New Tool Guides Landowners on Renewable Energy Transition

• Landowners will have face-to-face conversations with renewable energy providers to discuss financial aspects and understand their land's renewable energy capacity.
• Partnerships among landowners, government, renewable energy providers, and other stakeholders play a larger role in Australia's journey to net zero.

A software tool has been developed to give Australian landowners more insights into renewable energy projects on their land.

This project was developed by RELA Australia, a company that connects landowners with renewable energy providers. The Australian Renewable Energy Agency (ARENA) supported it with a $500,000 grant. This device provides them with information on renewable energy generation capacity to make informed decisions as well as back Australia's green energy transition goals.

The Assess 2.0 tool will expand on an existing one that assesses solar and wind energy potential in regional areas. In its new version, it will have extra data points, like farm plans, to help landowners understand how green energy projects are compatible with their land use and calculate likely earnings.

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This comes in handy when negotiating arrangements with renewable energy developers to host green infrastructure and get fair compensation.

ARENA says associations among landowners, industry, and government play an increasingly important role in achieving the country's net-zero goals, particularly in rural areas. Not only does the tool provide consultation on projects, but it also supports landowners in assessing economic opportunities, having conversations with green energy providers, and discussing financial aspects.

RELA’s Chief of Product, Stuart Gourley, said: “RELA Assess laid the foundation for landowners to understand the renewable energy potential of their properties – a first in the market.

"With Assess 2.0, we’re taking this to the next level by incorporating more data layers, automating assessments and introducing farm plan mapping technology. This will help landowners make faster, more informed decisions while ensuring their land use priorities are reflected from the outset.”

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RELA Assess will be available later this year. For more information, please visit ARENA's project page.

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Source: ARENA