Bringing renewable energy to Newstead
Renewable Newstead aims to generate solar power to supply the local community by 2022.
In response to key factors including feedback on our planning application, Renewable Newstead has refined plans for a small scale solar farm on Newstead’s outskirts.
Our refined plan will reduce the farm’s energy producing capacity to 5MW, down from 9MW and means the area covered by solar PV arrays and access rows will reduce by about seven hectares, down from 16.2 to 9.3 hectares.
Formal comments and objections to RN’s planning application to the Victorian Planning Minister closed in late September.
Three factors have influenced RN’s decision to refine the solar farm plan.
- Response from our community (two objections and one comment)
- Response from referral authorities including the CFA.
- Feedback from the energy industry around current connection issues which indicates that for our ambitions (to supply Newstead or at least all of the 3462 postcode with renewable energy) 5MW is the optimal size.
View the submitted amended plan for a 5MW solar farm here from 26 October 2020.
See our Frequently Asked Questions here.
Why Renewable Newstead?
Lower your electricity bills
Our new model keeps you connected to the grid for supply security and allows you to use more electricity without paying more to get it to you.
Reduce your carbon footprint
Generating as much clean electricity as is consumed each year, the solar farm reduces Newstead’s annual CO2-equivalent emissions by about 3000 tonnes.
We are planning a solar farm near Newstead.
It will be able to power all premises (homes) in our area.
The model
The Newstead solar farm will feed electricity into the grid and then to Newstead homes.
It will be billed by a retailer offering an electricity price that includes distribution costs charged at $1/day rather than by the kWh.
Currently, grid energy to Newstead homes (some with solar panels) is billed by various retailers charging different tariffs.
“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
Why we chose solar power
Written by RN committee member Mike Reeves
Read More
Our Funding Agreement
At the beginning of this project, RN entered into an agreement with the Department of Environment, Land, Water and PlanningRead More
