The financial incentives for landlords to get solar panels on their rental properties have recently been enhanced, making solar an attractive proposition for both landlords and tenants. Up to $3,700 in financial incentives are now available for each rental property through the State Government’s Solar Homes program. This comprises of a rebate of up to $1,850 and an interest-free loan of up to the same amount. Cutting the cost of solar “This can reduce the out-of-pocket cost of a 3.3kW solar system to just a few hundred dollars,” said Jo Kaptein, organiser of the Hepburn Solar Bulk-Buy. “For tenants, this size system can save hundreds of dollars a year on energy costs.” Government interest-free loan Landlords can apply for the rebate and interest-free loan on up to two rental properties in each financial year. There are two options for loan repayments: The landlord can make the full monthly loan repayment [Read More]
Good News for Solar for Rental Properties
There’s good news for landlords and renters looking for more financial help to get solar panels installed on their rental properties. Announced on Monday 27 July, landlords can now apply for an interest-free loan from Solar Victoria under the Solar Panels for Rental Properties program. Up to $1,850 is available as an interest-free loan. With the Solar Panels rebate – also worth up to $1,850 – this reduces the upfront cost of solar by up to $3,700. Landlords can apply and pay for the entire solar system themselves, or work with their tenants for a loan repayment co-contribution of up to $19.27 a month. Energy minister Lily D’Ambrosio said that with Victoria thrown back into more lockdowns in response to a spike in Coronavirus cases, the need for rental households to keep home energy costs down was greater than ever. Whilst the allocation of Solar Panels rebates for rental properties is [Read More]
Battery rebates like concert tickets
Whilst the Solar Victoria battery rebate is good news in principle for homeowners, the reality is that the supply of rebates is not sufficient to meet demand (as of August 2020). The last allocation of rebates which happened at the start of August were all taken within 30 minutes. This was 40 battery rebates for the whole of Victoria. The next allocation – also of 40 rebates – will be at 12pm on 19 August. Solar Victoria, the state government body that administers the battery rebate program has stated that 40 rebates will be released every two weeks through to the end of December 2020. It is expected that the battery rebates will continue to be released in 2021, although the rate at which they are available is not yet known. It is important for householders to know that there is no guarantee that even if you do meet all the eligibility [Read More]
COVID-Safe Solar
COVID-19 restrictions are affecting life for everyone and we wish everyone the best during these challenging times. In regional Victoria under stage 3 restrictions, solar and battery installations can continue (as of the time of writing this article, 7 August 2020) providing that the stage 3 restrictions are complied with. Ensuring the safety of all bulk-buy participants and installers during the COVID-19 pandemic is of utmost importance. Our bulk-buy programs are continuing and installations are happening every day in compliance with stage 3 restrictions. Our solar suppliers are complying with all restrictions. To see what this means in practice, please visit our websites using these links: MASH Solar Bulk-Buy https://mash.org.au/covid-19-safety-measures/ Hepburn Solar Bulk-Buy https://mash.org.au/hepburn-solar/covid-19-safety-measures Mallee Sun Solar Bulk-Buy https://malleesunsolar.org.au/covid-19-safety-measures/ Keep safe and keep well.
Bushfire Resilience Boost for Hepburn
The Hepburn Recreation Reserve – which is both a community sports facility and dedicated place of last resort in the event of a bushfire – now has full protection from power outages thanks to a new 76 panel solar-plus-battery storage system. Watch WinNews coverage. $32,000 system fully grant funded The 25.08kW solar system, with Tesla Powerwall 2 battery, was fully funded by Hepburn Shire Council, Hepburn Wind, the Hepburn Solar Bulk-Buy through the Central Victorian Greenhouse Alliance and a grant from Bank Australia. The total system cost was $31,818 excluding GST. The contribution from funding partners was Hepburn Shire Council $12,000; Hepburn Wind $4,500; Central Victorian Greenhouse Alliance $15,318 with $12,500 of that amount from a Bank Australia grant and $2,818 from the Hepburn Solar Bulk-Buy. Increases capacity to respond to threat of bushfires “This system increases the resilience of the Hepburn community and capacity to plan for and respond [Read More]
How much can I save with solar panels?
This article explains how much money a rooftop solar power system can save you. Step 1: Power generation First calculate how many kilowatt hours your solar system will generate on average each year. In our part of Victoria, expect a typical unshaded solar system to generate 3.7 kilowatt hours of electricity on average a day for each kilowatt of solar panels installed. For example, a 6.6kW solar system will generate 6.6 x 3.7 kWh per day which is just over 24kWh of electricity. Over a year, that’s 8,913 kilowatt hours of electricity. Step 2: Solar power usage Your solar supplier will calculate what percentage of total solar electricity generation will be used in your home and how much will be exported to the grid. This is generally done by reviewing your electricity bill. To get exact usage information go to powercor.com.au/customers/myenergy/ A usage rate of 40% is fairly conservative and [Read More]
