Bringing renewable energy to Newstead

Renewable Newstead aims to generate solar power to supply the local community by mid-2023.

We are a voluntary community group working with a construction partner who is building a small-scale solar farm near Newstead.

Why Renewable Newstead?

Renewable energy at competitive prices

Our solar farm with back-up battery will be connected to the grid for supply security and will offer electricity at competitive rates from our partner, Flow Power. 

Reduce your carbon footprint

Generating as much clean electricity as is consumed each year, the first stage of the two-stage solar farm will reduce Newstead’s annual CO2-equivalent emissions by about 5750 tonnes/year.

The model

The Newstead solar farm will feed electricity into the grid and then to Newstead homes and businesses.

It will be built and managed, and electricity will be supplied and billed by our partner, Flow Power.

Currently, grid energy to Newstead homes is billed by various retailers charging different tariffs.

“This project was one of the reasons we chose to move to Newstead. We’re excited to live in a community that values self-sufficiency, environmental sustainability and action from the ground up.

Vanessa & Ryan

Our vision

Newstead is strongly connected with its surrounding districts and has a proven record of initiating and completing projects for our area’s betterment.

Our vision for this project is to run our community on locally generated, reliable and affordable renewable energy, that’s available to all.

Core principles:

  • be opt in
  • do no harm
  • deliver community benefits
  • be grid-connected

News & Project Updates

Construction to begin!

Construction is set to begin on our solar farm in Newstead. Jointly launched today by the Victorian Minister for Energy, Environment and Climate Action, The Hon. Lily D’Ambrosio, MP and Member for Bendigo West, The Hon. Maree Edwards, with Flow Power, the Renewable Newstead team and local Dja Dja Wurrung representatives.

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Community Visioning

Flow Power is kicking in to help fund Newstead’s community visioning day on September 10. Flow Power will build, own and operate our solar farm and retail the electricity to customers.

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