The community of Yackandandah has generated over one gigawatt hour of renewable energy, less than eighteen months since the launch of its pioneering mini grid project.
Yackandandah has generated enough clean, renewable energy to power over 170 homes for an entire year.
In 2017 the picturesque town, which is nestled between Victoria’s alpine region and Albury-Wodonga, became home to one of Australia’s first community mini grids – the result of a partnership between Mondo, community group Totally Renewable Yackandandah (TRY) and the residents of the town they affectionately call “Yack”.
The mini grid consists of almost 200 homes equipped with a combination of rooftop solar and battery storage. Each participating home is also equipped with an Ubi – a device designed and manufactured in Australia, which monitors and manages energy use and emissions at the individual household and whole community level.
“One gigawatt hour of energy is equivalent to running the Melbourne Cricket Ground light towers for almost three years based on current use. It’s an amazing achievement for the people of Yackandandah,” said Dhammika Adihetty, General Manager of Business and Community Energy at Mondo.
Totally Renewable Yackandandah Chair, Matthew Grogan, said, “This 1GWh is another great milestone on our journey toward 100 per cent renewables. It clearly demonstrates the potential of communities working cooperatively with utilities, business and government. Together we can achieve great things.”
Independent Federal Member for Indi, Cathy McGowan, said, “This trailblazing project is an important proof point, not only for Indi but for the rest of Australia, that when community, industry and government work together we can make real strides forward on achieving a reliable, renewable, affordable energy future.”
