Today Australia’s first large-scale solar garden, to be built in the New South Wales Riverina, launched solar ‘plots’ for NSW residents, who stand to receive estimated savings of $505 on their electricity bill each year.

The Haystacks Solar Garden caters for households who can’t put solar on their own roof. Any resident in NSW can now purchase a ‘plot’ in the solar garden and receive an on-bill credit on their electricity bill, giving them a similar experience as the three million solar households that currently enjoy the benefits of their own rooftop solar.

The project will include a 1.5MW solar array in a 5 hectares paddock at a farming property in Grong Grong, one hour west of Wagga Wagga, which will be shared between 333 solar plots and reduce emissions in NSW by 3,100 tonnes each year.

Community Power Agency Director and Chair of the Haystacks Solar Garden Co-operative Kristy Walters said the Haystacks Solar Garden will enable “renters, apartment dwellers and everyone else who simply can’t put solar on their own rooftop a way to see the benefits on their own electricity bill from this investment in renewables”.

“It’s an exciting model to be pioneering for Australia that other countries have been enjoying for years,” added Kim Mallee, Haystacks Solar Garden Project Manager.

“With the Albanese Government committing to fund 85 solar gardens around the country we’ll see many more households given the chance to access solar.”

“The opportunity to be involved was one we couldn’t resist as our goal is to enable a faster transition to carbon-free local power, and the Haystacks project supports exactly that,” said Luke Melisi, Energy Locals Partnerships Manager.

The Haystacks Solar Garden project is funded by the NSW Government in association with Community Power Agency, Pingala, and Komo Energy, under the Regional Community Energy Fund, a partnership between three key organisations Community Power Agency, Pingala, and Komo Energy, with support from several other organisations.