The new technology will revolutionise the way multi-tenanted buildings can access and benefit from rooftop solar.
The pilot will include the installation of 487kW of rooftop solar across 10 multi-unit properties that are either owned or tenanted by The Salvation Army and other non-government organisations.
The project will help property owners or tenants save on their power bills and generate revenue by on-selling any excess solar power that they don’t use to other tenants.
The first site to be installed will be on The Salvation Army’s Glenorchy City Corps in Glenorchy, Tasmania.
The solar systems will be integrated with Allume Energy’s SolShare technology that allows the energy produced by a single solar system to be distributed behind-the-meter to separately metered units.
Traditional rooftop solar setups do not have this capability and so can’t distribute the energy they produce to multiple, separately metered units.
The Salvation Army will enter into a Power Purchase Agreement (PPA) with project financier Green Peak Energy, and become the solar energy retailer of the building.
Distributing power to other units in the building will allow The Salvation Army to generate additional revenue by on-selling excess solar energy.
If the $1.04 million pilot project is successful, Allume Energy intends to roll out the project across the not-for-profit sector.
ARENA CEO Darren Miller said: “Allume Energy’s project and SolShare technology could open up access to the benefits of rooftop solar no matter where or what type of housing people live in. With the help of Green Peak Energy, owners of buildings can now install solar at no upfront cost and on-sell to their tenants, creating a new market for rooftop solar.”
“ARENA is particularly excited that Allume Energy is trialling their technology with The Salvation Army, who will be able to free up more funds from energy costs to help those Australian’s most in need.”
Allume Energy CEO Cameron Knox said: “Allume Energy is immensely proud to be deploying our world-first technology on this project and demonstrating how solar electricity can be shared to multiple tenants in the same building. This is core to our mission of making solar accessible to all.”
