Latrobe Valley energy upgrades

OVERVIEW

Urban EP delivered on the above inside a two month timeframe of activity, working closely with SV’s Residential Programs team, the executive, regional staff, and internal experts in finance, demographics, and energy.

KEY INFO

Location:

Latrobe Valley VIC

Stakeholders:

VIC Government Sustainability VIC

Solutions:

Solar Wind

THE BRIEF

In late 2016, the Victorian Government committed $5.0M to assess building energy efficiency performances for up to 1,000 houses in the Latrobe Valley region, and install suitable energy efficiency and renewable energy upgrades worth up to $4,500 per household.

Sustainability Victoria (SV) was tasked to roll out the program over FY2018. SV commissioned Urban EP to conduct the business case for the program, exploring the option of offering the $4,500 sum per household as a mix of grant funding and a ‘no interest’ loan.

THE RESULTS

• Clear explanation of the public value at stake

• Delivery paths and partnerships recommended in light of the challenges and opportunities in play

• Net benefits to households investing in energy upgrades quantified

• Partners engaged, including the finance sector, councils and non-profit organisations active across Victoria and in the Latrobe Valley region

• Household engagement and recruitment models tested for viability, given the timing, financial, and institutional constraints at hand

• Final delivery model recommended and costed, including evaluation and planning for follow up.

While there was a separate decision to revert the loans component to a grants mechanism, other business case recommendations were taken up by the agency in full.

The Latrobe Valley Home Energy Upgrades program is gearing up to deliver in the 2018 financial year.