❓ The Minister for Lands provides an update on a trial program involving solar battery storage technology in strata title developments, conducted by LandCorp and Curtin University. The trial aims to develop a governance framework for implementing PV cells on strata complexes with a viable pricing and billing arrangement.
AnsweredQoN 704Legislative Assembly
QuestionView source ↗
STRATA TITLE DEVELOPMENTS — SOLAR BATTERY
STORAGE TECHNOLOGY
704. Mr J.E. McGRATH to the
Minister for Lands:
I was just reminded by someone that I was next. Can the
minister update the house on yesterday's announcement about the trial
of solar battery storage technology in strata title developments?
STORAGE TECHNOLOGY
704. Mr J.E. McGRATH to the
Minister for Lands:
I was just reminded by someone that I was next. Can the
minister update the house on yesterday's announcement about the trial
of solar battery storage technology in strata title developments?
AnswerView source ↗
I thank the member for South Perth for the question. I know
that a lot of people in his electorate live in strata and apartment complexes,
so he will be keenly interested in what the government is doing to try to bring
some innovation to the energy market and to strata complexes.
The house will be aware that across the nation some 1.4 million
houses have photovoltaic cells on their roofs. In Western Australia, that
figure is something like 160 000. However, we very rarely see PV cell units on
the top of strata complexes. One of the reasons for that is that if they are
put there, generally they are only wired to individual units and not wired to
provide electricity to the broader strata development. To try to encourage
people to put those PV cell units on the top of strata complexes, LandCorp is
conducting a trial with Curtin University, with the involvement of research
fellow Jemma Green and supported by Professor Peter Newman, to look at a
governance framework on how to have the competing interests of costs and
benefits and risks associated with putting PV cells on top of strata units and
applying that to strata complexes with a pricing and billing arrangement that
makes it work. If LandCorp, through its development at White Gum—a
fantastic innovative project in the member for Fremantle's electorate—can
do that over four years and it proves to be beneficial, which we anticipate it will
be, developers will be encouraged to make that part of their developments as an
attraction for people who want to live and work in those particular units.
As the public is aware from yesterday, there has certainly
been a lot of public commentary around the government's approach to
looking at strata title reform. This innovation is complementary to what the
government is trying to achieve to make contemporary legislation to help
quality infill developments, community title and a whole range of initiatives
that we are bringing through. To have a trial like this that is complementary
to strata developments working and having innovative power solutions is a good
outcome. I pay tribute to the relationship between LandCorp and Curtin
University, and also to Solar Balance and the Balance Group that are playing a
role in the project, and also to the Cooperative Research Centre for Low Carbon
Living.
that a lot of people in his electorate live in strata and apartment complexes,
so he will be keenly interested in what the government is doing to try to bring
some innovation to the energy market and to strata complexes.
The house will be aware that across the nation some 1.4 million
houses have photovoltaic cells on their roofs. In Western Australia, that
figure is something like 160 000. However, we very rarely see PV cell units on
the top of strata complexes. One of the reasons for that is that if they are
put there, generally they are only wired to individual units and not wired to
provide electricity to the broader strata development. To try to encourage
people to put those PV cell units on the top of strata complexes, LandCorp is
conducting a trial with Curtin University, with the involvement of research
fellow Jemma Green and supported by Professor Peter Newman, to look at a
governance framework on how to have the competing interests of costs and
benefits and risks associated with putting PV cells on top of strata units and
applying that to strata complexes with a pricing and billing arrangement that
makes it work. If LandCorp, through its development at White Gum—a
fantastic innovative project in the member for Fremantle's electorate—can
do that over four years and it proves to be beneficial, which we anticipate it will
be, developers will be encouraged to make that part of their developments as an
attraction for people who want to live and work in those particular units.
As the public is aware from yesterday, there has certainly
been a lot of public commentary around the government's approach to
looking at strata title reform. This innovation is complementary to what the
government is trying to achieve to make contemporary legislation to help
quality infill developments, community title and a whole range of initiatives
that we are bringing through. To have a trial like this that is complementary
to strata developments working and having innovative power solutions is a good
outcome. I pay tribute to the relationship between LandCorp and Curtin
University, and also to Solar Balance and the Balance Group that are playing a
role in the project, and also to the Cooperative Research Centre for Low Carbon
Living.
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