Territorians living in apartments and units across the Territory will soon be able to access shared rooftop solar.
The NT Government, in partnership with the federal government, recently launched a new grant scheme for solar, with around 300 remote households in the Territory set to benefit.
The Solar for Multi-Dwellings Grant Scheme (SMDGS) has been established to provide grants to NT body corporates and other suitable including Indigenous Community Housing Organisations, for up to $7500 per dwelling to support up to 50 per cent of the installation costs of shared rooftop solar.
Around 18 per cent of Territory households live in apartments or units, with more than half of these occupied by renters.
The Scheme is being administered by the NT government as part of the federal government's Community Solar Banks program to improve access to rooftop solar for people who live in multi-dwelling developments.
The $2.35 million scheme supports apartment complexes across the Northern Territory to install shared rooftop solar systems – potentially slashing power bills by up to $500 a year, per dwelling.
NT Minister for Renewables, Gerard Maley said: "We know that cost of living pressures are hitting the hip pockets of Territorians, and this initiative will help more households to generate their own electricity and slash power bills."
The Territory government said the SMDGS Terms and Conditions are flexible to provide them, through the Department of Mining and Energy, the ability to work with shared property management entitles in urban and remote communities to support shared solar installations that meet the federal government's program objectives.
"This grant will support the installation of new shared rooftop solar for those living in apartments that traditionally haven't been able to access the cost savings of renewables," Mr Maley said.
Applications are now open for the first round of the scheme, which will make it cheaper and easier for Territory apartment residents to install shared rooftop solar.
More details are available online.
