A small Goldfields mining town with fewer than 300 households is leading the nation in solar energy use as stated by a new Climate Council report as reported by ABC News.
Leinster is a small town in Western Australia’s northern Goldfields that is the top solar postcode in Australia with 65% of households having solar PV. The report also found Angle Vale in South Australia also had 2/3 of all homes are suing solar power. Thus it’s safe to say that in these suburbs, rooftop solar will soon be as common as home insulation.
The next best performing Western Australia postcode is the Perth suburb of Baldivis. 5% of its household had rooftop solar PVs.
Based on the Climate Council report, suburbs with high levels of rooftop solar PV belong to low-to-medium income levels and tend to be located in the regional areas. Peter Craig, Leonora Shire president and Leinster resident, said that he was not surprised that the mining town was leading the nation in rooftop solar power. He also added that it can go as far as up to 90% but it probably says 65% because that is the number of residential houses being used in Leinster at the moment.
Mr. Craig also added that BHP Billiton, which operates the Nickel mine “Perseverance” in Leinster also made investments in rooftop solar for almost all the town’s residents three years ago.
For a small town in WA, being recognised in solar energy use is a laurel in the town’s name.