ZERO EMISSIONS NOOSA (ZEN) Inc. ALLIANCE AGREEMENT · Report

GENERAL COMMITTEE MEETING                                                       6 OCTOBER 2026


Benefits to the Community

ZEN Inc continues to benefit the community through its core programming and projects. ZEN Inc
delivers projects that support the delivery and achievement of actions in Council's Climate Change
Response Plan, and it also seeks to align its program with several other key Council strategies and
plans, including the Corporate Plan, the Environment Strategy, Walking and Cycling Plan, From
Waste to Resource Plan among others.

The main driver for ZEN Inc is in its mission to support the transition of our community to clean,
affordable and resilient living through the reduction of emissions. Many of the solutions to reduce
community emissions also provide multiple co-benefits, including long-term cost savings, lower cost
of living, resilience to disruptions, healthier communities, and decreased local pollution. For
example, household batteries and electric vehicles shield households and businesses from energy
price spikes, reduce the cost of living and doing business, decrease localised air pollution and
provide back up energy for households during disaster events. These tangible benefits help to
address the rising cost of living and the cost of doing business in Noosa.
ZEN Inc achieves their objectives by delivering practical advice, information and education to the
Noosa community and through the delivery of projects. The below list prepared by ZEN Inc provides
a snapshot of the ways that ZEN Inc reports it is benefiting the community:

   1.   Lowering the cost of living and the cost of doing business
    a. Business Energy Advisor helped businesses save $69,177 in Year 1, and $691,770
       projected over 10 years.
    b. Partnering with EnergyFlex to help households save $500-$700/year through the use of the
       EnergyFlex app.
   2. Reduced Emissions
    a. Business Energy Advisor helped businesses avoid 55.8 tCO₂e in Year 1, with 558 tCO₂e
       projected over 10 years through business energy improvements.
    b. Data analytics have identified that Noosa residents are saving approx. $19 million/year with
       rooftop solar PV.
   3. Greater Household Resilience
    a. 70 households benefiting from the Noosaville Community Battery
    b. Through 14 stakeholder forums and 104 engagements, providing education and information
       for people to make informed decisions about electrifying their homes and businesses.
    c. Over 850 residents have been empowered to electrify, save money and reduce their carbon
       footprint.
   4. Informing Decisions and Supporting the Transition
    a. Delivering the 8th annual EV and Electrify Everything Expo which had 65+ exhibitors and
       visited by 6,000 people.
    b. Delivering tailored advice directly to businesses via the Business Energy Advisor.
    c. Delivering 10+ community forums each year.
    d. Producing high-quality education material and delivering it through website, print and social
       media.
   5. Stronger & More Inclusive Communities
    a. Through the grant funded solar on low-income homes project, 10 low-income households
       received free solar, with another 10 planned, which has significantly reduced power bills and
       resilience for the recipients.
   6. Improved Community Health, Wellbeing & Innovation
    a. 100 households trialled e-bikes, promoting active, healthy transport.