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.