RACV donates solar and batteries to power regional bushfire shelters

RACV Solar will donate and install a total of 28 rooftop solar and battery storage systems at designated“safe places” and bushfire shelters in regional towns across Victoria, to boost community energy resilience during natural disasters.

The $1 million worth of solar and battery systems, which are being donated by RACV Solar’s parent company, RACV, will be installed on at regional community halls, sporting grounds and recreation reserves that also act as Neighbourhood Safer Places, Bushfire Places of Last Resort and Emergency Relief Centres.

RACV said it collaborated with local councils to determine each of the locations to ensure they met community needs. The selected facilities also play a broader community role, being hubs for events, sport and other activities that form the basis of connection and support in remote townships.

“This is a great investment in the safety of our regional communities, while also providing energy resilience in areas prone to bushfires,” said RACV CEO Neil Taylor in a statement on Wednesday.

“We believe solar and other renewable energy sources are an important part of a sustainable energy system.

“In last 12 months RACV has installed solar across its resort and office assets in Victoria which combined with an electricity supply agreement with Red Energy, supports the organisation’s commitment to a clean energy future,” Taylor said

The move by RACV is one of a number of charitable efforts struck up by various industry and other parties in the wake of the 2019-2020 Black Summer of bushfires.

Among them has been the Resilient Energy Collective, an initiative of Australian software billionaire Mike Cannon-Brookes in partnership with Tesla and Australian solar company 5B, that was launched in February to re-power Victorian communities cut off by the summer’s bushfires and storms.

In South Australia, the Liberal government annoucned in March that all 188 of the houses in the state destroyed in the bushfires would be offered free battery storage for their new-build homes, in a joint effort with battery maker Sonnen.

Last month, the rural fire brigade in the New South Wales town of Sussex Inlet was gifted a rooftop solar and battery storage system, through a group effort led by the founder of PV retailer Sure Solar, Daniel Lake.

And back in March RACV Solar fitted the SES headquarters in Mallacoota, which was cut off from the rest of the state by a devastating fire on new year’s eve, with solar and battery storage, free of charge.

For the newly announced initiative, RACV says the first two installations will take place at Omeo Recreation Reserve in Omeo and Rowen Park in Tallangatta in December. Other sites in the coming year include:

Yea Showground and Recreation Reserve
Biggara Hall, Biggara
Cudgewa Hall, Cudgewa
Hawksdale Community Hall
Harrietville Hall, Harrietville
Dederang Recreation Reserve
Clifton Creek Community Hall
Barrack Reserve, Heathcote
Omeo Recreation Reserve
Bendigo Foodshare
Wodonga Foodshare
Calivil Hall Recreation Reserve
Serpentine Memorial Hall/Janiember Park