MASH-wide news

The MASH2 Community Info Meetings are proving popular with residents in Mount Alexander Shire and neighbouring shires. Around 90 people, some travelling from Kyneton and beyond, braved the cold winter nights to find out about the MASH2 community solar bulk-buy offer. The Hub Foundation, the not-for-profit organisation behind MASH2, was delighted to have Cr Bronwen Machin open proceedings at the Campbells Creek meeting on Thursday 25 June and Cr Christine Henderson, Mayor of Mount Alexander Shire to address the audience at the Castlemaine Civic Centre on Thursday 25 June.

Rory Allen representing SunEdison, the solar supplier/installer for the MASH2 project, outlined SunEdison’s role, which includes everything from providing interested residents with quotes and organising home visits through supply and installation. Also present was Morgan Kurrajong, owner of Universal Power, a Castlemaine-based solar installer who is working with SunEdison to provide home visits and undertake installations.

Neil Barrett, Director of the Hub Foundation provided a useful outline of global solar trends, Australia’s position in this global context and statistics on the uptake of solar in Mount Alexander Shire. Jo Kaptein, Project Officer at the Hub Foundation went through the MASH2 offer itself, prices and the savings that people could expect by ‘going solar’.

Three further MASH2 Solar Info Meetings are scheduled:

• Tread Harcourt, Tuesday 30 June, 7.00-8.30pm
• Newstead Community Centre, Wednesday 1 July, 7.00-8.30pm
• Kangaroo Hotel, Maldon, Tuesday 14 July, 7.00-8.30pm

For more details and to reserve your place at one of these meetings, please visit www.mash.org.au

For the next 10 weeks, Neil Barrett, the chair of the not-for-profit Hub Foundation, the organising body behind the MASH2 solar bulk-buy project, will provide updates on the project and on solar news from Australia and overseas. This column is published in the Midland Express.

MASH2 is open to all households in Mount Alexander Shire, the Shire of Macedon Ranges, Bendigo Shire and Hepburn Shire.

The first stage resulted in 225 installations with over 3,000 panels in total. Whilst these were mostly in the shire of Mount Alexander, quite a few were in surrounding areas, such as Kyneton, Redesdale and Daylesford.

MASH1 a great success

As a result of MASH’s efforts last year, 225 households in our region now have lower power bills and lower CO2 emissions. Congratulations to them all.

Mount Alexander Shire is now the fastest growing Shire for solar in Australia. While others are languishing after the boom of 2011/12 our Shire is doing well. With 24% of households with solar on the roof, we are now running 2nd to Indigo Shire around Beechworth. By mid 2016 we expect to be in the lead.

How much lower are the bills?

How much lower are the bills I hear you say? Assuming they use half of the power they generate (and export the other half to the grid) and pay around 25c per kWh, the average household will save around $800 per year. That’s not a bad return in the first year on an expenditure of around $4,400. It’s certainly much better than the $130 my bank has been paying on the same amount recently!
Under MASH2 the overall prices have gone up only slightly due to devaluation of the dollar. This means that the savings will still be very substantial.

Two systems on offer in MASH2

This time MASH has a standard system and a premium system. A 3kW, or 12 panel, system will cost $4,556 for the standard system and $5,077 for the premium system. All components are of high quality but the premium system has a slightly higher daily output and some more bells and whistles. Both systems come with performance guarantees which means the householder gets an email alert if the solar output is less than it should be and can receive compensation from the supplier to make up the difference.

MASH2 – better financing options

In this round of MASH, people can buy outright or if cash is short, they can obtain an attractive Solar Loan from the Community First Credit Union. But you can also lease a solar system from the supplier, SunEdison. You pay nothing for the lease and you get your electricity for a guaranteed rate of around 15c per kWh for the next 15 years when the sun is shining. (This price rises by 2% a year which will probably be about the same as the rise in grid electricity prices). What’s more, the solar output of your system is guaranteed for 15 years. This eliminates any risk of your system underperforming and means you get guaranteed low prices for daytime use of electricity.

Bring on the batteries!

As the price of batteries comes down by around 25% a year over the next few years, solar systems plus batteries, for storing the excess solar power generated during the day, will become very common in houses. The advantage will be that households will be able to use solar during the day and night and therefore save around 25c on almost every kWh they use. Both the MASH2 systems are compatible with the next generation of batteries which will be on offer in the next 12 months or so. The MASH2 Premium system will be compatible with the Tesla Powerwall and the standard system with Samsung batteries.

And on a lighter note … overheard in a café last week: Why do transformers hum? They don’t know the words!

More next week. In the meantime go to mash.org.au if you want to register your interest in MASH2.

Once 100 MASH2 solar systems have been installed, the MASH community solar bulk-buy project will donate 2 free solar PV systems to properties lived in by people who were previously homeless (or at risk of being homeless) who live in Mount Alexander Shire.

This picture is of Jane Gell, a client of CADARG (Castlemaine and District Accommodation Resource Group) who lives in one of the homes that will get a free MASH2 solar PV system once 100 MASH2 installations have been completed. Also in the pic is Michael McMahon, Co-ordinator at CADARG.

“We chose CADARG as the recipient of the MASH2 community bonus in order to help highlight the issue of homelessness in our Shire. Jane will be saving between $500-$700 each year off her electricity bill. It’s great to know that the work we are doing is going to help people who could do with a bit of a break.” – Jo Kaptein, Project Officer, Hub Foundation