On 31 August 2024, YEF and Hume City Council wrapped up the Hume Solar Rollout, ready for a new, expanded program to take its place.

In 3 years, the Hume Solar Roll-out achieved an impressive 315 rooftop solar installations. This is equal to:

• 1.486 megawatt total install capacity

• 2,007 megawatt hours of renewable energy generation per year

• Over $2 million investment into clean energy technologies by the Hume community

Over 25 years this means over 41,000 tonnes of avoided carbon dioxide, and combined energy bill savings of nearly $9.5 million¹ for Hume residents.

How did we do it? 

YEF has identified three common barriers for residents wanting to install solar or electrify their homes:

• Lack of knowledge in the technology
• Lack of trust in suppliers / installers
• Upfront costs

To overcome these barriers, we need the right supplier, the right products and assistance with the costs. We did this through:

• A rigorous vetting process to find a supplier with the experience, longevity, quality and customer service needed
• A thorough assessment of the panels and inverters to ensure quality, value for money and industry leading warranties
• Information about all available rebates and loans, along with support to access and apply for them for eligible residents
• Continued management and oversight over supplier(s) to ensure a positive end-to-end customer experience

Hume City Council also added an additional rebate for Concession Card holders on top of existing State and Federal rebates – a fantastic initiative which lowered upfront costs even further. This made installing solar more accessible for many of Hume’s vulnerable residents.

What’s next?

Following the success of the Solar Roll-out, YEF and Hume have just launched a new, expanded program, building on our learnings and adding more energy efficient upgrades for Hume residents.

The new program, Hume Home Energy Upgrades, includes the below products:

• Rooftop solar
• Reverse cycle heating and cooling
• Electric hot water heat pump
• Induction cooktops
• Ceiling, wall and underfloor insulation
• Draught proofing

By improving a home’s energy performance, residents can save money, improve comfort and health, and reduce carbon emissions.  As we did with Solar, we are working with experienced, vetted suppliers and good quality products that offer excellent value for money.

We can’t wait to see what will be achieved through this new program!

¹ Energy bill savings are calculated based on the below assumptions:

• Melbourne’s average solar production – 4kWh per kW of installed solar capacity per day
• 50% self-consumption
• Electricity tariff price of 25 cents/kWh 
• Export @ 4 cents/kWh
• Annual degradation rate: 0.5% per year
• Electricity price increase: 2% per year
• 25-year lifetime of solar panels