Archive for the ‘Partners’ Category

Welcome to this Blog that Shows How to Make Solar Pay

It’s great that you are considering making the switch to solar. Here you will find a wide variety of information designed to answer all your questions about putting solar power, solar hot water or a heat pump in your home.

To start you off, you can receive an instant, on-line proposal tailored for your situation simply by answering some questions about your rooftop and household.

Our on-line calculator will work out the best solution for you instantly. You will also be given a series of valuable information that explains the benefits of solar technology for your household, in terms of energy savings and how our systems pay for themselves – everything you need to go solar.

Less than 9 months ago, the Sunshine Coast Environment Council kicked off the 1,000 Solar Roofs Challenge. Last Saturday, Councillor Keryn Jones congratulated all participants on the amazingly successful program and announced that SCEC is going for the next level with the 10,000 Solar Roofs Project.

According to Energex, the Sunshine Coast is the region with one of the highest uptakes of solar in all of Australia. The SCEC project has certainly played a huge part in that.

Affordable solar with $0 up front

Even though the $8,000 Federal solar rebate does not exist any more, SCEC has been able to bring the right partners together to make solar affordable for everyone. With the help of a unique finance package from MCU (Maleny Credit Union), it is possible to install a solar system and pay for it out of electricity bill savings.

The quicker you get on board, the quicker you start getting paid by your electricity retailer. Call on 1300 867 671 or get an obligation-free instant proposal.

A new government initiative to help homeowners install water- and energy-efficient products kicks off on 1 July.

The Green Loans Program is designed to help householders, especially families, install products such as renewable energy systems including solar power, wall insulation, glazing, efficient hot water systems and water tanks.

Sunshine Coast financial institution Maleny Credit Union (MCU) is one of the government’s first partners in the scheme.

How the Green Loans Program works

• Book a free home sustainability assessment with a qualified assessor to investigate the best actions you can take – you can register your interest now.
• The assessor will write a home sustainability report especially for you, and it forms the basis for your Green Loan application. The report is valid for six months.
• You can apply for a loan of up to $10,000, interest-free for the first four years.
• There is no application fee for a Green Loan.
• Only one interest-free Green Loan can be provided for each home assessment report, however a Green Loan can be used to finance a number of home projects.

If you want to borrow more than $10,000 under the scheme, you can take out two loans from MCU:

• An interest-free Green Personal Loan for $10,000, and
• Green Appliance Loan for the additional amount of funds required, up to $15,000 at MCU’s standard loan terms and conditions. Go to MCU’s website for rates available.

About Maleny Credit Union

As an ethical organization, MCU lends approximately 60% of its funds for green, sustainable, and socially responsible loan purposes, and as such is deemed an ethical investment.

MCU won a number of the highly acclaimed Money magazine awards, primarily for its environmentally designed loans, including being judged the winner of the 2009 Best Socially Responsible Product – MCU Green Appliance Loan.

For more information on the Green Loans Program including a full list of eligibility guidelines visit www.environment.gov.au/greenloans. For more information about MCU see their website or phone 07 5499 8988.

Solar hot water systems require boosting. When the sun is shining, water is heated at no cost. Just think of those black-plastic camp showers or even a garden hose left on the ground on a summer’s day and you will quickly realise the power of the sun. However, during extended cloudy periods alternative sources of energy are required to heat water to appropriate temperatures.

There are two common options to heat and maintain your hot water temperatures during cloudy periods — electricity or gas. No matter what source is used, solar hot water still offers significant savings –  money and greenhouse-gas emissions.

Greenhouse Gas Comparison

A comparison chart is shown below which displays the reduction in carbon dioxide emissions compared to standard electric hot water systems. Surprisingly, in sunny states such as Queensland, according to the State’s EPA, up to 80 per cent of houses still purely use electricity.

Source: ENERGEX Institute

Note: Location is important when determining actual greenhouse-gas savings so visit the Your Home website for more details.

The chart also shows the difference between gas and electric boosting.

Gas boosting, more than halves the emissions generated by electrical boosting. This is mainly due to the efficiency of burning gas to produce heat compared to the low efficiencies of the generation and distribution of power via an electricity grid. Remember, the majority of the electricity grid is powered by burning coal, even if you are signed up to Greenpower. If your house is run by a stand-alone solar power system then gas boosting is essential.

Upfront Costs

Gas boosted systems, on average, cost $1000 more than the equivalent electrically boosted system.

Installation Costs

If you are replacing an existing electrical hot water system then most of the necessary wiring, minus the booster switch cabling, already exists. However, if booster elements are located on roof-mounted tanks then new cabling is required.

If you don’t already have gas installed, either as bottled LPG or natural reticulated gas for cooking, then gas-boosted systems may require higher installation costs, but this is highly dependant on individual circumstances.

Running Costs

The key to reduced running costs with either electricity or gas is correct temperature settings and appropriate boosting. Of course on sunny days running costs do not exist. However, extended periods of cloudy weather, or high water usage, means boosting will be required.

With gas boosted systems, often the gas burners are located inline after the tank, which allows the tank to store the maximum amount of solar-heated water without being affected by the boosting.

The recommended temperature of all hot water systems is 60 degrees Celsius. Lower temperatures will use less energy but the downside is, in storage tanks they also provide a great environment for bacteria.

The image below shows 7-year running costs for an average Victorian household. Once again these figures will vary depending on your location, the number of people in your house, and energy costs. It shows that gas-boosted solar hot water has the lowest running costs — almost directly related to the reduced greenhouse-gas emissions.

Source: http://www.yourhome.gov.au/buyersguide/bg6.html

And the winner is?

It really is dependant on your motivation. If costs are your primary concern then electrical boosted systems may be the answer, especially when you factor in the time to recoup the upfront and installation costs of gas systems.

If greenhouse gas reduction and lower running costs are the major issues, or you live on a stand-alone solar-powered electrical system, gas boosting would be worth investigating.

If it’s all too confusing then why not look at Ingenero (formerly SolarPay)’s obligation-free quote.

Update on the 8 September: ecoland has closed down. What started as a inspirational venture could not sustain its momentum.

The first I heard from ecoland was from Kali Nielson and Jo Turner. At the time they were still in concept stage and developing a business model that was going to bring sustainability into the building industry on the Sunshine Coast.

Now they have been open for 4 weeks and are attracting many interested people into their shop at Peregian Beach.

Ecological Building Design

Ecoland’s main focus is a new way to build. Whether you are thinking of retrofitting your house or building one from scratch, ecoland can support you.

Just taking in the atmosphere in their shop makes you realise that they are about quality. Award winning architect Valentina Balbis has has recently joined the team, adding to the local building skills and contacts of Sepp Hock who has 27 years experience in the building industry.

Steve Zahra, an electrician focuses on providing photovoltaic systems. Jo Turner runs workshops for home-owners and Kali Nielson consults with businesses how to be more sustainable.

Traditional Opening Ceremony

At their opening a huge crowed gathered to watch Sam, an Aboriginal healer, perform the opening ceremony for the shop. You can feel the dedication and passion of everyone at ecoland that goes beyond just building. Connecting with people and finding the very best solution is an essential ingredient that makes them stand out.

We are proud to announce that NAB has partnered with Ingenero (formerly SolarPay) to support our clients.

55% of the people we talked to at World Environment Day shared that the upfront cost was the biggest hindrance to getting solar hot water. Therefore our goal was clear: a way to get a solar hot water heater with no upfront cost and repayments that are in line with the electricity savings.

So if you are in the same position as more than half the population, but still want to take advantage of the long-term savings of solar hot water, a credit card or loan may help you better manage your cash flow.

For Credit Cards, an option is the NAB’s Low Rate Visa Card

• Purchase rate of 12.24% p.a. ¹
• Cash Advance rate of 20.74% p.a. ¹
• Annual card fee of $49 ²

To find out more, go to the NAB website.

You may also wish to apply online and receive a response within 60 seconds. Subject to approval, you can even make the solar hot water system your first purchase!

Other Important Information

A credit card offers you great flexibility and convenience. But it’s important to remember, like any debt, you will have to repay it. If you are unsure as to whether you will be able to manage repayments for a new credit card, then you should not consider taking up a NAB credit card at this point in time.

If you have an existing line of credit or can redraw cheaply that might be an even cheaper option for you.

The Legal Small Print

Approval is subject to NAB’s credit assessment criteria. Terms and conditions are available on application. Fees and charges apply.

1. Excludes cash advances including bills paid over the counter at a bank, financial institution or post office and for the purchase of travellers cheques. The NAB Low Rate Visa Card (Purchase) Indicator Rate is 12.24%p.a. (as at 12 January 2010) and is subject to change. The NAB Low Rate Visa Card (Cash Advance) Indicator Rate is currently 20.74%p.a. (as at 12 January 2010) and is subject to change. See terms and conditions for details of the application of these rates.
2. The annual card fee (as at 12 January 2010) is $49.00 for a NAB Low Rate Visa Card and is subject to change.