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Geoff Lodge, the CEO of Goulburn Valley Community Energy in Shepparton, was the guest speaker at the MASH+ Info Meetings on 10 July at the Civic Centre, Castlemaine.

Geoff and his five staff are the Australian (and perhaps world) experts on solar bulk-buys: in six years they’ve put on 3,200 solar systems.

Geoff says:

“Bulk-buys work because of the trust people have in local organisers and local installers. They know that you are always going to be around to fix any problems. The MASH project has got everything it needs to be successful.”

Read the full story in the Midland Express, ‘Solar Matters’ article (the 2nd in the series) written by Neil Barrett of The Hub Foundation

Over 170 people attended four MASH+ info meetings on 10 and 16 July in Castlemaine, Campbells Creek and Maldon.  Interest in the MASH+ solar panel offer was keen. Lots of questions were put to the panel, including:

• How much performance will I lose if I place the panels on an east/west facing roof compared to north facing?
  • The answer: There is around 15% loss in performance compared to placing panels on a north facing roof. So if you just add one panel to the array for an extra $300 or so you will get about the same output as north facing panel installation.
• Do solar panels still work when it is cold but sunny?
  • The answer: Yes, solar panels love cold sunny days as they work on light, not heat.
• How quickly does the system degrade each year?
  • The answer: Trina panels typically degrade 1% in the first year and 0.7% each subsequent year.
• What’s the cost of going off-grid with a battery powered system?
  • The answer: Stephen Breheny’s price for a 3Kw system that is fully ‘off-grid’ is around $22,000. For a battery powered 3KW system (so you are still connected to the grid but can store the energy from your panels), the ‘all inclusive’ price is just over $17,000. Batteries have a life of around 10 years.

Neil Barrett of The Hub Foundation said:

“We were delighted that so many people made the effort to come out on two very chilly nights to find out about the MASH+ offer.  Registrations following these events were strong and we are planning to organise further information meetings across the Shire in the coming weeks.

“It was encouraging to see, from a straw poll at the meetings, that so many people are considering ‘going solar with MASH+ in order to reduce their CO2 footprint.  This is reflected in the feedback we are getting from the registration forms and shows the strong levels of environmental awareness in our community.”

Geoff Lodge, the CEO of Goulborn Valley Community Energy in Shepparton – a not-for-profit responsible for installing 3,200 solar systems – was guest speaker at the Castlemaine meetings.  According to Geoff,

“Bulk-buys work because of the trust people have in local organisers and local installers. They know that you are always going to be around to fix any problems. The MASH+ project has got everything it needs to be successful.”

2011 was a boom year for the number of solar panel installations on homes in Mount Alexander Shire, as can be seen from the chart below. Of course, back then the feed-in tariff was 60c/kWh which was highly attractive – much better than the 8c/kWh you get now. 

Through the MASH⁺ solar panels bulk-buy offer, the Hub Foundation (the not-for-profit behind MASH⁺) is hoping to reverse the slowdown in rooftop installation in Mount Alexander Shire.

Neil Barrett of The Hub Foundation says that now is a great time to ‘go solar’:

Electricity prices are only going in one direction – that’s up – and the cost of solar panels has gone right down. The net result is that, if you’re prepared to change some ways you use electricity, the  savings on your bills and return on investment are still very attractive.

Eva, Jinari & Theresa at Green Goes the Grocer on Templeton Street, Castlemaine, thinks ‘going solar’ is the way to go.  After all, solar energy helps to make our world a better, healthier place to be.  And that’s what it’s all about at Green Goes the Grocer too! Thanks for becoming a MASH⁺ partner and helping to spread the word.

Have you been interested in solar power but found it hard to get your questions answered? Most of us have had phone calls from sales people who haven’t had a clue about things like how many panels you need, how much you could realistically expect to save on your power bill and whether you should insist on components made in western countries.

Now with the Mount Alexander Solar Homes (MASH⁺) Info Meetings you can have your questions answered. The first meeting will be at the Civic Centre, Castlemaine (next to the Town Hall) starting at 5pm, followed by another session at 6.45pm. The following Wednesday, 16th July, there will be meetings at Campbells Creek Community Centre starting at 5pm and at the Maldon Neighbourhood Centre Hall at 7pm.

Mayor Michael Redden will open the Castlemaine Info Meetings. Other speakers will include Geoff Lodge of Goulburn Valley Community Energy, Stephen Breheny, the installer for this project and Neil Barrett from the Hub Foundation.

According to Neil, “This is a great opportunity for interested people to find out whether the MASH⁺ solar panels offer is right for them. There will be informative, short speeches, leaving plenty of time for questions. We are delighted that Mount Alexander Shire is a major partner of MASH⁺ and thank the Council for the use of their Civic Centre for the first of the Info Meetings, as well as providing the light refreshments for all meetings.”

For further information please go to hubfoundation.org.au or contact MASH⁺ on 0455 589 065.

Go Solar. Go Lok, Rob and Alysha+! Thanks Theatre Royal for being a major partner of MASH⁺ and the great attitude! And BTW, Lok says that the Theatre Royal will be getting solar panels pretty soon. Yay!

The Hub Foundation is pleased to have Cantwell Property Castlemaine on board as one of its major partners for MASH⁺, Mount Alexander Solar Homes, the solar bulk-buy offer for households in Mt Alexander Shire and nearby areas.

Genevieve Cantwell says, “Many home buyers see solar panels as a real plus point when viewing potential properties. We are glad to support MASH⁺ because rooftop solar panels are a win-win for everyone.”

Neil Barrett, manager of The Hub Foundation says, “Cantwell Property Castlemaine is already a great advocate of solar with the 5Kw system on the roof of their office on Barker Street. We are delighted that they are helping to raise awareness of MASH⁺.”

Note: MASH⁺ partners contribute by publicising the project in their offices, shops, websites and newsletters. They do not make financial contributions.