Community campaign scores museum solar boost

QUEENSCLIFF Maritime Museum will get a new solar energy system installed after local climate campaigners successfully lobbied the Borough of Queenscliffe for additional funding.

The borough confirmed this week that it would provide up to $45,000 for a 65kW power source in a funding partnership with the state government.

The announcement came after local group Queenscliff Climate Action Now (QCAN) had launched an appeal for the borough to progress the project.

QCAN urged its members and supporters to email councillors urging them to support the project.

Late on Tuesday, a Borough spokesperson said it would deliver its part of the funding contribution.

“Council has committed to providing up to $45,000 for the acquisition of a 65kw system for the Queenscliffe Maritime Museum, a council-owned building, with funding assistance from the Department of Energy, Environment and Climate Action.

“The installation of this system will reduce emissions by around 90 tonnes per year for the life of the system, and strengthen the case for the arrival of a neighbourhood battery, which was a bipartisan State election commitment from 2022.

“With solar installations also occurring at a Neighbourhood House in Torquay and the Cloverdale Centre in Corio through this initiative, council is delighted to be part of a regional project that has community organisations as the key beneficiaries.

“This project is a strong step forward in achieving the key targets of our Climate Emergency Response Plan.”

QCAN welcomed the news this week and thanked supporters for the “overwhelming” response to the appeal.

The group says the museum solar plan supports renewable energy targets in the response plan, and strengthens the town’s case for its promised neighbourhood battery.

“This is an incredible economic opportunity to secure a major solar system – equivalent to powering 10 homes and reducing emissions by 90 tonnes per year – at half the cost. The conservatively estimated payback period would be 10 years,” the QCAN committee stated last week.

“QCAN has identified the Maritime Museum as a key site for a large solar system because the rooftop can produce far more renewable electricity than QMM needs to keep the lights on.”