The Portarlington Golf Club received outstanding news this week with confirmation of a $50,000 grant towards its new solar installation.

The grant, funded by Sustainability Victoria, will help build a 99.36kW on-grid solar power system that will produce an average of approximately 370kWh of electricity per day.

It’s part of the $1.8 million second round of the Victorian Government’s Community Climate Change and Energy Action (CCCEA) program that will slash the energy bills of 88 successful applicants around the state.

Minister for Energy Lily D’Ambrosio said upgrades or new installations of solar and renewable energy batteries would save those facilities almost $900,000 on annual energy bills.

“We’re giving community groups like Portarlington Golf Club the opportunity to reduce their energy costs by upgrading their facilities with simple switches which save money and slash emissions,” Minister D’Ambrosio said.

“We’re helping community groups reduce their greenhouse gas emissions by more than 4400 tonnes per year — bringing us closer to our goal of reducing Victoria’s emissions by 50 per cent by 2030.”

Chief executive officer Michael Phillips said the grant was music to the club’s ears.

“In line with the club’s strategic policy, it’s our absolute goal to reduce our environmental footprint and this Sustainability Victoria grant enables us to take a huge step in the right direction,” Phillips said.

“To that end, we had already entered into an agreement with Aus1 Energis to provide a $100,000 system for the club that will help us slash our annual $85,000 electricity bill as well as our environmental impact.

“But thanks to the Victorian Government’s CCCEA program, what would have been a five-year repayment phase will now be cut to approximately three years, giving the club and its community a long-term return on investment over the 20-year life expectancy of the system.

“It will now allow us to repurpose that funding towards an even more expansive push towards sustainability, as well as investing in other community projects.”

Through the CCCEA program, a total of $3 million will ultimately be invested by the Victorian Government to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and improve energy efficiency for community groups.

In 2021, the CCCEA program funded more than $1.16 million for community organisations to make energy upgrades or conduct an energy audit. This has already delivered $300,000 of annual savings.