Four Steora smart benches are being installed on the Esperance foreshore. Two are already in place near the community skate park, with another two to be installed further along the foreshore in the coming weeks.
The benches allow the community to access the Shire’s free wi-fi in the town centre and charge their phones for free using solar energy.
Enabling locals and visitors to recharge their mobile devices means they can continue to post stunning pictures of Esperance’s attractions on social media and encourage more tourists to visit the region.
Horizon Power Goldfields Esperance Retail & Community Manager, Donna Gibson, has welcomed the opportunities the solar-powered benches offer.
“This was a great partnership project for Horizon Power, working with the Shire and the private sector. These are the first smart benches to be installed outside of the Perth metropolitan area and they are just another reason to come and visit our beautiful foreshore and make use of its facilities,” she said.
Acting Shire President Natalie Bowman hopes the benches and free internet access will encourage people to stay outdoors longer so they can experience everything Esperance has to offer.
“You can make sure you don’t run out of power on the go, with these solar charging benches that have been installed along the foreshore and at the skate park,” she said.
“These benches will complement the free wi-fi already available so make sure you tag #visitesperance in your posts!”
Powered by renewable energy, the smart benches operate on just a few hours of sunlight a day and have lithium ion batteries conveniently secured inside the structure to store solar energy.
The project was jointly funded by Southern Ports, Cliffs Natural Resources, The Shire of Esperance and Horizon Power.
For more information about the Esperance Smart Solar Benches, read the full Esperance express article or the Shire of Esperance media release.