Horizon Power's Kimberley Communities Solar Saver program is expanding to Mowanjum, making it the sixth remote Aboriginal community in the Kimberley to benefit from shared rooftop solar. The announcement confirms that the program, which has already delivered nearly $200,000 in energy-saving credits across five communities since June 2024, will continue to grow through 2026.
How the program works
The Kimberley Communities Solar Saver (KCSS) takes a different approach to traditional rooftop solar. Rather than requiring each household to purchase and install its own system, Horizon Power installs panels on selected rooftops across the community — those best suited by orientation, shading and condition. The energy savings generated are then shared equally among all households in the community, regardless of whether their individual roof has panels.
Horizon Power describes the model as being "like a solar farm, using residential rooftops instead of land, with the benefits being equally distributed among the community customers." The approach removes the barrier of individual household cost and ensures that the community benefits collectively from solar generation.
Results so far
The program commenced in Warmun in June 2024 with the installation of 422 kilowatts of rooftop solar across the community's homes. It has since expanded to Bidyadanga, Ardyaloon, Yungngora and Beagle Bay, with a total of 1.38 megawatts of rooftop solar installed across approximately 125 systems in the five communities. Collectively, approximately 435 homes are now receiving energy-saving credits averaging around $450 per household per year.
The KCSS project is delivered through the $10.56 million Community Solar Banks partnership between the federal and Western Australian governments.
What this means for other Kimberley communities
The KCSS program demonstrates that rooftop solar works in remote Kimberley communities and that the shared-credit model delivers measurable financial benefit to residents. But the program currently covers only six communities out of the 117 remote Aboriginal communities now under Horizon Power's management in WA.
Communities not included in KCSS — including those across the Fitzroy Valley — have the opportunity to pursue their own renewable energy pathways through independent feasibility studies and direct engagement with Horizon Power. The federal First Nations Clean Energy Advice Grants program, currently open for applications, funds exactly this kind of planning work: professional feasibility studies that assess a community's energy situation and map the pathway to solar and battery systems.
KCSS communities to date
Warmun (June 2024) — Bidyadanga — Ardyaloon — Yungngora — Beagle Bay — Mowanjum (expected late 2026). The program is funded to continue expanding. Communities interested in future inclusion should engage directly with Horizon Power's Remote Communities team, or pursue independent feasibility studies to demonstrate project readiness.
For communities considering their own energy future, the KCSS results provide valuable evidence: the technology works, the savings are real, and remote Kimberley conditions are well-suited to solar generation. A feasibility study is the first step to accessing these benefits — whether through Horizon Power's programs or through community-owned models like the Djarindjin Sun Turtle project.