Smart Commercial Energy Wins AFR Energy Award 2026

The project - which also took out the 2026 Clean Energy Council Award - demonstrates how community-led renewable energy can bring people together, create local value and support a more sustainable future.

The Awards

The AFR Energy Awards recognise the people, businesses and projects helping shape Australia’s energy transition, celebrating innovation, leadership and real-world impact across the sector. The awards bring together some of the country’s leading energy organisations and professionals, with finalists and winners recognised for the work they are doing to accelerate the shift to a cleaner, more reliable energy future.

The Category

The 'Community Engagement Award' Category is described by the Australian Financial Review as an award which recognises strategies and initiatives that bring together an organisation with external communities or community groups in a way that delivers significant and demonstrable benefits to both - and contributes meaningfully to society." 

The Project

We submitted the Goulburn Community Solar Farm for this category because, at its heart, the project was created by the community, for the community. The vision began with local residents, and the Goulburn Community Energy Co-operative, who spent 12 years fundraising, securing government support and building the foundations needed to make the project possible. 

The challenge then became turning that vision into reality. Smart Commercial Energy took on the engineering challenge and worked closely with Komo Energy and Community Energy for Goulburn (CE4G) to navigate the technical complexities of delivering a large-scale solar and battery project. 

Through strong partnerships, community collaboration and technical expertise, the project demonstrates how renewable energy can deliver more than clean power. It creates local ownerships, keeps value within the community and delivers lasting social, economic and environmental benefits for Goulburn. 

Our Partners

This award is a testament to the dedication, collaboration and persistence of everyone involved throughout the past 12 years. We'd like to thank all of the contributing partners, including Komo Energy Pty Ltd, Community Energy for Goulburn (CE4G), Trina Solar Asia Pacific, and the hundreds of community investors, volunteers and supporters who helped turn the vision into reality.

We'd also like to thank the Australian Financial Review for recognising the project and its contribution to the future of community-led renewable energy in Australia. This recognition celebrates not only the project itself, but the collective effort behind it and the lasting impact it is creating for the Goulburn community.  

You can read more about the project in the AFR's article, The Solar Farm that Goulburn Built.

Comments

"We now have a solar farm that is owned by the community, funded by the community, and delivering benefits back to the community for years to come."

- Andrew Bray, Chair, Goulburn Community Co-operative

"Community energy projects like this one show what is possible when local determination meets the right technology and the right partners... advanced clean-energy technology is no longer just for large-scale developers; it is accessible to communities too." 

- Edison Zhou, Group Director, Australian and New Zealand, Trina Solar Asia Pacific

"People power was the original form of responding to the climate crisis, and Goulburn can be a template for other regions across Australia."

- Melina Morrison, CEO, Business Council of Cooperatives and Mutuals

Read our media release HERE for more comments.