Macedon Ranges Shire

"Our experience with MASH and Cola Solar has been great. They have helped provide the best information so we could make the best decision for our needs. It's also nice to be part of a growing community movement." - Anthony Bonello and Lynsey Ward, Tylden, Macedon Ranges Shire, December 2020

"Dealing with MASH to get our 6.6kw system installed was a seamless and hassle-free experience. Good for the environment and for our energy bills." - James Allebone, Woodend, November 2020

John and Airlie Loughran run a bed and breakfast business in the beautiful, elegant Rochford Schoolhouse (built 1857) on their property. All of their devices are dependent on electricity as well as the pump for the water. With the grid being prone to blackouts, they chose a battery storage system to provide the necessary resilience which gives them peace of mind that their residents will not be impacted.

John heard about the MASH Solar + Battery program through the Macedon Ranges Sustainability Group newsletter as he is a member. He participated in Zoom sessions on battery and solar run by MASH and Cola Solar and felt confident to proceed with MASH.

Coming from a professional background in the tertiary education sector, John demands that things work well first time around. He was extremely pleased with the welcome, the quick responses and attention to detail from Cola Solar and MASH. The fact that MASH have a Community Bonus and support the uptake of solar for local community groups was icing on the cake.

John couldn't be happier with the installation and being able to monitor and manage the Tesla battery from his iPhone. Everything about the process and the clean energy he is producing and storing "makes [him] feel good".

John and Airlie plan in the future to install an Electric Vehicle Charging Station for their bed and breakfast business that will run directly from their battery and solar system and benefit from the growing eco-tourist industry.

"We recently had solar panels installed, with the purchase arranged by MASH and the installation work undertaken by Cola Solar. The process from our initial contact to discuss options through to the final inspection was conducted professionally and smoothly. We found the advice from MASH staff and the Cola Solar team very helpful, including advice on the application process for the Victorian Government Solar Rebate.

"Our decision to instal solar panels was motivated by the desire to be environmentally responsible and contain our consumption of and reliance on the use of fossil fuels. The Victorian Government incentives support and encourage the installation of panels and this made our decision easier. We commend the MASH team for their dedication to the Macedon Ranges." - November 2020

It is fantastic to know that 100% of our power needs are now met by our 6.6 kW solar and Tesla Powerwall battery system. I have become addicted to checking the Tesla app to see the power flow. The only grid involvement is from our system to the grid, once the battery is fully charged. - October 2020

"I attended one of the online meetings hosted by the MASH team and looked at a recorded battery info session also. I found these extremely helpful in ironing out our queries and found most people also had similar queries. Once again thanks to your team for getting us into more sustainable power and trying to do our bit for the future."

"The solar installers did a good job on the day, installing our new 2.97kW solar PV system through the MASH community solar bulk-buy. They turned up early, worked all day and were really professional."