Could the industrial rooftops of Gore Hill power the North Shore?

For a human, the roof of a hot industrial park on a blazing summer day is not where you want to be. But for a solar panel, that’s prime real estate.

The rooftops of warehouses and distribution centres are an untapped source of power, according to a new report from the Smart Energy Council (SEC), but they are being held back by high installation costs and differing views between tenants and owners.

What happened: Yesterday at the National Press Club, Energy Minister Chris Bowen announced the government had a solution for one of these issues: it would expand its renewable energy rebate scheme to include solar setups for commercial and industrial properties.

While largely known for its suburban sprawl, the North Shore is home to a number of industrial parks, in Gore Hill, Lane Cove West, Chatswood East and Hornsby. 

Missing middle: These acres of under-utilised rooftop could be put to work powering Australia, energy experts argue. The SEC report found commercial rooftops formed a “missing middle” of solar generation, between residential rooftop systems and large scale solar farms. 

The expansion of the scheme aims to lower installation costs for rooftop solar on commercial properties by around 20 percent. But many commercial properties are not owned by the businesses who use them. Navigating this relationship between landlords and tenants will be key to the solar program’s success.

Whose roof: In the Chatswood East industrial park many of the companies with rooftop solar either own the building — such as North Shore Timber — or are major businesses like Woolworths and Bunnings.

About 40 of the roughly 100 commercial and industrial properties in Chatswood East are rented. 

David Stuart, who runs a Brookvale paint manufacturing business, has had a large solar set up powering his operations for almost seven years. He said his business saw savings in the thousands within months. 

He told the Lorikeet a nearby tenant would like solar on their rooftop, but the landlord won’t get involved: “It shouldn't be on the tenant to go cap in hand to their landlord.”

Stuart pointed to existing government policy for industrial solar use in Berlin, where new commercial buildings are mandated to have at least 30 percent of their roof area covered in solar panels. 

The SEC said “landlord-tenant misalignment” was largely down to who pays and who reaps the rewards.

The council’s report suggested tax concessions may encourage landlords to act sooner.

Thumbnail: Colormaker Industries