A massive 31 panel solar power system has been installed this week on the Woodend Neighbourhood House thanks to funding from the MASH community solar bulk-buy and Macedon Ranges Sustainability Group (MRSG).
This 10.23kW state-of-the-art system will save around $6,000 off the combined electricity bills of Woodend Neighbourhood House and next-door neighbour Cobaw Community Health as they share the same electricity meter. Producing an average 41 kilowatt hours a day, the system will slash the combined bills of these organisations by around 53%.
“This much-needed solar system will help off-set our running costs with bill savings going into our community development initiatives and helping us deliver on our strategic plan. We are very grateful to MASH and MRSG for making this possible,” said Melissa Baker, Manager of the Woodend Neighbourhood House.
“We also want to inspire other local community groups to become more sustainable,” said Melissa. “We’re part of the Woodend Cool Changes Climate Action Project which aims to transform the region to zero-net carbon emissions. Having solar helps us demonstrate our commitment to renewable energy and show what’s possible.”
In a joint community funding response, MASH donated $5,600 and the Macedon Ranges Sustainability Group contributed an interest-free loan of $6,400 to Woodend Neighbourhood House. The payback on the system is just under 2 years.
“This is the fifteenth solar system that MASH and our other bulk-buy programs have funded in recent years,” said Jo Kaptein, Program Lead for solar bulk-buys at the Central Victorian Greenhouse Alliance which runs MASH. “The savings from this system will directly benefit the community of Woodend, with at least 200 people accessing programs each week through the Neighbourhood House and more benefiting from the services provided by Cobaw Community Health. We’re delighted to be able to give back in this way.”
“In conjunction with MASH’s Community Bonus, MRSG is very pleased to offer the Woodend Neighbourhood House an interest-free loan from our Renewable Energy Fund, thereby enabling the installation of a much larger solar power system that will provide for the House’s energy needs in the present and distant future,” said Dr David Gormley-O’Brien, President of MRSG.
The solar system utilises a 3-phase Fronius inverter with Tigo Optimisers on the panels to minimise the effect of shading. It was installed by Cola Solar, the solar provider for MASH in the Macedon Ranges Shire.
For more information about MASH, visit mash.org.au or call 1300 466 274.
Celebrating the new solar system. L-R: Melissa Baker, Manager, Woodend Neighbourhood House, Jo Kaptein, MASH, Dr David Gormley-O’Brien, President, MRSG, Jenny Kerr, President, Woodend Neighbourhood House