Swan Hill Archives - MASH: Community Solar

Installer for Bulk-Buy Programs

Central Victorian Greenhouse Alliance (CVGA), the not-for-profit organizer of the Bulk-Buy programs, has appointed Specialized Solar & Electrical as the Solar Retailer and Installer for the central and northern Victorian region.

Who is Specialized Solar & Electrical?

Specialized Solar & Electrical is a Clean Energy Council (CEC) Accredited Solar Retailer, CEC Accredited Installer and Registered Electrical Contractor with Energy Safe Victoria.

Specialized Solar has been in the Australian solar industry for many years as part of the Specialized Heating & Cooling Group, which was established in 2000. Now, Specialized Solar is a Melbourne-based family business with six offices in Victoria and NSW.

Specialized Solar is fully accredited to supply, install and maintain the following types of systems:

grid-connect solar panel systems
grid-connect battery storage systems including Powerwall
off-grid systems
commercial solar power systems of any size.

The company employs accredited CEC Installers and A-Grade Electricians, as well as a sizeable customer service team.

Specialized Solar utilizes in-house installers and electricians as well as CEC Accredited Installers throughout the central and northern Victorian region.

Why were Specialized Solar & Electrical selected?

The CVGA operates a competitive tender process to select the Solar Retailer and Installer for its solar bulk-buys which include the Hepburn Solar Bulk-Buy, MASH (More Australian Solar Homes), Mallee Sun Solar Bulk-Buy and the Brimbank Community Solar Program.

As part of the tender process, the CVGA evaluates solar companies across a range of criteria including:

Financial track record
Customer service
Panel and inverter quality
Duration of warranties
Value for money
Accreditations
Compliance with industry best-practice
Installation quality

Specialized Solar & Electrical were selected through tender for the Mallee Sun Solar Bulk-Buy and Brimbank Community Solar Program in 2019 and 2021 respectively.

When the incumbent solar retailer for the MASH bulk-buy and Hepburn bulk-buy decided to withdraw towards the end of 2021 due to internal business reasons, the CVGA decided to extend the scope of Specialized Solar’s program delivery to include all bulk-buy programs. This was based on Specialized Solar’s strong track record on the other programs and excellent feedback from customers.

Benefits to Bulk-Buy Participants

Choosing Specialized Solar & Electrical to install solar panels or battery system through the Bulk-Buy programs provides you with these benefits:

Quality components
Industry-leading warranties
Value for money
Excellent customer service
Help with rebates
Expert advice
Hassle-free installation
Free after-sales service

An explanation of each of these benefits is provided below.

1. Quality components

No matter what system you purchase through the bulk-buy programs, you can be assured of its quality. All solar panels, inverters and batteries are quality checked by the CVGA, comply with relevant Australian standards and are approved by the Clean Energy Council and the Victorian Government’s Solar Homes Program. This is important if you plan to apply for a government rebate.

For solar panels, this means Tier 1 panels from a solar manufacturer with an Australian customer support office. For solar inverters, it means compliance with the strictest safety standards in the industry backed by excellent after-sales support from the manufacturer’s Australian customer service office. And when it comes to batteries, it means nothing less than full black-out protection!

2. Industry-leading warranties

When you’re spending thousands on a new solar system, you want to know that you’re getting excellent warranties, with no catches.

If you purchase a solar panel or battery system through the Bulk-Buy program, you can rest assured knowing that you’re getting top-notch warranties on system components and workmanship – as well as an industry-beating performance guarantee for total peace of mind.

Here is a list of the warranties on a solar system, the industry standard for each warranty – and what is provided through the Bulk-Buy program.

Type of warranty	Industry standard	Warranty provided through the Bulk-Buy program
Solar inverter warranty	5 years	15 years
Solar panels product warranty	10 years	15 years
Solar panels performance warranty	25 years	25 years
Workmanship warranty (provided by installer)	1-2 years	15 years (provided by Specialized Solar)
Whole-of-system performance guarantee (provided by installer)	Not provided	15 years minimum (provided by Specialized Solar)
Battery product warranty	10 years	15 years

A note on the performance guarantee: A major advantage of buying a solar system through the Bulk-Buy program is that it comes with a system performance guarantee. This is exceptional in the solar industry.

Provided by Specialized Solar, this guarantee provides total peace of mind that your solar system will generate the power it’s supposed to over a minimum period of 10 years. It is based on the number of kilowatt hours of electricity that your solar system should produce in the first year. This will be shown in the quote you receive from Specialized Solar.

If your solar system doesn’t produce the power it’s meant to, you will be compensated for any loss caused by the shortfall in solar electricity generation i.e., higher electricity bills. More importantly, your system will be rectified at no cost to you.

3. Value for money

Any solar or battery system provided through the Bulk-Buy program provides excellent value for money. Whilst prices will not be the cheapest, that’s a good thing in our opinion.

Why is that?

The reason is many of low-cost solar operators undercut the market, shaving their margins to the bone. Whilst this strategy may work in the short-term, longer term they are unlikely to have the financial resources to service warranty claims.

Since 2011, over 750 solar installers have gone into liquidation, had a change in trading conditions or simply stopped trading. Assuming each of these companies operated for four years installing 250 systems a year, that comes to over 750,000 Australian solar panels systems that are no longer supported by the solar installation company.

You don’t want your solar system to end up an orphan, with zero support.

The best way to protect yourself from this happening is to select a solar company that’s financially solid and has been in business for at least 5 to 10 years. That way you can have a reasonable level of confidence that if you need to make a claim, they’ll be on the other end of the phone ready to help you. We’ve checked out the trading records of Specialized Solar and we know they are financially strong – so that’s a big tick in our books!

When it comes to comparing prices with other solar companies, you’ll find that systems through the Bulk-Buy program compare favourably. Don’t forget to compare apples with apples – including panel and inverter brands, warranties and overall system guarantees.

Plus, with the Bulk-Buy program, we put one per cent of the value of each system sold into a kitty which is distributed to local community groups in the form of free solar. We’ve already installed 20 community solar systems in the central and northern Victorian region! Get in touch if you are involved with a community group that could benefit from solar.

4. Excellent customer service

The CVGA regularly surveys solar bulk-buy participants to check on the levels of service provided by the appointed Solar Retailer and Installer. Feedback from participants who’ve had a system installed by Specialized Solar & Electrical through our bulk-buy programs has been exceptionally positive.

Here are some testimonials from solar bulk-buy customers who had a system installed by Specialized Solar & Electrical:

“Specialized Solar & Electrical were great and made the whole process really easy.” – Stephanie W., Avoca

“We’re delighted with the results of our two solar systems. Specialized Solar deserve a medal! I cannot speak highly enough of them.” – David B., Nyah

“Dealing with Specialized Solar & Electrical was really good. They made everything quick and easy.” – Patricia F., Donald

“The customer service team were very helpful and made the process straightforward. They helped us with the application for the Solar Victoria Panels rebate as well, which we appreciated.” – Denis T., Beaufort

5. Help with rebates

Most people getting solar or a battery are keen to know if they quality for government rebates. Whilst getting the Federal Government solar panel rebate – known as Small-scale Technology Certificates – is straightforward assuming you are installing approved products through an approved installer, the Victorian Government’s solar rebates require an application process.

Specialized Solar can help customers apply for the Victorian Government’s solar panels and battery rebates. Whilst they are not allowed to apply on a customer’s behalf, they can provide you with advice and support on the entire process, from start to finish.

6. Expert advice

Solar can be confusing. There’s so much choice and so many different decisions to make. That’s why through the Bulk-Buy program we offer a series of information meetings throughout the central and northern Victorian region with expert presenters from Specialized Solar and CVGA.

These meetings are a great way to learn more about solar and battery storage, find out what’s on offer through the bulk-buy, and to get answers to your questions.

Phone-based advice is also freely available – both from the bulk-buy organizing team on 1300 466 274 – as well as through Specialized Solar when you complete an enquiry form.

7. Hassle-free installation

Service-level commitments have been put in place between the CVGA and Specialized Solar to ensure customer installations are completed within a reasonable time, typically 6 weeks from date of order.

In addition, the CVGA has service level guarantees for how long it should take for Specialized Solar to provide the necessary paperwork to the various third parties, i.e.:

the network distributor,
the independent electrical inspector
your electricity retailer.

For Bulk-Buy participants, this means a guarantee that your system will be installed in a timely fashion with all necessary paperwork completed quickly and professionally. There’s also the reassurance knowing that, in the rare event that your installation doesn’t go to plan, you can get in touch with the CVGA to expedite matters for you.

8. Free after-sales support

All systems purchased through the Bulk-Buy program come with an industry-leading performance guarantee and free post-installation services. This ensures your solar and/or battery works as promised.

Specialized Solar & Electrical will check three times in the first year that your system is working properly. They’ll also check that it is producing the amount of power it is supposed to. If there’s a problem, they’ll fix it at no cost to you.

Here are the free services and additional warranties (over and above those on the system components) that you’ll get if you purchase any system through the Bulk-Buy program:

Workmanship warranty: 15 years
Whole-of-system performance guarantee: 10 years
Remote system monitoring & alerts: free
Post installation system checks:
3-month check (by phone): free
6-month check (site visit): free
12-month system check (by phone): free

A recommended maintenance schedule will be included in the customer pack you receive on installation. This will include details on how often you should get your system checked and the panels cleaned (although of course, many people do this themselves). Specialized Solar can provide these services on request. You are under no obligation to purchase these services from Specialized Solar; it is entirely up to you!

Keen to find more?

To find out more about the Bulk-Buy program and request a quote, visit mash.org.au or call 1300 466 274. You can also find details of upcoming information meetings throughout the central and northern Victorian region here.

Robinvale Wines makes the switch to sun power

Robinvale Wines, an award-winning certified bio-dynamic organic producer of wines and juices, has become even more sustainable with the installation of 60kW of solar panels. With this 135-panel system, Robinvale Wines use of mains grid electricity will be cut five-fold and annual electricity bills for running their cool rooms and factory will be reduced by 80%. Plus, thanks to a generous grant from Agriculture Victoria, the payback is projected to be 2.3 years.

Cutting bills and CO2 emissions

Steve Caracatsanoudis one of the owners of Robinvale Wines said for them going solar was as much about reducing their carbon footprint as it is about cutting their electricity bills. “We assign a percentage of our annual profits to investing in equipment, infrastructure and processes that increases the sustainability of our business and reduces our carbon footprint. Harvesting the power of the sun makes sense for our business both environmentally and financially,” he said.

Steve Caracatsanoudis, one of the owners of Robinvale Wines: “I liked what I heard [about the Mallee Sun Solar Bulk-Buy] because it chimed in well with our values around supporting local community and working towards carbon neutrality.”

Search for solar partner

Mr Caracatsanoudis said that finding the right solar partner had taken Robinvale Wines some time. “We’d been looking for the right solar provider for around seven years but never found a solar company that ticked all the boxes. We didn’t want just any solar installer to come in and put up lots of panels and never see them again. What we were looking was a trusted partner with strong focus on customer service, who employed local people to deliver the work. We heard about the Agriculture Victoria grant and thought it was worth going for,” he added.

Finding the Mallee Sun Solar Bulk-Buy “a turning point”

Mr Caracatsanoudis said coming across the Mallee Sun Solar Bulk-Buy was a turning point. “I was looking for solar panels for my home and went to an information meeting of the Mallee Sun Solar Bulk-buy in Robinvale, a couple of years ago. I liked what I heard because it chimed in well with our values around supporting local community and working towards carbon neutrality. The credentials of their solar provider – Specialized Solar – looked good particularly the fact that they’d been selected through competitive tendering, that it was a Council-supported program and they used a local installer,” he said.

Going for the Agriculture Victoria Grant “Definitely Worthwhile”

Mr Caracatsanoudis added that the Agriculture Victoria On-Farm Energy Grant was another factor for Robinvale Wines. “Going for the grant was definitely worthwhile. Without it, the payback would have been around 4.2 years. Anthony Igmen from Specialized Solar helped a lot with the grant process. He was pivotal to getting our grant application over the line,” he said.

Impressed by local installer

Robinvale Wines was impressed by Specialized Solar’s local installer – Matt Iannucci of Swan Hill Solar and Electrical. “He has worked very hard on the system implementation and is very responsive. They also installed a 6.6kW solar power system on my home and that’s been great.”

“Tremendous support”

“The level of customer support from Specialized Solar has been tremendous. Anthony Igmen has visited us several times and is in regular contact. I am confident that with Specialized Solar we are in good hands and that the system is set to deliver the financial and environmental benefits we want to achieve.

Growth plans

Mr Caracatsanoudis said given the growth plans for Robinvale Wines, they have a long-term view for the use of renewable energy within the business. “We are interested in opportunities like energy trading and microgrids to build the resilience of our business and other farming operations in our region. I am pleased that Specialized Solar, the Mallee Sun Solar Bulk-Buy and Swan Hill Rural City Council are partners in the supply of our system and improving the energy infrastructure of our region – as well as giving back a portion of the revenues from installations like ours to our community. I’m hoping that the next community bonus system through the Mallee Sun Solar Bulk-Buy will be one in the Robinvale area,” he added.

Find out more – events

Mallee Sun Solar Bulk Buy is a project of the Central Victorian Greenhouse Alliance, a not-for-profit organisation which supports 13 councils across central and north western Victoria.

Farmers who are interested in finding out about ‘going solar’ with the Mallee Sun Solar Bulk-Buy are invited to attend a ‘Solar for Farmers’ event on 4 May at the Euston Club (near Robinvale) or the Swan Hill Club on 5 May – both events are from 5-6pm.

To learn more, register for an event or request a quote, visit mash.org.au/swan-hill or call 1300 466 274.

About Robinvale Wines

Robinvale Wines is a family business established in 1976 in Robinvale which is 470 km North-West of Melbourne near the Murray River and 130 km north west of Swan Hill.

Robinvale Wines manufacture and bottle their wines and non-alcoholic beverages.

A maker of award-winning bio-dynamic, organic and preservative free wines and juices, Robinvale Wines was one of the first Australian wineries to be fully accredited with ACO Australian Certified Organic and the Bio-Dynamic Research Institute of Australia, also the first to be certified Vegan internationally with Beveg.

Today Steve and Bill Caracatsanoudis, sons of the founders Mr. and Mrs. George Caracatsanoudis, and their families continue to produce quality wines and non-Alcoholic beverages for domestic and international markets.

Solar facts – Robinvale Wines

Estimated electricity bill savings in year 1: $13 400
Grant value: $24,776 exc GST
No export limitations from Powercor
Total system size: 59.4kW (1 x 19.8kW and 1 x 39.6kW system)
135 panels (440w Seraphim mono perc panels)
3 x Fronius Symo inverters

Solar for Farmers Events

Farmers and other primary producers looking to slash their electricity bills are invited to attend information sessions set to be held in both Euston and Swan Hill this May.

Hosted by Mallee Sun Solar Bulk-Buy in partnership with Swan Hill Rural City Council, attendees will learn about the experiences of Robinvale Winery and Burkett Orange Farm who have both recently had large solar systems installed through the bulk-buy program with the cost offset by funding from Agriculture Victoria.

To be eligible for a grant – worth $20k to $250k – you must be a Victorian primary producer with total on-farm energy bills of at least $8,000 a year.

The deadline to apply for Agriculture Victoria’s free energy assessment is 15 July 2021, which is the first stage in the grant process.

To register for these events – and to find about more about the Mallee Sun Solar Bulk Buy – please call 1300 466 274 or visit https://mash.org.au/solar-event/

Event details:

Euston Club (near Robinvale) – Tuesday, 4 May, 5-6pm
Swan Hill Club – Wednesday 5 May, 5-6pm

Swan Hill SES, going solar

L-R: Anthony Igmen of Specialized Solar, Mayor Bill Moar of Swan Hill Rural City Council, Matt Iannucci of Swan Hill Solar and Electrical, Jo Kaptein of Mallee Sun Solar Bulk-Buy

Swan Hill residents can feel even safer in the knowledge that their local SES Unit has complete protection from power outages thanks to the recent installation of a community-funded solar and battery system.

Funding for the 6.6kW solar panels system was provided by the Mallee Sun Solar Bulk-Buy in partnership with Swan Hill Rural City Council and the Tesla Powerwall 2 battery was funded from money raised through the annual Duck Race organised by the Swan Hill SES.

Deputy Controller, Swan Hill Unit Victorian State Emergency Service, Rob Merrett said the system would be a big advantage.

“Prior to having this system installed, if there was a power outage our computers and radios would go down and there would be a gap of 15 to 30 minutes before they were powered up again.

“We have a backup generator but it’s a manual process to get the power going so there is a delay.

“Whilst we don’t have many power outages, when they do happen it’s generally during a storm event and that’s exactly when we need to be fully prepared and powered up,” Mr Merrett added.

Mr Merrett said with the solar and the Powerwall battery the unit now has complete protection from power outage.

“If power from the grid goes down, our battery will kick in automatically, keeping all our essential systems working – we’re completely prepared to respond to an emergency at any time now.”

“We’re very appreciative of the funding from the Mallee Sun Solar Bulk-Buy and Council for the solar panels.

“I’d also like to thank everyone who’s supported our Annual Duck Race which is our only fundraising event and raises around $10,000 for the Swan Hill SES each year.

“The battery is locally funded from the support of the sale of 2,000 tickets worth $5 for each rubber duck – and not just from one event, but from two as the Powerwall cost us just over $16,000,” Mr Merrett said.

Swan Hill Rural City Council’s Mayor Bill Moar said the Swan Hill SES provides an essential emergency service to the people of the Swan Hill region.

“Council is very pleased to have supported Swan Hill SES and their new system – it is vital for the safety of our community.

“Helping them to achieve a guaranteed supply of uninterrupted power was a priority,” Cr Moar said.

For information about how the Mallee Sun Solar Bulk-Buy can help your home, business, farm or community group to ‘go solar’, visit mash.org.au/swan-hill or call 1300 466 274.

Please find additional information regarding Swan Hill SES units system, on the next page

About the solar and battery system

System details:

Solar PV System: 6.6kW
Battery: Tesla Powerwall 2

Installed through the Mallee Sun Solar Bulk-Buy program (mash.org.au/swan-hill).

Solar retailer: Specialized Solar.
Solar installer: Swan Hill Solar and Electrical.

About the Swan Hill Unit, Victorian State Emergency Service.

The Swan Hill Unit was first registered and established in 1967. The Unit provides at 24/7 rescue service for Swan Hill region. It is also the Divisional Command Point for a much larger region whereby a large–scale event in this area will be managed from our Unit under the command of an Incident Control Centre.

VICSES has a wide range of roles including planning for and responding to floods, severe storms, earthquakes, tsunami, road rescue as well as search and rescue. VICSES also provides a support role to other emergency service agencies including Victoria Police.

Solar Bulk-Buy Popular with Swan Hill Residents

Attendees at the Mallee Sun Solar Bulk-Buy Information Meeting in Swan Hill on 23 March 2021.

Interest in solar and battery storage through the Mallee Sun Solar Bulk-Buy was high amongst residents and farmers who attended the Info Meeting at the Swan Hill Town Hall on 23 March. The event was opened by Mayor Bill Moar who outlined Swan Hill Rural City Council’s partnership with the bulk-buy program which is organised by not-for-profit Central Victorian Greenhouse Alliance.

Local residents are enjoying the benefits of having solar installed on their homes, businesses and farms too.

Swan Hill resident John Payne said, “I found out about the Mallee Sun Solar Bulk-Buy when I saw a banner in the street near the Swan Hill Information Centre and then I read about it in the paper. I knew that the state government rebates were going to drop so we thought ‘now’s the time’. We wanted to cut our electricity bills as reducing our utility bills is a good thing to do, particularly when you are semi-retired like I am. Plus, having solar is an asset for the house.”

“The bulk-buy team were good to talk to and very helpful. They were great at supporting us with the Solar Victoria rebate process – that was a big plus as it took much of the hassle out of the process. Without their help it would have been much harder.

“Having a local installer was vital for us. We simply wouldn’t have gone ahead with the Mallee Sun Solar Bulk-Buy if they didn’t have a local bloke doing the install. We like to know who we are dealing with and that support is around the corner if we need it.

“We have the WiFi monitoring set up so we can see how much power is being generated by our solar system. It’s good to know that its being remotely monitored and the solar supplier will get alerts if it isn’t working properly and then get it fixed.

“We’re happy with the quality of the installation and the whole experience. I would definitely recommend the Mallee Sun Solar Bulk-Buy to anyone in the Swan Hill region thinking about solar.

“Over 1 megawatt of solar has been installed through the Mallee Sun Solar Bulk-Buy in the last 12 months which is a great result,” said Jo Kaptein Mallee Sun Solar bulk-buy organiser.

“This is good news for those people who are now able to realise solid savings on their electricity bill,” said Jo. “It’s good news for local jobs too, as the installations have been done by Swan Hill installer, Swan Hill Solar and Electrical.

“Local community groups are benefitting too with three free solar power systems installed in the Shire – for Vivid Disability Services, Swan Hill Theatre Group and Swan Hill SES,” said Jo Kaptein.

For more information about the Mallee Sun Solar Bulk-Buy and to request a quote, call 1300 466 274 or visit mash.org.au/swan-hill

Swan Hill Theatre’s Solar Bonus

Swan Hill Theatre Group’s electricity bill is going to be halved thanks to the installation of a free 6.6kW solar power system funded through the Mallee Sun Solar Bulk-Buy community bonus program.

L to R) Anthony Igmen from Specialised Solar, Nicholas Mudge from SHRCC, Jo Kaptein from Central Greenhouse Alliance, Trudy Rose Vice Chairperson – Swan Hill Theatre Group,. David Quayle Swan Hill Theatre Group – Life Member and Board Member, Mayor Bill Moar and Matt Iannucci, owner of Swan Hill Solar and Electrical

Electricity bill savings resulting from the solar installation will be used by the Swan Hill Theatre Group to help fund the replacement of their stage lighting, with more efficient LED lights in order to reduce their running costs and CO2 emissions.

Second free community system through the Mallee Sun Solar Bulk-Buy

This is the second free solar system funded through the Mallee Sun Solar Bulk-Buy, a partnership program with Swan Hill Rural City Council which is organised by the not-for-profit Central Victorian Greenhouse Alliance which organises the Mallee Sun Solar Bulk-Buy as well as the MASH and Hepburn bulk-buys.

Trudy Rose Vice Chairperson of the Board of Directors of The Swan Hill Theatre Group Incorporation said they were delighted to be selected as the recipient of the community bonus through the Mallee Sun Solar Bulk-Buy.

Solar will make a “big difference”

“This solar system is going to make a big difference to our ongoing running costs, both in terms of the electricity bill savings and the additional savings we will make once the LED lighting is installed.

“Our thanks to everyone involved in the bulk-buy for making this possible – local installers did a terrific job too,” Ms Rose said. Ms Rose said the project included a few additional complexities including the need for approval for solar installation on a heritage listed and also challenges due to the steepness of the roof.

Swan Hill Rural City Council’s Mayor Bill Moar said Council was pleased that another solar system had been installed for a local community group through the program. “The Swan Hill Theatre Group is very popular within our community – we are glad to have been able to support this community bonus grant which will help to ensure the ongoing viability of the Swan Hill Theatre Group,” Cr Moar said.

Local solar installer

Matt Iannucci, owner of Swan Hill Solar and Electrical who works as a sub-contractor to the bulk-buy solar retailer, Specialized Solar, said he enjoyed working on the Mallee Sun Solar Bulk Buy.

“We have installed literally hundreds of kilowatts of solar on homes and farms in the Swan Hill region through the bulk-buy in the last year and this has been a great kickstart for our business. “We see the Mallee Sun program as a win for the environment, a win for residents going solar, and a win for the community,” he said.

Find out more

For information about how the Mallee Sun Solar Bulk-Buy can help your home, business, farm or community group to ‘go solar’, visit mash.org.au/swan-hill or call 1300 466 274.