Solar Citizens has teamed up with A New Normal to produce our very own 'Solar Commons' prototype at this year's Vivid exhibition in Sydney.

‘The Solar Commons’ is an exciting urban renewable energy solution for renters, apartment-dwellers and people with living in households with unsuitable rooftops for solar panels, such as the residents of Wolli Creek. 

98% of Wolli Creek live in apartments, making it NSW's third most population-dense suburb. In a high-rise community like this one, there is simply not enough rooftop space to provide solar energy to all the residents, and living in a strata-titled property makes it extremely difficult to install EV chargers, get off gas and decarbonise - especially if you are also a renter! 

Our Solar Commons prototype has been designed to draw attention to the barriers faced by households that are locked out of the clean energy transition, and highlights the need for additional measures required to enable these communities to be able to access the cost-of-living and environmental benefits of solar energy, even if it means installing it somewhere other than their rooftop, and sharing it with other residents.

‘The Solar Commons’ has been designed by architect and climate advocate, Lucy Humphrey in partnership with sustainability executive Annie Beaulieu, Jess Miller and the team at A New Normal, and Solar Citizens on behalf of the Wolli Creek residents.

This exhibition is part of Solar Citizens ongoing campaign, Electrify Wolli Creek.