Bringing renewable energy to Newstead

The Newstead Community Energy Project is generating solar electricity!

Renewable Newstead is a voluntary community group that worked with the Victorian government and a solar farm construction business called Flow Power to build a small-scale solar farm near Newstead. Flow Power owns the farm and is the commercial generator and retailer selected by Renewable Newstead as its partner.

Why Renewable Newstead?

Renewable energy at competitive prices

Our solar farm with back-up battery is connected to the grid for supply security and offers electricity at competitive rates from our partner, Flow Power. 

Reduce your carbon footprint

Generating as much clean electricity as you use, means your carbon footprint is reduced.

The model

The Newstead solar farm feeds electricity into the grid and then to Newstead homes and businesses that sign up to buy their electricity from the farm.

It was built and is managed, and electricity is supplied and billed by our partner, Flow Power.

Signing up to buy electricity from the farm is voluntary and grid energy to Newstead homes will continue to be billed by various retailers charging different tariffs for those who don’t make the switch.

“This project was one of the reasons we chose to move to Newstead. We’re excited to live in a community that values self-sufficiency, environmental sustainability and action from the ground up.

Vanessa & Ryan

Our vision

Newstead is strongly connected with its surrounding districts and has a proven record of initiating and completing projects for our area’s betterment.

Our vision for this project is to run our community on locally generated, reliable and affordable renewable energy, that’s available to all.

Core principles:

  • be opt in
  • do no harm
  • deliver community benefits
  • be grid-connected

News & Project Updates

Construction to begin!

Construction is set to begin on our solar farm in Newstead. Jointly launched today by the Victorian Minister for Energy, Environment and Climate Action, The Hon. Lily D’Ambrosio, MP and Member for Bendigo West, The Hon. Maree Edwards, with Flow Power, the Renewable Newstead team and local Dja Dja Wurrung representatives.

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Community Visioning

Flow Power is kicking in to help fund Newstead’s community visioning day on September 10. Flow Power will build, own and operate our solar farm and retail the electricity to customers.

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