “wants to help as much of the population as possible participate and benefit in the transition to a low-carbon economy”.
“We also want to help out those who normally couldn’t put solar on their own roof due to renting, living in a treed area, having a heritage overlay, or even a roof that’s unstructured,” he said.
“The Mallala renewable energy park will be built in a location that solves all those issues.”
This model of power generation and supply to members of the locally-owned co-operative has the potential to reduce energy costs, returns surpluses to the community, and decrease carbon emissions.
Members of the co-operative will also be able to access new technologies as they emerge – for example, battery storage or new energy- efficiency technologies that reduce wasted energy and improve energy resilience.
Mr Major explained how the idea for the Mallala solar park came about.
“A large residential development is being planned in Mallala and there was an area that was going to be dead land,” he said.
“So, we asked if we could repurpose that for community infrastructure and make renewable energy available to everybody.”
The co-operative will be governed by a local board supported by Energy Democracy.
The organisation manages the solar park on behalf of the co-operative and helps members to understand how they are using energy so they can be more efficient.
“This keeps a sense of community about issues directly affecting locals,” Energy Democracy community engagement officer Jane Lawrence said.
“They get to have a say and make choices that impact their own communities, rather than having decisions imposed on them.”
The solar park will have the capacity to generate 2.5 megawatts of electricity and up to five megawatts of storage.
It can power the equivalent of 1000 homes depending on the number of members, however is also open to small businesses that have high energy demands.
A public information session, hosted by Energy Democracy, will be held at the Mallala Hotel on Friday, from 6pm, for those seeking more information.