Photovoltaic power from commercial and industrial rooftops ? Analysis for cities of Brimbank and Hobsons Bay in Victoria, Australia

Climate-change concerns are driving governments to plan for the development and implementation of sustainable electricity generation systems. To aid with the task of reducing the continent´s Greenhouse Gas (GHG) emissions alliances are being formed between local councils. The Western Alliance for Greenhouse Action (WAGA) is such an alliance formed by seven councils in Melbourne´s west. One of the main goals of the alliance is the planning and development of hybrid renewable energy systems as environmentally friendly substitutes for the current coal-fired power stations, which at present supply the electricity consumed in the region. This paper presents the results of a study conducted to assess the solar electrical energy potential from identified commercial and industrial roofing within the alliance´s municipalities. In this study, the analysis for the cities of Brimbank and Hobsons Bay is outlined. The results demonstrate that 1115 GWh of solar electrical energy can be generated annually in the two councils from commercial and industrial rooftops, which corresponds to an emissions savings of 1,359 ktonne CO2-e.