Off-grid solar reduces diesel reliance at 10 Australian indigenous communities

Facebook
Twitter
LinkedIn
Reddit
Email
The overall plan is to expand the hybrid projects to an additional 18 communities. Flickr: Robert Young

Ten indigenous communities in Australia are set to be powered by hybrid solar PV and diesel systems in the first phase of an AU$55 million (US$43.8 million) project.

Ivor Frischknecht, ARENA CEO, said the transition to renewables would provide affordable, reliable, alternative power to Aboriginal communities.

This article requires Premium SubscriptionBasic (FREE) Subscription

Unlock unlimited access for 12 whole months of distinctive global analysis

Photovoltaics International is now included.

  • Regular insight and analysis of the industry’s biggest developments
  • In-depth interviews with the industry’s leading figures
  • Unlimited digital access to the PV Tech Power journal catalogue
  • Unlimited digital access to the Photovoltaics International journal catalogue
  • Access to more than 1,000 technical papers
  • Discounts on Solar Media’s portfolio of events, in-person and virtual

Or continue reading this article for free

The developments have been launched in the Northern Territory across remote areas on behalf of the Australian Government, funded by Solar Energy Transformation Program (SETuP) and Australian Renewable Energy Agency (ARENA).

The off-grid projects commissioned today consist of 10,000 solar panels, with 3.325MW capacity, saving over one million litres of diesel fuel every year.

The overall plan is to expand to an additional 18 communities bringing the total up to 28. The Long-term objective will reduce diesel reliance by 15% saving an estimated 94 million litres over the project's lifespan.

Solar SETuP is working alongside indigenous people with the development to bring job opportunities in construction, flora and fauna surveying, fencing and insolation.

It is thought the project plans do not include battery energy storage at this time. However an ARENA press release mentioned energy storage in the context of the Solar SETuP programme but did not add further details. PV Tech has contacted ARENA for clarification but is yet to receive a response.

21 October 2025
New York, USA
Returning for its 12th edition, Solar and Storage Finance USA Summit remains the annual event where decision-makers at the forefront of solar and storage projects across the United States and capital converge. Featuring the most active solar and storage transactors, join us for a packed two-days of deal-making, learning and networking.

Read Next

July 1, 2025
A five-year research initiative is underway in Australia to test the viability of floating solar systems on irrigation dams.
June 30, 2025
Voting on the US tax reconciliation bill is expected to begin in the Senate today, following a draft published on Friday that hit clean energy tax credits hard.
June 30, 2025
Australian module manufacturer Tindo Solar has secured a 30MW solar module supply agreement to power Australia's first "net zero pipeline”.
June 27, 2025
Renewables investment platform Nexwell Power has signed a round of power purchase agreements (PPAs) with “one of the largest” US tech companies for solar PV capacity to be built in Spain.
Premium
June 27, 2025
PV Talk: '2024 was a transformational year in terms of energy policy,' says Monika Paplaczyk ahead of this year's Clean Power 2030 Summits.
June 26, 2025
A group of minority shareholders in Norwegian silicon firm REC Silicon has triggered an investigation into the circumstances surrounding the closure of the company’s US polysilicon production site.

Subscribe to Newsletter

Upcoming Events

Media Partners, Solar Media Events
July 2, 2025
Bangkok, Thailand
Media Partners, Solar Media Events
September 2, 2025
Mexico City, Mexico
Solar Media Events
September 16, 2025
Athens, Greece
Solar Media Events
September 22, 2025
Bilbao, Spain
Solar Media Events
September 30, 2025
Seattle, USA