NOOSA POSTCODE 4573 - PEREGIAN & MARCUS BEACH

Marcus & Peregian Beach Power Ahead

Media Release 9 July 2021

Zero Emission Noosa(ZEN) has been tracking how different postcodes are moving towards the goal of zero community emissions for Noosa by 2026, and we’ve now come to the last one of Peregian Beach and Marcus Beach which are part of postcode 4573.

We met up with folks from Noosa Council at the Peregian Digital Hub.

Special Projects Coordinator Adam Britton told us, “The Peregian Digital Hub is an incubator space for high-tech industries, and it’s doing that very well. To compliment activities of the hub, we've got 33.6 kilowatts of solar PV and a 10 kilowatt hour battery system.”

They get 61% of their electricity from their solar and they produce more energy than they consume. Adam said that he’s hopeful the Council budget process will allow some Electric Vehicle chargers to be installed at the Hub.

“There’s also an expansion of the Digital Hub and we’ll look to put a lot more solar PV on that as well. The new community building adjacent to the Hub is progressing well and we hope to finish around September. It's got a large roof space for solar opportunity.”

We asked Carbon Reduction Project Officer, Annie Nolan, about the solar at the Hub and to bring us up to date with the other council solar projects she’s initiated. She told us they’re up to 600kW on all council roofs now having done all the major large buildings.

“The 77kW system on the Noosa Aquatic Center will be coming online probably in September. So now we're going ahead with our smaller solar systems. We just put on one at the North Shore Holiday Park, and at the Tewantin aquatic splash park. We're putting solar systems on as many council roofs as they can take.”

Deputy Mayor and local resident Frank Wilkie was equally enthusiastic and full of praise for residents and businesses of Peregian and Marcus Beach and the Shire generally, impressed that around 45% of houses across the Shire now have solar panels.

“For Marcus and Peregian Beach half of residential properties have solar installed for a total of 4.8MW, which is saving an annual 6,083 tons of carbon dioxide emissions. Not only is this making a great contribution towards cleaner technologies and a cleaner atmosphere, but it also means better household savings, more disposable income, and more money in the pockets of households to spend locally, rather than sending their money out of the shire, exporting their dollars to energy providers outside the shire.”

Frank summed up saying: “More solar installation is actually enriching the Noosa Shire by moving us forward economically as well as taking action on climate change.”

Brian Hoepper and Kathleen Gordon from Peregian Beach moved from Brisbane in 2009, searching for a house that had a north facing aspect. The usual common-sense reason weighed equally with wanting the most favorable orientation for their planned solar panels and solar hot water system.

Brian told us, “Luckily, we found just the right house on a ridge in north Peregian Beach. In the past twelve years, we’ve exported most of our solar output to the grid, and that’s a good feeling. We’re pleased and proud to be in the green-leaning Peregian Beach community, where so many houses feature solar power, and where our e-bikes are a perfect fit!”

Peregian and Marcus are ranked as the best of the Noosa area coastal postcodes with almost 38% of their electricity generated from renewable sources, but a bit behind what the hinterland postcodes are achieving.

Further details can be found at zeroemissionsnoosa.com.au/4573

Look out next time for something exciting about the Noosa Shire overall.

Basis of calculations

References

Please refer to Reference section for Postcode 4563.