Installing solar panels on the roofs of 64 public buildings in Logan could produce enough electricity to power 2900 homes for 20 years, new research has found.
Schools, hospitals, libraries and other public buildings in Logan have a total of 49,286 square metres - three whole football fields' worth - of rooftop solar potential.
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It comes after Logan City Council passed a solar milestone in July, with more than 1000 kilowatts of solar photovoltaic panels on its buildings.
The research, commissioned by the Australian Conservation Foundation, shows this solar capacity could prevent 10,000 tonnes of climate pollution over 20 years. It is as much as would be saved by not burning 91,000 tonnes of coal.
"This research highlights the huge opportunity the state government has to increase the supply of clean, low-cost electricity to meet the daily energy needs of schools, hospitals and other essential services," Jason Lyddieth, from the Australian Conservation Foundation, said.
"Installing solar on public schools, hospitals, prisons, libraries, fire stations and other public buildings creates jobs and makes the sunshine state part of the climate change solution.
"Queensland can and should be a renewable energy superpower. With more than 38 per cent of Queensland homes now generating their own solar energy, the state leads Australia and the world with residential solar coverage.
"This research shows there remains huge potential to generate more clean power - and jobs - by putting solar systems on more public buildings.
"Public buildings in Brisbane, Cairns, Townsville, Logan and Gladstone have 45 football fields worth of rooftops that are suitable for solar. Just imagine how much potential there is across the state.
"We call on Annastacia Palaszczuk and Deb Frecklington to commit the next Queensland government to going big with solar on public buildings."
The research was conducted by the School of Photovoltaic and Renewable Energy Engineering at the University of New South Wales and the Australian PV Institute (APVI).
A separate report commissioned by ACF found renewable energy projects could deliver more than a third of Queensland's electricity by 2025.
Logan City Council said it aimed to be carbon neutral by 2022.
"Ultimately we want to lower council's electricity costs as much as possible, across the grid, so to pass those savings on to ratepayers," City Planning, Economic Development and Environment Committee chair Jon Raven said.
The Cedar Grove Environmental Centre is the site of a ground-breaking solar PV system, with a 150kW capacity.
A Climate Council report in 2020 revealed Logan property owners were overwhelmingly embracing solar energy.
Jimboomba, North Maclean, South Maclean, Tamborine, Greenbank, Boronia Heights and New Beith were among Queensland's top suburbs to embrace solar energy, the report said.
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