Dapto and Warrawong residents won't need to get solar panels on their roof to tap into cheaper renewable energy.
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Under a Labor party promise, if it wins government a solar community battery will be installed in both of those suburbs to store the extra power generated and release it as needed.
Labor's Climate Change and Energy spokesman Chris Bowen was in the Illawarra on Tuesday to announce the scheme.
"One in four Australians have solar power panels on their roof because it is cheaper power," Mr Bowen said.
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"What many houses have not been able to do is install a battery, because they're very expensive."
Mr Bowen said around 2500 households in Dapto and 500 in Warrawong had rooftop solar but none had a battery.
That disparity was part of the reason those two suburbs were chosen to benefit from a $200 million nationwide program.
"We look at a range of factors - community interest, where people have expressed an interest to their local member or candidate," Mr Bowen said.
"We look at the solar take-up and we look at the disparity between solar take-up and battery take-up.
"In Dapto you can register a battery - no one has registered a battery that means it's likely to be no battery in the community."
The program wasn't open to just those with solar panels, anyone could sign up to take power from the battery.
"There are people who can't have solar panels for whatever reason," he said.
"They must be might be renters, where the landlord won't provide solar panels or they might live in a shady street - it might be that simple.
"They will be able to pay a couple of dollars extra and still use renewable energy even if they haven't got solar panels."
In terms of power generation, Mr Bowen said the intent was to get the households through the peak energy period of 5-8pm before they returned to the energy grid after that.
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