Solar panels will soon be providing shade and clean power over Lismore’s Clyde Campbell Carpark, when Lismore City Council begins construction of a new solar shade structure.

Funded through a Federal Government grant, the project involves the construction of a roof structure with a 99.9kW solar PV system over 40 public carparks in the carpark, as well as the installation of an electric vehicle car-charging station.

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Deputy Mayor Neil Marks said the project will provide much-needed shade for visitors to the Lismore CBD and the solar energy generated from the panels will be fed back to electricity grid with revenue funding ongoing maintenance costs.

"The solar shade project for Clyde Campbell Carpark is a great example of local government showing leadership on climate change issues and working towards becoming a sustainable city that embraces renewable energy," Cr Marks said.

“Our community has consistently said they want Council to tackle the impacts of climate change, increase the use of renewable energy and provide more shade throughout the Lismore CBD for locals and visitors.

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"This project delivers on all of that and will also provide an electric car-charging station for Lismore, which is exciting news and I’m sure the first of many to come.”

The solar roof is funded through a $1 million grant provided by the Federal Government’s Drought Communities Program to 52 NSW councils to complete infrastructure and other drought-relief projects.

In April, Council decided to spend $650,000 of the grant funding on the solar shade structure with the remainder allocated for measures to assist local landholders including training into Natural Sequence Farming, a new technique to retain water in farming landscapes during times of drought.

A tender for the construction of the new solar shade structure will be released in February and construction is expected to begin sometime in April.

Nearby businesses and the community will be advised when construction dates are scheduled.

Solar pioneers

Lismore City Council has a long association with solar power.

In 2010, 9.62 kW PV systems were installed at the Brunswick Street Depot and the State Emergency Service Building, followed by 3.885 kW systems at Lismore Art Gallery and Council’s CBD office in 2011.

Subsequent significant installations included a 100kW system at the Materials Recovery Facility (MRF) in 2014, which generates equivalent to 80% of the MRF’s total electricity consumption. There are also two 20kW systems installed at the Lismore Recycling & Recovery Centre.

A 99kW system was installed the Goonellabah Sports & Aquatic Centre in 2017, then in 2018, a 99kW floating solar panel array was installed at the East Lismore Sewage Treatment Plant. This was the largest floatovoltaic installation in Australia at the time.