Solar above, batteries below: here’s how warehouses and shopping centres could produce 25% of Australia’s power

By Bruce Mountain, Professor and Director, Victoria Energy Policy Centre, Victoria University

Imagine if Australian cities became major producers of clean energy, rather than relying on far-flung solar and wind farms.

Far fetched? Hardly. Our cities and towns are full of warehouses, commercial areas, shopping centres and factories. These types of buildings have one very important underutilised resource – large expanses of unoccupied rooftops, perfect for solar and battery power stations.

If our commercial and industrial areas took up solar and storage, it would be revolutionary. Electricity could be produced in cities and used in cities, reducing transmission losses.…

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