Bright future ahead for solar power: GVCE's Geoff Lodge

(Today’s Shepparton News reports about how ‘Solar power looks set to be an ideal option for residents in the Goulburn Valley during peak times)

GV Community Energy's Geoff
Lodge as pictured in today's
Shepparton News.

A local energy sector leader believes as technology to harness solar power improves, it will present a golden opportunity as a clean, inexpensive energy supplement for the Goulburn Valley during high demand periods.

According to research from Curtin University, rooftop solar panels in Western Australia now produce as much energy as that state’s largest power turbine.

The Goulburn Valley an even better environment and opportunities to utilise solar power, GV Community Energy chief executive Geoff Lodge said.

One in five homes across the grid in Western Australia were found by researchers to have solar panels installed.

Mr Lodge said while the Goulburn Valley was not quite at 20 per cent yet, that trend was similar and the region has all the building blocks it needed to benefit greatly.

“Not only will more people put systems on, they’ll put bigger systems on,” he said.

The main issue with solar energy has up until recently has been storing and harnessing power once the sun sets.

“It’s about storing solar generated electricity,” Mr Lodge said.

He said that at the moment, most residents would install solar photovoltaic batteries for other reasons than to save money as it is currently wasn’t viable.

“From our point of view, there a better investments to reduce you carbon footprint,” he said.

“You can get cheap batteries that won’s last long, but they will wear out before they pay for themselves.”

Over the coming decade however, significant drips in the price of batteries will make PV batteries an increasingly viable option.

Mr Lodge said with the introduction of such batteries, the Goulburn Valley will eventually boast an even higher percentage of the population using solar than in Western Australia.

“I could see the penetration rates going much higher,” he said.

“There’s 20 per cent over in WA, it’s only a short time before we reach that here.

“We’ll be exceeding 25 per cent comfortably.”

Mr Lodge said accessible battery storage was an important part of the puzzle.

He said higher penetration rates of solar power presented better capability to enhance the grid during high demands periods,  boost its reliance and reduce the likelihood of a “brown out”, which can cost industries, and in particular the food and manufacturing sector, a lot of money.

“As people store their own energy, they become more conscious of energy efficiency, and the benefit not only to their hip pocket,” Mr Lodge said.

“We should be looking at ways to reduce our own consumption.

“I’m encouraged by it,” he said.