Yesterday, 20 August 2014, an order was placed for the first group of 50 people who have already paid for their solar panel installations with MASH+. This initial order is for around 700 solar panels (175Kw of solar power). As each 1kW cuts CO2 emissions by around 1 tonne, these first 50 systems will cut the total CO2 emissions in the Shire and neighbouring areas by around 175 tonnes each year and 3,500 tonnes over 20 years. We will be placing further orders in the coming weeks, in smaller ‘lots’ in order to fast track the installation process for customers.
Solar Matters, Week 7
Read Neil Barrett’s column in The Midland Express (week 7, 19/8/2014) on MASH+ and Powercor, hybrid systems and electricity retailers. Here’s an extract:
“One of the most common questions I’ve received from readers is “How can I get away from the electricity company altogether?”, says Neil Barrett of The Hub Foundation.
“Most callers are aware that prices have almost doubled in the past six years, not because of the carbon tax but because of over-investment in infrastructure at a time when electricity demand from the grid is actually falling.
What can you do? Putting lot of solar on your roof will help reduce your bills and your exports will cut the use of coal at Yallourn.
Then within five to 10 years, storage in one form or another will be widely available and it will be managed either by the electricity industry, if it rises to the challenge, or individual householders.”
Solar Matters, Week 6
Read Neil Barrett’s column in The Midland Express (week 6, 11/8/2014) on landlords and solar, solar uptake in Germany vs Australia, and getting solar panels on heritage homes. Here’s an extract:
“One of the biggest barriers to the growth of solar in Australia is the lack of incentives for landlords. As a result, very few rented houses have solar”, says Neil Barrett of The Hub Foundation.
“The choice by home owners to install solar panels is usually influenced by both environmental and financial factors,” says Genevieve Cantwell of Cantwell Property Castlemaine, one of the major partners in the MASH+ project.
“For landlords, an investment in solar causes the property to be more appealing to tenants and when it’s sold there’s a capital gain offset. It’s also a positive environmental action which appeals to an increasing number of landlords.”
Solar Matters, Week 5
Read Neil Barrett’s column in The Midland Express (week 5, 4/8/2014) on the environmental performance of the Trina solar panels used on the MASH+ project, the falling price of solar, and how retailers are making unfair profits from the excess solar power generated by householders. Here’s an extract:
“When most of us export excess solar power at only eight cents per kWh, it goes to our closest neighbours who have to buy it at 29 cents or so.
“Is that fair? Not on your nellie”, says Neil Barrett of The Hub Foundation.
“The main beneficiaries of course are the retailers. If you are disturbed by this and other solar issues, you can Google and join Solar Citizens which is advocating on behalf of solar owners throughout Australia.”
Just passed 200 MASH+ registrations!
MASH+ has broken through the 200 mark! We now have 200+ registrations of interest from Shire residents who are interested in ‘going solar’. Interesting fact: our clients are ordering an average of 4kW (16 panels) which is in line with the national trend. Now, our job is to deliver great service in the delivery process!
Read all about it in this week’s Midland Express Solar Matters column written by Neil Barrett of The Hub Foundation.
Heritage overlays and heritage-listed houses
At our Info Meetings in Castlemaine and Maldon on 10th and 16th July, several questions were asked about the impact of heritage overlays and the Victorian Heritage Register on solar pv development. The Shire’s Acting Manager Development Services, Daniel Borton, has advised that
“Heritage Overlays exist throughout the shire. Before installing solar, you should check whether your house has a Heritage Overlay. This can be done by contacting the Council and asking to speak to Planning department, or by checking online at www.land.vic.gov.au, and doing a search through planning maps online. If your house is in a Heritage Overlay, you will need a planning permit if the panels will be visible from a street, or from a public park. If the works are under $10,000 the cost for a permit is $102, and the permit may take up to 60 days.
If your property is listed on the Victorian Heritage Register, you must approach Heritage Victoria for a heritage permit.”