The Victorian government’s State Electricity Commission (SEC) is delivering cheaper power to one of Melbourne’s community hubs, switching on a massive rooftop solar system at the Melbourne Sports and Aquatic Centre (MSAC).
The 1.3-megawatt solar installation began generating power the week of September 14 and is expected to cover roughly a quarter of MSAC’s total electricity needs, slashing the precinct’s energy costs by around AU$70,000 annually.
The rooftop setup will supply clean energy to power the venue’s extensive facilities, including its swimming pools, spa, sauna, and the scoreboards servicing its 10 indoor basketball courts.
Generating more than one million kilowatt-hours of renewable electricity each year, the system’s output is equivalent to powering approximately 254 standard households.
Under an agreement with the State Sport Centres Trust, which oversees MSAC, the SEC owns and operates the infrastructure directly.
The SEC sells the solar power generated on-site back to MSAC at a discounted rate compared to standard grid electricity.
This framework enables the sports complex to access lower-cost, clean power without incurring the hefty upfront capital expenditure of installing the hardware itself.
The initiative aims to curb operational expenses across state-managed sporting venues, indirectly insulating the millions of annual visitors from rising venue costs while reducing overall reliance on the central power grid.
The State Sport Centres Trust forms part of the SEC’s expanding public sector client base. The revived energy retailer now delivers 100 per cent renewable power to more than 4,400 government facilities and operational sites across Victoria.
“This is what our publicly owned SEC is all about – delivering cheaper renewable energy while helping keep costs down at places Victorians know and love,” said Minister for Energy and Resources Jaclyn Symes.
“From our schools to our sporting centres, the SEC is helping cut energy bills and putting more renewable energy into the places Victorians use every day.”