If you're curious to know how solar and batteries can power your home and save you money, but are overwhelmed about where to start, the Community Renewable Program is here to help!
The Program helps to break down those barriers and energise you with the right tools and knowledge to make the right choice for your home.
"We know many people would like to make the change, but there is so much information out there and so many difference choices,'' Lord Mayor of Wollongong Councillor Tania Brown said.
"Residents have told us they need the assistance and reassurance to know which decision is the right one for them."
In 2025, the program supported more than 140 homes in Wollongong to be powered by renewable energy. Together each year they're expected to generate enough power for 300 homes, and save thousands of dollars in bills, all through zero emissions renewable energy.
Residents can register their interest in Round 2 of the program.
Supported by Illawarra Shoalhaven Joint Organisation (ISJO), and delivered by ShineHub, the program is eligible for households across the Wollongong, Kiama, Shellharbour and Shoalhaven local government areas. By coming together, councils are able to negotiate a bulk purchase price, which can then be passed on to participating residents. The Program also provides direct access to available government rebates for batteries and virtual power plant participation.
The program offers access to educational material detailing the benefits of renewable energy, opportunities to attend community bulk discount events for solar and battery systems, explore no or low-upfront cost solutions, and access to virtual power plant (VPP) participation.
Lord Mayor of Wollongong Councillor Tania Brown said she was delighted to hear the positive feedback from locals who participated in the first round.
"They had many of their questions answered from experts about solar power, batteries and local energy networks, they interacted with the product options and had their pricing quotes broken down in an accessible and clear way," she said.
"It's fantastic to see that program-wide there were 327 household installations, and 140 of those were here in Wollongong. For our city specifically, all of them chose to participate in the VPP option to maximise their savings and support the wider local network.
"This uptake and feedback reaffirms why we wanted to deliver this program, to help residents be confident in making this sustainable choice.''
Residents will have the chance to attend the Round 2 Community Solar and Battery information session in the coming months. Residents can register their interest on the program webpage to stay tuned for updates.
"Here at Wollongong City Council, we're also on our journey to reaching Net Zero emissions by 2030 from our services and facilities as well as supporting our community achieving net zero emissions by 2050. We're inspired by how this program is making progress in these goals and we look forward to doing more.
