Australia’s first community energy retailer expands to Queensland

Australia’s first community-owned electricity retailer, the New South Wales-based social enterprise Enova Community Energy has extended its retail offering into south-east Queensland.

The Byron Bay-based Enova, which was first established in 2016, has so far signed up 1,600 individual shareholders and  close to 10,000 customers throughout NSW. It sources up to half of its energy supply from customers’ solar rooftops, while the remainder is carbon offset.

As a social enterprise, Enova reinvests 50 per cent of its profits back into community-owned energy initiatives, energy efficiency and education to act on climate change.

To this end, the company is also behind a peer-to-peer solar trading platform it is setting up in the NSW Hunter Region, which will enable up to 500 participants to buy and sell rooftop solar energy from each other as well as trade with a 1.072MW/2.14MWh Tesla Megapack battery system.

“Our offering is unique in south east Queensland as we were established specifically to support communities to work toward becoming energy self sufficient,” said Enova CEO Felicity Stening in comments this week.

“We’re paving the way for towns and suburbs to generate, store and share their own energy locally, from renewable energy and storage and move away from coal-fired power delivered long distance via expensive powerlines.”

Enova says anyone in south east Queensland can now switch their energy to Enova and receive either a $100 credit on their first electricity bill or nominate to have Enova donate the $100 to Brisbane-based Community Living Association on their behalf. www.enovaenergy.com.au