Category: Renewable Energy Benalla - Benalla Sustainable Future Group

'New REB solar panel installation project completed at Ed Space'

31/3/2026

Press Release

Benalla Sustainable Future Group (BSFG) is delighted to announce completion of a new solar panel installation project on a Benalla community building at EdSpace (24 Carrier Street). This development continues action group Renewable Energy Benalla’s commitment to the generation of solar power in our community and follows past REB projects which installed solar panels on Bernard Briggs and Munro Avenue kindergartens.

EdSpace is an Independent Specialist School and a project of Capability Building Incorporated, a Public Benevolent Institution providing family centred support in health and education for young people with a medical diagnosis affecting their success in mainstream schools.

Pictured are BSFG’s President Brian Harker, EdSpace’s Chair Maggie Fanning
and David Blore (REB).

The installation was funded by a no-interest loan from BSFG to EdSpace, which will be repaid by energy cost savings over the next four years or so. The installation was undertaken yet again by SolarGain Wangaratta.

Reminder - Energy Bill Support Services - Victorian Government

2/2/2026

As we move towards an all-electric, clean energy future, equity is an important part of the transition. With many households are struggling to pay their energy bills, we are sharing this reminder about two home energy bill support services established by the Victorian Government -

Energy Assistance Program – A free phone support service
Friendly, expert advisors from Anglicare Victoria help people reduce and manage energy debt, find the best energy offer, save energy, and negotiate with their energy companies.
Power Saving Bonus – $100 payment for concession card households
Available to households with a Health Care Card, Pensioner Concession Card, Veterans’ Affairs Pensioner Concession Card or Veterans’ Affairs Gold Card, and a recent electricity bill. The Power Saving Bonus is scheduled to close on 31 March 2026.

Further Information:
Energy Affordability Programs and Services
Department of Energy, Environment and Climate Action

Informative General Meeting with Tim Grant, Founder and Director of 'LifeCycles', Thursday 27 November 2025

5/12/2025

Tim Grant from Life Cycles: LCA Experts - Sustainability Consultants explained to the meeting the procedural framework to conducting Life Cycle assessments and how they can assist evaluating the environmental impacts of products and services.

See this YouTube video for An introduction to Lifecycle Assessment featuring Tim Grant.

Tim demonstrated a typical approach to Life cycle assessment by considering the life cycle of renewable energy. Download Tim's presentation here or view below.

Tim finished his presentation with:

Conclusions

Yes-renewables are very good and getting better
Liquid fuels and aviation remain less positive with all feedstocks having some issues
The energy transition is maybe the most amazing thing humans have ever achieved - against all the odds and vested interests.

Before supper, Tim answered questions from members who found his presentation on Life Cycle Analysis informative.

Peter Maddock

General Meeting - Guest Speaker, Tim Grant, Founder and Director of Lifecycles - Thursday 27 November, 7.30 pm, Uniting Church

19/11/2025

Benalla Sustainable Future Group invites members and supporters to our General Meeting at 7:30pm on Thursday 27th November in the Uniting Church Meeting Room opposite Coles carpark, where we welcome Tim Grant as our guest speaker.

Tim is the founder and director of Lifecycles, a Melbourne-based consulting firm that works with government organisations, businesses and individuals to deliver positive environmental impacts. Lifecycles' team of consultants use internationally recognised methods to assess the end-to-end environmental costs of products and strategies. Their work has been used in a wide range of projects including optimising waste management, dealing with the impact of plastic water bottles and managing the transition from plastic to paper bags. Tim's talk at our meeting will address the lifecycle costs of renewable energy.

A light supper will be provided at the conclusion of the evening.
Please RSVP your attendance for numbers to [email protected].

Judy Schwarzman,
Benalla Sustainable Future Group

Renewable Energy Benalla Action Group report to 2025 BSFG AGM

26/6/2025

Over the last 12 months:

REB has been following Utility Solar Farms in the Benalla/Glenrowan areas. Some will include Big Batteries and Battery ‘Farms’ in the North-East. REB supports these, as they are not utilising prime farmland, and the marginal land in the Glenrowan area is obviously good from an electrical transmission point of view. These projects will involve Community Contributions as dictated by Vic. State Government.
In the last couple of months, AEMO allowed PV and Farms to be considered as one generating entity. This has greatly changed the industry economics and has been sought after by the Developers.
REB notes that Utility sized PV Farms and/or Batteries are privately owned profit-making entities, run for profit, not for Community benefit. Although there are obvious Network benefits (and the necessity) for more big batteries, the big Generators are now owning batteries and using them to maximise their profits. AEMO needs to catch up with their regulations to prevent this screwing of the general public [high tariﬀ rates]
The same (as above) for Neighbourhood Batteries – eg Benalla Library. Currently, with the existing tariﬀ structure, there is no way that so called Neighbourhood Batteries can benefit the Community. REB is watching with interest the new round of tariﬀs just being announced.
Community Energy Network (CEN) MeetIngs have the same issues – How to structure for the Community to benefit? REB members attend these Meetings.
Developers have Community Obligations by legislation. REB has been talking with Developer and Goulburn Valley Community Energy (GVCE). GVCE are trying to co-ordinate this funding as a single entity, with REB support.
REB is also working with GVCE to develop an education program for All Electric and Getting Off Gas.
New proposal for REB Revolving Fund to provide PV for Community Projects. This follows the successful projects with two Benalla Kindergartens, and we will shortly finalise agreement with another educational entity.
REB is closely following progress of an Indigo Power project of sharing PV power peer to peer. This would be a great game changer if they can get it up (the major networks and distributors are NOT in favour!) . Just about everyone would prefer to direct their excess PV power to friends or businesses rather than give it away to the networks for just about nothing (as of August).

Kevin Smith
June 26 2025

Local Energy Hubs - "a great response to fearmongering"

13/4/2025

From "Local Energy Hubs", this series of articles provides a great response to the Fearmongering of the fossil fuel lobby and their enablers:

https://www.localenergyhubs.org.au/renewables_done_right?fbclid=IwY2xjawJdtNBleHRuA2FlbQIxMQABHmfI0Svm7THBTEz5xv2Wkzg963Bd-LDJ6LJ2t-8lNkfjHK3R6MbUlBN_b0ul_aem_Nmh4yJQY-JFYnLEOs-Ztag&sfnsn=mo

At this critical time when we have a lack of information about renewables, it is crucial that the majority of people are informed.

Please share it with your own networks to spread the word.

About Local Energy Hubs: https://www.localenergyhubs.org.au/about

Judy Schwarzman
Secretary, Benalla Sustainable Future Group

Renewable Energy Benalla Action Group report to 2024 AGM

3/6/2024

Both Kevin and David have been attending Community Energy Network bi-monthly meetings - these are an excellent information source on this fast moving topic.

One of our main interests is Community Batteries. While the engineering need is straight forward, sadly the politics of our totally privatised system make it impossible for Community Batteries to actually benefit the Community - they are, of course very beneficial to the likes of Ausnet! There is much movement to change the rules and tariff structures to enable a fairer system - strongly opposed by those benefitting from the current system!

REB organised an electric vehicle for Benalla drivers to have access to an extended driving experience which was enthusiastically taken up. We know of at least one local EV recently purchased. Benalla will need more EV charging points.

We have also been looking at ways to encourage more and better use of PV and Batteries. We hope to expand a current pilot trial to Benalla for more economical use of Heat Pump hot water and PV.

There is currently strong pressure to start subsidising behind the meter Batteries (perhaps drop the PV subsidy seeing they are now so cheap), which would be very beneficial to everyone.

There is a proposal to extend our revolving fund (kindergartens) PV installation to the new Men’s Shed complex if we can sort out the metering complexity.

Renewable Energy Benalla Report to BSFG AGM May 2024 - PDF

Kevin Smith

Feedback on extended test drives in our loaned EV to date...

29/1/2024

At the BSFG meeting in May last year, Russell Klose of Kilowatt Cars demonstrated and spoke on EVs, and offered BSFG a loan vehicle for members and friends to be able to experience an EV through an "extended test drive". David and Kevin followed up with Russell and picked up his Nissan Leaf in January to bring to Benalla. So far we have had around half a dozen members and friends try the car, some taking it for an overnight test and experiencing the home charging task. The list of interested people is around 20 and growing, so if you're interested you will need to get in quick before it is returned to Russell in the next couple of weeks!

A quick sample of comments so far from our testers include:-

On the positive side:

Love it!
Would certainly consider something like this
Zippy
Quiet
Great
Love how it doesn't roll back!
Good cruise control
(if it had V2L capability) good for emergency use in the home

A few downsides were noted:

No spare tyre (seems to be space under the false floor of the boot)
Lack of an electric back door closer
Low profile tyres no good for rough tracks
Range anxiety

(Note: of the above concerns, only the range issue is specific to an EV)

The model Leaf supplied by Russell is the one with a 40 kwh battery, with a nominal range of 240 km. There is also a model with a 60 kwh size battery with a commensurately larger range. Range is greatly affected by speed, terrain and (less so) use of aircon, lights and other features. For those interested, V2L is a feature some EVs have which allows the vehicle battery to be used to power the home. Since a Tesla home battery is around 11-12 kwh, the advantage of having an EV with this capability is obvious, and examples occurred in the recent Qld flood power blackouts where EVs were used to power home-based medical devices (reports in The Age and Guardian)!"

Peter Holmes giving the thumbs up to his EV extended test driving experience!

David Blore
0407885410

BSFG members--take an extended drive in a 40kWh Nissan Leaf!

16/12/2023

You may remember that in March this year, Russell Klose from Kilowatt Cars, Yackandandah, visited Benalla and gave a presentation to BSFG about Electric Vehicles.

Renewable Energy Benalla (an action group of BSFG) will be taking up Russell's kind offer of an Electric Vehicle on loan in the new year.

This will allow members to have an extended test drive, see how and if an Electric Vehicle could suit your needs, and directly address questions you may have such as range and charging.

The car (a 40 kilowatt hour Nissan Leaf) will be on loan for a week or two in January (exact times to be confirmed) and will be garaged in Benalla for that time.

If you are interested in having an extended test drive, please email David Blore (BSFG Vice President) at [email protected] for bookings. Intending borrowers will also need to provide licence details and a phone number for making arrangements.

Judy Schwarzman
Secretary, BSFG

Photograph - Nissan Website
https://www.nissan.com.au/vehicles/browse-range/leaf/specs-and-pricing.html
accessed 16/12/2023

'100% renewable and community owned energy' - July Report

6/8/2022

'100% renewable and community owned energy'
Renewable Energy Benalla (REB)

REB had a meeting in early July to try to identify potential community organisations which might benefit from solar installations with similar loan/repayment schemes to that already in place for the 2 kindergartens.

Benalla Men’s Shed was one possible organisation, so a meeting was held on Wednesday 27th July at the Men’s Shed, in order to try to ascertain their power usage (and pattern of power usage) and determine the feasibility of a project there.

The reality is that they operate 3 days per week with not a large amount of power consumption (there is no heating/cooling or hot water system in the building), so the payback period for the loan based on quarterly savings would be far too long to make this a feasible project for us under our current donation-based model for the rotating fund. They also have issues to sort out related to the metering of power on the site in Waller St, as the Lions and Rotary Clubs also have sheds there (both with very minimal power usage).

We may need to broaden our enquiries to look at commercial enterprises, but that has some potential risks around the long-term viability of a business.

Peter Maddock has come across an investigative tool called "Sunulator" which evaluates power use in relation to solar system size and can assess the appropriate size for the situation under consideration. The ATA has developed the Sunulator, and it has been used by the Geelong Sustainability Group to coordinate community renewable energy projects in Geelong (eg 149 kW solar installation at the Multicultural Aged Care building).

Interestingly, GSG uses a community solar investment model.

Peter Holmes

Tickets still available--free screening of acclaimed film '2040' at BPACC this Wednesday 11th December at 7 pm

10/12/2019

I am sending this update to BSFG members and REB followers about the free community screening of the film 2040 from 7.00 pm this Wednesday at BPACC Cinema.

There are still seats left for this DELWP and Council supported screening of 2040. You need to book to confirm your seat either online at www.bpacc.com.au/theatre or call 03 5762 5515.

We have been issued 30 tickets to distribute to contributors and have about 12-14 left if you would like to book through me. These tickets are on the third and fourth rows back from the front of the main central seating area which you can view at the above booking link. Contact me if you would like me to hold tickets for you in this area, or book online for other seating.

Download the 2040 flyer

BSFG is providing a light supper after the screening which will be tea and coffee and a few nibbles. If you are coming to the 2040 screening are you able to bring in a small plate to provide something to eat after the film? If you can help in this way please reply and let me know by Wednesday morning to assist us with the catering arrangements. At this stage we have bookings for about 140.

Peter Maddock
0418 135 330

DELWP HUME Sponsored Screening of 2040 Film, BPACC Benalla, Wednesday December 11 2019, from 7.00pm.

29/11/2019

DELWP Hume will be working with communities across the region over the next twelve months to develop a Hume Regional Climate Change Adaptation Plan. To support community conversations about how best to respond to the impacts of climate change and adaptation opportunities DELWP is offering financial support to communities by covering the film licencing costs for screening the 2040 film, to enable communities to attend free screenings of the film 2040.

What is 2040?
Concerned about his young daughter’s future, filmmaker Damon Gameau travels the world in search of new approaches and solutions to global warming. Gameau positions himself as a glass-half-full idealist, with his first mission to convince people that they can make a difference. Dividing his focus into key areas, including renewable energy and alternative transportation, with corresponding on the road case studies, he structures the film as a one-way conversation with his four-year-old daughter, who will be 25 when 2040 arrives and, he hopes, part of a brighter and better world. The outlook of the film is refreshing, empowering, inspiring and positive. (2040 review – an idealist’s vision of a healthy Earth, The Guardian, 4 April 2019) https://whatsyour2040.com/

The Benalla Sustainable Future Group made a successful application for financial support from DELWP Hume to screen 2040. With additional support from Benalla Rural City 2040 will screen at BPACC, 57 Samaria Rd Benalla VIC 3672 on Wednesday December 11 from 7.00pm.

Q&A led by Benalla Sustainable Future Group and a light supper following the film.

Bookings are required to see the film and you can book online at http://bpacc.com.au/theatre/ or by calling 03 5762 5515.
Download the flyer.

Community Energy Forum Friday 3rd August at BPACC. Find out what community energy means for you and our region.

9/7/2018

You are invited to attend a forum on what community energy means for Benalla, and you, on Friday 3rd August.

New, renewable energies are changing the way we get our energy. We are no longer reliant entirely on power from the big energy generators and companies.
We need to make sure that communities benefit from the renewable energy. The Community Energy model gives local towns and regions power over how they generate and consume electricity.
Join us at a Community Energy Forum on Friday 3rd August at BPACC and find out what community energy means for you and our region.
Locally generated renewable energy will create local jobs, cleaner energy and allow the community to control where their energy comes from. It means that towns can create mini-grids, where residents can trade power between themselves – powered by household solar and battery energy. This reduces reliance on the dirty and expensive national energy grid.
A local community energy retailer is currently being developed to allow towns and regions to achieve their renewable energy goals.
Come along and listen to some of Australia's foremost experts in the field explain how we can harness this new form of energy to build a new model of energy.
Three great speakers will outline what community energy is and how we can benefit from it: Simon Corbell, Victorian Renewable Energy Advocate; Nicky Ison, Co-founder of the Community Power Agency; Alison Rowe, Chief Executive Officer of Moreland Energy Foundation.
This is a free event but please RSVP for the Benalla meeting by 3 August at https://www.eventbrite.com.au/e/benalla-community-energy-forum-tickets-47537010478

Download the Forum Flyer.

Lightsource BP Urbis proposal for a solar installation at Winton

20/6/2018

Renewable Energy Benalla has a keen interest in utility scale renewable energy developments and contributes as a community networker by learning about and sharing information about renewable energy proposals. REB recently publicised the Lightsource BP Urbis proposed solar installation at Winton. Information was shared about, and some BSFG members attended, a community information event held by Lightsource BP Urbis on June 13 at Winton Raceway. Kristi Jorgensen and her team from Urbis Lightsource BP welcomed visitors warmly to the community information session, sharing pamphlets, answering questions and listening to community feedback on the proposed solar installation.

The informative posters on display in the room have been made available to our website by Urbis for people unable to attend the information session:

The following morning REB committee members including John Lloyd and Peter Maddock met with Kristi and members of her team at a breakfast meeting to find out more about the proposal and share a community perspective.

Other resources:
Lightsource BP
Information Sheets about the Lightsource BP Solar Farm Proposal.

REB 'Wipe out Gas & Electricity Bills' workshops commence 22 May

7/5/2018

Renewable Energy Benalla's Efficiency Group is conducting a series of workshops commencing Tuesday 22nd of May, from 7.00 until 9.00pm at the Benalla Gliding Club, Samaria Road, Benalla. RSVP Sunday before Session.

Titled “Wipe Out your Gas and Electricity Bills - Come and Find Out How” the series looks at options to improve energy efficiency in our homes. These improvements can increase the comfort of our homes and reduce energy costs.

The series commences with an overview of how energy efficiency supports the Renewable Energy Benalla goal of Benalla becoming a Net Zero Stationary Energy City by 2028.

Session 1 - Tuesday 22 May: Overview of project. Hear about the new Victorian Residential Efficiency Scorecard. Major emphasis on reading your meter to establish baseline energy use. Please bring in your power bills.

Session 2 - Tuesday 26 June - Lighting, Draft Proofing and Insulation.

Session 3 - Tuesday 24 July - Windows, Appliances & Cooking and Heating & Cooling.

Session 4 - Tuesday 21 August - Hot Water, Energy Monitoring & Control and Solar Power.

We encourage you to bring in your power bills to establish your baseline energy use.

Full details in REB's 'Wipe Out Gas and Electricity Bills' flyer.

A light supper will be available at the end of the evenings.

RSVP below by the Sunday before a session, if necessary adding information about additional participants in the Comments Box, OR phone Peter 0418 135 330, AH Howard 0409 504 420

Interest evident in REB and Mondo Power's battery ready offer

22/4/2018

REB Mondo Power Battery Ready Solar Bulk Buy Offer - Information Session Tuesday10th April 7.30 pm BPACC Benalla

Two information sessions held in April brought approximately 150 residents and business owners to BPACC keen to find out more about the Renewable Energy Benalla and Mondo Power battery ready solar bulk buy offer. The sessions were most informative, there were many thought provoking questions from the floor and some misconceptions cleared up - for example, to be part of a microgrid, it's not necessary to be in a grid organised by/with/for neighbours', a micro grid can apply to diverse participants located in Benalla and surrounds.

REB's partnership with Mondo Power to provide a battery ready solar bulk buy offer for residents and businesses is now open. With a closing date of July 31st there is still time to consider the options and express your interest. A good starting point is Mondo Power's 'Benalla Community Energy Project' webpage. You might find this video - 'TRY & the Yack Mini Grid' helpful, as it describes a similar project.

REB Mondo Power Battery Ready Solar Bulk Buy Offer - Information Session Sunday 22nd April 2.30 pm BPACC Benalla

Considering the REB and Mondo Power Bulk Buy Offer?

12/4/2018

If you are considering the Renewable Energy Benalla and Mondo Power's Bulk Buy offer, you may be interested in watching this video, which backgrounds a similar scheme in Yackandandah.

Mondo Power worked alongside Totally Renewable Yackandandah to develop Yackandandah's Mini Grid.

Renewable Energy Benalla - Report to Community, April 2018

8/4/2018

REB is launching solar bulk-buy offer to kickstart zero emissions

6/4/2018

Kickstart the Journey to Zero Carbon Emissions with REB & Mondo Power - Information Sessions on 10th and 22nd April at BPACC

28/3/2018

REB & Mondo POwer Battery Ready Solar Bulk buy offer - Info. sessions

Renewable Energy Benalla - February update

4/3/2018

REB Report to BSFG Meeting, 22nd February, 2018

The BZE-Benalla Transition Strategy document details three major strategies that need to be implemented to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and achieve zero net energy. These strategies are:
                                i) Energy efficiency measures to reduce energy use,
                                ii) Promote and install local roof top solar,
                                iii) Investigate utility scale renewables, battery storage and micro grids.

Mondo Power Bulk Buy Offer

Mondo Power will be presenting their proposal for a bulk buy of panels, monitoring systems and eventually batteries, and the establishment of microgrids, to the Benalla community in early April. This proposal, if accepted by community members, will lead to increased numbers of PV panels on roofs and has the potential to see the establishment of microgrids in Benalla at a future date.

Action Plans

Small working groups have started to prepare plans to start on the implementation of the three major strategies mentioned above:

Improving energy efficiency of buildings to reduce energy demand and energy bills. This group is planning to conduct a number of sessions based on the Beyond Zero Emissions publication, 'The Energy Freedom Home'.
Investigating suitable roofs for a behind the meter community energy project. Initial focus will be on council owned buildings.
Utility scale - investigating the possibility of a waste to energy project.

Offer of assistance from solar farm developer

FRV Services Australia, a Solar Farm Developer, has approached BSFG/REB to offer assistance.
This is part of the community engagement and benefit sharing by renewable energy project developers required by the Victorian government if they wish to be involved in the VRET.
Financial support is certainly part of this assistance being offered and there may be other forms of assistance as well.

Indi Energy Action Group

Cathy McGowan, Federal Member for Indi, has established an Indi Energy Action Group to promote and support community energy groups across the electorate of Indi.

Community Energy Retailer

Work is being done to investigate the possibility of establishing a community energy retailer in north-east Victoria. The proposed community energy retailer would be a decentralised energy retailer providing a platform for local communities to achieve community energy goals and access locally generated renewable energy.

John Lloyd,
Renewable Energy Benalla

Benalla's Baseline Emissions

17/12/2017

The Transition Strategy developed by Beyond Zero Emissions and Renewable Energy Benalla included information on Benalla's greenhouse gas emissions and energy use. This data collected for 2016 establishes a baseline against which progress in reducing emissions and moving towards 100% renewable energy can be measured.

In 2016, emissions relating to stationary energy for Benalla were 189,785 tonnes CO2-e. Total energy use between 2012 and 2016 increased by 2.7%, representing a 3% increase in electricity consumption and 2% increase in gas use.

In 2016 the industrial sector was the largest consumer of electricity at 48%, compared to 33% residential and 19% commercial. Similarly, the industrial sector consumed 63% of gas, the residential sector 29% and the commercial sector 8%. Industrial electricity is the sector contributing the largest to Benalla’s GHG profile.

The number of households in Benalla Rural City rose from 6,343 in 2012 to 6,517 in 2016. During this time electricity consumption per household per day reduced from 18.3 kWh to 17.9 kWh.

Some major points from the Benalla Baseline Emissions Report show that within the Benalla municipality in 2016:

1.07 million GJ energy was used
189,785 tonnes CO2-e was produced
Approximately $32 million was spent on stationary energy by the community
The community spent approximately $2,389 per person on stationary energy

Originally Published in the December 2017 BSFG Newsletter.

Renewable Energy Benalla - Report

17/12/2017

In October REB held a Benalla Business Breakfast with the support of Benalla Rural City, and the Benalla Business Network. The purpose of the breakfast was to open up communication with the business community about a renewable energy future for Benalla. Key elements of the BZE transition plan for Benalla were presented as were key findings from the Energy Survey of Benalla Businesses. It was also an opportunity for local businesses to share their experiences of reducing their energy use and/or generating some or all of their energy needs. Information was also provided on funding options and grants available to businesses to assist with costs of implementing options to reduce energy use and/or generate energy.

Transition Strategy

REB has been working with Beyond Zero Emissions (BZE) to develop a ten year transition strategy for Benalla to achieve 100% renewable energy. This transition plan was completed in November and details
three key strategies that need to be implemented to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and achieve zero net energy. These strategies are:

i) Energy efficiency measures to reduce energy use,
ii) Promote and install local roof top solar,
iii) Investigate utility scale renewables,battery storage and micro grids.

On 28th November, Renewable Energy Benalla and Beyond Zero Emissions, with support from Benalla
Rural City Council, held a community forum and workshop to launch the transition strategy and to explore opportunities for energy efficiency, roof top solar, bulk buy programs, community energy projects and the potential for utility scale renewable energy. As a result of this workshop a number of community members volunteered to form small action groups to help Renewable Energy Benalla implement each of the three strategies mentioned above.

John Lloyd

Source: BSFG December Newsletter 2017

Benalla's Renewable Energy Transition Plan Launch--28 Nov

17/11/2017

Benalla's Renewable Energy Transition Plan Launch - Download Flier

Media Release - Launch of Renewable Energy Plan for Benalla

14/11/2017

Media Release

Launch of Renewable Energy Plan for Benalla

A community forum to launch Benalla's Zero Net Energy Transition Strategy will be held on Tuesday 28th November. The strategy is a plan for how all of Benalla's energy can come from renewable sources. This forum has been jointly organised by Renewable Energy Benalla and Beyond Zero Emissions with support from Benalla council.

The community group, Renewable Energy Benalla (REB), was established after the successful community forum held in October 2016 to discuss a renewable energy future for Benalla. The major objective of REB is to have Benalla become a zero net energy town by reducing energy use and balancing local energy needs with a 100% renewable energy supply.

In December last year Beyond Zero Emissions (BZE), a national not for profit research and communication think tank, whose goal is to have Australia become a renewable energy superpower, selected Benalla as one of the three Victorian communities they would work with to help develop a transition strategy to zero net energy.

In May this year REB conducted a community stakeholder workshop in conjunction with Beyond Zero Emissions to seek community input into the development of a transition strategy to 100% renewable energy for Benalla. Many ideas about possible actions to achieve zero net energy for Benalla were put forward under the three headings of: Buildings and Energy Efficiency; Solar and Community Energy; Large Scale Solar and Storage. These ideas have formed the basis of the transition strategy.

John Lloyd, Convenor of Renewable Energy Benalla, said, "As well as launching the transition strategy the purpose of the forum will be to explore opportunities for energy efficiency, roof top solar, bulk buy programs, community energy projects, battery storage and large scale energy projects. We will also be looking to establish action groups to help REB drive each of these opportunities. We will need the help of community members if we are to make this happen."

The forum will be held at BPACC on Monday 28th November from 7:00pm to 9:30pm. Everyone is welcome.

For further information contact John Lloyd at [email protected]

John Lloyd
President, Benalla Sustainable Future Group
Convenor, Renewable Energy Benalla

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Benalla Sustainable Future Group acknowledges the traditional owners of the land on which we live, work and meet, the Taungerang, Yorta Yorta and Bpangerang people of North East Victoria, and pay our respects to their elders past, present and emerging.

Photo from davebloggs007