A collective sigh of relief has occurred for solar power owners in Western Australia with news of the controversial ‘solar tax’ being ruled out by WA’s Premier, Colin Barnett.

Here at Solargain, we’re glad that logic has prevailed.

If you hadn’t heard, the proposed tax would have resulted in an additional $800 in grid connection charges for the state’s 175,000+ solar households.

The tax was originally raised last December by Lyndon Rowe, chairman of Synergy, based on the idea that annual charges on solar households don’t reflect the actual cost of being connected to the network.

Opponents of the tax (and there are many!) have argued that this is merely a scapegoat for Synergy’s recent budget losses, especially in light of its overestimation of household electricity demands.

Residential solar power is something that has been encouraged and subsidised by the Government for many years. The public have responded positively to this scheme; it has created thousands of jobs and is helping reduce carbon emissions.

Solar power’s success in WA has been acknowledged by Barnett.

‘This government has had a policy of subsidising and encouraging solar panels,’ Barnett told Parliament.

‘Yes, the uptake was incredibly strong, which meant it cost the government a lot more money than we anticipated. But the policy was to encourage solar panels, and they are prevalent right across Western Australia. It has succeeded.’

The thought of now penalising Australian families who installed solar panels in good faith hit a nerve and resulted in much campaigning, including from solar advocacy group Solar Citizens.

Following the announcement of the proposed tax, Solar Citizens began a petition against it – signed by close to 7,000 supporters.

‘This backdown on the proposed “solar tax” ensures a bright future for renewable energy in Western Australia,’ said Solar Citizen’s national campaign director Claire O’Rourke.

‘Solar is good for household budgets, drives good local jobs and can spark economic growth, particularly vital as the state budget is hit by the end of the mining boom.’

WA’s good news comes after a similar result in NSW.

When an extra tariff for solar power owners was introduced there last October, the public was similarly outraged and eventually the three NSW networks released a statement revoking any extra tariff plans.

All in all we’re glad to see that people, including thousands of our own customers, won’t be penalised for choosing solar power in WA. Instead, we believe that the Government (at all levels) should continue to encourage solar power investment as a rewarding and environmentally responsible decision. Because it is!

Solargain

Aren’t vegetables just the greatest? Nutritious, natural and oh so delicious – we’re especially fans of the ones grown right here in Australia by our hard working farmers.

For these reasons and more, it’s our pleasure to announce our new strategic partnership with AUSVEG, Australia’s peak industry body representing Aussie vegie and potato growers – around 9,000 of them in fact!

AUSVEG is committed to ensuring a green and leafy future for their members – and naturally they’ve recognised the opportunity for growers to use renewable energy as a means to cut costs and boost profit.

As strategic partners, it’s our goal to provide advice and support to growers who are interested in harnessing solar energy. We’ll be there to provide AUSVEG members with solutions to curb their energy costs and will attend organisational events such as their national conference in June.

In Western Australia alone we’ve already installed over a MW of solar power products for fruit and vegetable growers, so we’re definitely up for the job.

Harvesting produce is an incredibly energy-intensive process, with electricity costs amongst the highest overheads for Australian growers. Installing smart solar power as well as other strategic energy-saving products and techniques can produce amazing results for farmers. Check out some of our case studies to see the numbers for yourself.

Moving forward we can’t wait to meet more of the people who work tirelessly to feed our country and to assist them in strengthening their businesses.

We don’t know about you, but even Brussels sprouts will taste amazing knowing that clean energy from the sun is helping to get them to our plates.

There are so many benefits of installing solar panels on public buildings and facilities – yet one simple factor often gets in the way: funding.

More and more however, we’re seeing how a little innovative thinking is helping local organisations to overcome this challenge. There’s perhaps no better example of this than Bowls Safety Bay Inc. – a bowling club in the WA suburb of Shoalwater with over 550 members, four synthetic greens and a clubhouse.

Like many clubs of this type, the facility demands a lot of electricity to run throughout the day and so overheads are high. Installing a commercial solar power system was an obvious choice to help neutralise these expenses, but how could the club afford the initial cost of the system?

In WA, councils own the local bowl clubs and pay an annual ‘running or maintenance cost’ to keep them in operation. Lucky for Bowls Safety Bay, the City Of Rockingham is particularly proactive about using solar power to decrease electricity expenses. They pitched in around half of the total cost to get the club’s solar panels installed, which of course provides them with exceptional long-term savings after their investment is paid off.

So what about the other 50%?

The Bowls Safety Bay  project required a 20kW Fronius Symo system and a total of 76 Q-Cells solar panels. Many of the club’s members are retired volunteers – they spend a lot of time at the facility, are loyal to it and hope to see its continued success. With this in mind, the club thought out a clever initiative, asking members to ‘donate towards a solar panel’ to help pay off the remainder of the system – solar panel by panel.

As a reward for their contribution, members who donate are recognised on a wall-mounted ‘solar plaque’ that was kindly donated by Q-Cells. Member’s names are inscribed as a sign of the club’s appreciation for pitching in.  
Thanks to some great initiative from the council and clever ideas from the club, the project went ahead and was completed in January 2016.

It’s an amazing achievement and one that will help ensure the club can continue servicing the local community in the most environmentally-responsible way.

Solargain

With the huge uptake of residential solar power here in Australia and around the world, a new phenomenon is emerging in the way electricity is generated and consumed through the grid.

And it’s called the ‘Duck Curve’.

This strange sounding occurrence is being caused by the shifting energy demands of the population. Basically, during the day we’re relying a lot less on the grid. Plenty of smart Aussies have installed solar panels, meaning they’re creating their own clean electricity.

But as the sun goes down (and much of the population returns home from work), a sudden spike in the need for grid electricity occurs. This is best illustrated in the graph below (note its duck-shape!)

 

(image courtesy of Green Tech Media)

So what does this mean for you?

A problem that’s emerging in Australia (and is already rampant in major solar-consuming states like California) is the impact that the Duck Curve is having on energy prices.

Because power plants can’t respond quickly enough to manage the sharp evening increase in usage, expensive and dirty power sources are kept idling during the day to step-in when the demand is on. Therefore, depending on your energy retailer, the cost of using electricity during peak times is growing.

Our heroes: storage and efficiency

There are a number of emerging and established technologies available to curb the impact of the Duck Curve and take your electricity savings to new heights.

Battery storage is particularly exciting and in 2016 is set to explode in Australia. We’ll be stocking solar batteries from the leading brands, all of which will enable solar panel owners to store their unused solar energy during the day for use in the evening. Marvellous! 

Aside from solar battery storage, there’s an even simpler way to beat the Duck Curve and it boils down to one word: efficiency.

Whilst we are huge advocates for producing your own clean renewable energy, it’s also just as important to simultaneously reduce your consumption to counteract the Duck Curve in power supply.

How?

Installing LED lighting and other energy saving products is the first place to start as well as learning more about load shifting – which basically involves shifting your energy-intensive activities to daylight hours.

The great news is that energy efficiency is the least expensive and probably easiest way to boost your solar power results. 

If you’re wondering where to start when it comes to choosing and installing efficient products in your home, our team can help – get in touch!

Solargain

January 26 is the day when we get to celebrate what makes Australia great.

Our country’s national holiday marks the arrival of the First Fleet of British Ships at New Holland (Australia before it was so named) all the way back in 1788.

‘Australia Day’ wasn’t recognised until many years later, with records of celebrations taking place in 1808.

It took more than another 100 years in 1935 until all Australian states and territories used the term and astonishingly, it was not until 1994 that Jan 26 was universally accepted as a public holiday by all states and territories.

As a wholly Australian owned and operated business, we feel a little warm and fuzzy on Australia’s big day, and proud to be a part of what we think is the best country in the world.

This year, Australia Day falls on a Tuesday, if you’re stuck for suggestions, here’s our list of favourite things to do:

1. Get in touch with the country

What better day to explore the country’s outdoor delights than on Australia Day? Pack your car, fire up your bike, prep your boat or lace up your walking shoes and get out there.

2. Get environmental

Show your country some love by doing something that will ensure it stays around for years to come. You could plant some trees in your garden, or think about contributing to initiatives like Clean Up Australia. If you’ve got solar panels, take the time to go outside and inspect them. Are they still completely unobstructed and clean? If not, consider booking a service.

3. Throw a party

There’s nothing like a good Australia Day party. We like ours outside, around the BBQ and with plenty of tacky souvenirs and face paint to keep everyone amused – but only in Aussie colours of course.

4. Jump on the official Australia Day website

The official Australia Day website, www.australiaday.org.au has plenty of great information and resources about January 26, including all you need to know about the annual Australian of the Year Awards and Concert.

So on behalf of all the team at Solargain, have a ripper Australia Day mate – we hope it’s your best one yet!

Solargain