Residents of a new land lease community in Melbourne’s south-east will be able to save up to 50 per cent on their electricity bills thanks to an Australian-first renewable energy solution.
In a trend-setting move for the Australian retirement living sector, the Lifestyle Meridian community at Clyde North should be able to generate all the power it needs, and therefore avoid relying on more expensive and less sustainable general grid electricity.
The community will have its own ‘micro-grid’, including a 150KW community battery powered by solar panels located on the community’s 275 homes.
It's said to be the largest renewable energy installation of its kind in any retirement community in Australia.
The ‘micro-grid’ will be installed by Melbourne-based infrastructure provider Mondo, in conjunction with community operator Lifestyle Communities.
Lifestyle Communities managing director James Kelly said he was excited to be setting such a high industry standard and lead the charge on sustainable retirement living in Australia.
Mondo Energy Services General Manager Jodie Hallam said the greenfield solution created by Mondo and Lifestyle Communities was innovative and future-proofed the community against network changes.
She said the installation also supported anticipated regulatory changes requiring an increased focus on renewables by community embedded networks.
The solution was carefully designed to balance aesthetics with the placement of solar on north-facing and east-west facing rooftops for maximum energy generation,” Ms Hallam said.
The first residents are expected to move into Lifestyle Meridian in July 2022, with the clubhouse due to open in December 2022. Homes range from $370,000 to $580,000.
Lifestyle Meridian - which is Lifestyle Communities' 19th Victorian site - is expected to generate around 400KW of rooftop solar.
Apart from the communal renewable energy solution, Lifestyle Meridian will also include a communal electric car with its own charging station, along with energy efficient water heat pumps and smart home appliance systems.
