Project cost

Approximately $30 million

Project time frame

2007 – 2013 (approximately)

Australian Government contribution

Up to $15 million

Consortium contribution

Approximately $15 million (including $5 million from the Queensland Government through the Department of Mines and Energy)

Project locations

Magnetic Island, Rocky Springs, Riverway and a Townsville CBD commercial building. The whole project is supported and enhanced by the Townsville City Council’s Citisolar community capacity building and education program.

Magnetic Island Solar Suburb

A solar energy and efficiency trial on Magnetic Island will be the focus of the Townsville: Queensland Solar City project.

Ergon Energy considers Magnetic Island to be an ideal trial location because of its clear physical demographic and electricity network boundaries. This supports a robust measurement and monitoring program.

Ergon Energy will be able to measure the impact of the trial on the island’s energy consumption through the installation of:

• up to 500 solar PV systems (approximately one megawatt of solar power) across selected residential and business premises, at no cost to the owner; and
• smart meters and in-house energy displays in up to 1700 premises to give householders and business owners more information about the use and cost of their electricity.

Environmental Benefits

When fully implemented:

• estimated reduction in greenhouse gas emissions (from the combined Townsville: Queensland Solar City initiatives) by about 50,000 tonnes – the same benefit as taking 1,700 cars off the road for the seven years.

Community benefits

• national and possibly international recognition of the initiative and the city involved;
• more environmentally friendly power for customers involved in the program at no additional cost;
• potential for customers involved in the energy efficiency element to improve their comfort levels, reduce their power consumption and therefore their bills and their environmental impact;
• active support for Townsville City Council’s Citisolar Program, therefore making the region a more attractive place to live, work and visit;
• increased awareness across Queensland and Australia of renewable energy options; and
• an opportunity for Ergon Energy to develop business models that may ultimately support solar generation on a much larger scale.

Consortium members

Ergon Energy leads the consortium and has responsibility for the delivery of the project.

Other consortium members are:

• Townsville City Council
• Delfin Lend Lease 
• Honeycombes Property Group
• Cafalo Pty Ltd

The Queensland Government, through the Department of Mines and Energy has contributed $5 million to the project.

Key supporters are:

• Ampy Metering (smart meter supplier)
• Kyocera Australia (solar PV supplier)
• Thuringowa City Council
• Townsville Port Authority
• Townsville Enterprise Limited
• James Cook University
• Centre for Excellence in Tropical Design (Sustainability and Innovation)