Large industrial areas within the City of Canning hold untapped potential to significantly boost rooftop solar power generation, according to Mayor Patrick Hall. The Welshpool industrial precinct, spanning over 8 square kilometres and housing about 700 businesses, together with the Canning Vale West precinct, nearly 9 square kilometres with approximately 800 businesses, generate roughly two-thirds of the city's $11.8 billion economic activity through industrial, wholesale trade, and advanced manufacturing.
Mayor Hall said the vast rooftop space in these areas presents a significant opportunity for solar energy expansion, but leasing arrangements often hinder adoption. “One of the problems is that many of the largest warehouses with the most roof space are leased. The issue is the owners of those properties do not necessarily want big, costly solar infrastructure on their roof space and the substantial cost of replacing that infrastructure when it reaches end of operational life,” he said. “How do we change that thinking?”
Collaboration Across Councils
Hall recently attended a Curtin University presentation on renewable energy transition alongside Western Power, Synergy, and mayors and CEOs from Armadale, Gosnells, and Victoria Park. These councils form the South East Corridor Councils Alliance (SECCA), which advocates for coordinated infrastructure investment and sustainable development. Incoming SECCA chair and Armadale Mayor Ruth Butterfield noted that solar panels with batteries are common in suburbs but not in industrial precincts.
“Industrial and commercial precincts represent one of WA’s largest untapped distributed energy opportunities,” Butterfield said. “Businesses consume most of their electricity during daylight hours, making rooftop solar a natural fit. When combined with battery storage, electric vehicle charging, flexible demand management and potential virtual power plant models, these technologies can reduce operating costs, improve energy resilience and strengthen business competitiveness.”
Barriers and Solutions
Butterfield highlighted that local governments manage energy-intensive assets like aquatic centres and recreation facilities that could become part of a distributed energy network. She said barriers are less about technology and more about confidence, coordination, and investment certainty. “Many businesses face high upfront capital costs, uncertainty around payback periods, landlord and tenant arrangements, technical questions around network capacity, and limited access to trusted independent advice,” she explained. “Unlike the residential sector, where incentives have successfully accelerated rooftop solar adoption, commercial and industrial businesses have received comparatively less targeted support despite representing a significant opportunity for emissions reduction.”
Distinguished Professor Peter Newman from the Curtin University Sustainability Policy Institute agreed that industrial spaces in Perth have been slow to adopt solar and batteries. “Solar and batteries have dramatically reduced their costs in the past five years and are now significantly cheaper,” he said. “These businesses seem to be trapped in contracts with Synergy that cover the whole precinct. Our research has shown that they would find many advantages if they moved together to find ways of achieving a better deal from Synergy on their contracts. They can become not just better off in financial terms but can provide the network with battery support to enable variability to be managed.”
Path Forward
Mayor Hall said discussions need to accelerate rooftop solar in industrial areas, suggesting incentives, collaboration, or education. Butterfield called for expanded commercial solar and battery grants, low-interest finance, independent business energy advisory services, and demonstration projects. “Education will become increasingly important as businesses prepare not only for rising energy costs, but also for growing customer and supply chain expectations around emissions performance,” she added.
Butterfield emphasised that energy is critical to SECCA’s vision for a sustainable south-east corridor, and the alliance will continue working with businesses, researchers, and all levels of government. Meanwhile, the Federal Government recently announced construction of a new community battery at Ranford Oval in Canning Vale, one of 18 being installed across Perth and Bunbury. These batteries will harness rooftop solar during the day for redeployment in the evening peak. Expected online by mid-2027, the 13 low-voltage and 5 medium-voltage batteries will help reduce costs, cut emissions, and improve grid stability.
