The Adelaide City Council Sustainable Incentive Scheme

by | 17 Jul 2018 | Solar Warehouse Australia Blog

Huge Rebates for Solar and Batteries Within Adelaide’s CBD
In recent times the Adelaide City Council has discovered that solar panel installation in the CBD is much lower than in the suburbs of Adelaide. The main reason being that most properties in the CBD are commercial and not residential.

Residents in Adelaide’s suburban homes have been quick to take up solar panels. So to encourage commercial building owners to take up solar power and to speed up the process with their vision of become the world’s first Carbon Neutral City, the Adelaide City Council has created a very generous rebate incentive scheme available.

These grants are to help in the conservation of natural resources including energy and water. There is a project known as the Sustainability Incentives Scheme which provides funding to applicants be they owners of commercial buildings, education institutions, community groups and the like with a grant.

Funding is available for the following purposes.
* Installing a solar system
* Installing an energy storage system
* Installing an energy monitoring system
* Changing or upgrading to LED lighting
* Electrical bicycle and vehicle charging points
* Energy efficient upgrades to multi-story buildings

The council has officers trained in improving energy ratings of buildings and with heritage buildings in particular. These officers are available to assist with your grant application as well as discussing the various ways your building can become more energy efficient. Solar Warehouse Australia is also a founding partner of Carbon Neutral Adelaide and we have assisted many clients with accessing these generous grants of up to $11,000 for the adoption of Solar, Energy Monitoring and Energy Storage.

Carbon footprint is a common term today as is the saying that we should think global and act local. The Adelaide City Council has taken both issues to heart and put funding in place so that change can happen. Grants vary between $500 and $5,000 and a premises may be eligible for multiple rebates. Simple procedures such as solar panels and energy storage can mean a major cost saving for any CBD building and the benefits flow obviously throughout Adelaide, the state and country.

Renewable energy benefits everyone.

2017: A Massive Year For Solar

by | 5 Jul 2018 | Solar Warehouse Australia Blog

Solar sets the Pace
You often hear people talk about the benefits of solar power and how it is becoming more and more popular. But what are the facts? What does the “independent umpire” say about solar’s popularity?

The CER or Clean Energy Regulator has put out some interesting, no; make that very interesting data about solar energy installations in Australia. In 2017 according to the CER, Australia’s solar panels were in the news as follows:
* 6.5 panels were installed every minute * Electricity capacity increased by 1057MW * Nearly 10,000 new solar panels were installed every day * Overall about 3.5 million new solar panels were installed * Compared to 2016, solar power capacity increased by 41%

Now those facts paint a very clear picture. Solar power is making huge strides, not gradual increases but massive increases. The popularity of solar power is reaching new heights. No longer is solar on the fringes as it makes rapid progress towards becoming a mainstream source of energy in Australia.

What does that mean?
The traditional power sources are no longer not always the major suppliers. In Queensland, the Gladstone coal-fired power plant no longer produces the most amount of electricity in the Sunshine State – solar power produces more.
People want to take control of their power bills. Everyone can see how electricity bills keep rising and with solar power, the costs are a fraction of traditional energy power.

Solar panels are appearing everywhere – houses, commercial buildings, sporting stadiums. Wherever a roof can catch sunlight, solar panels appear. People are even placing them in their backyards.

Another big change can be seen in the new solar panel peak installation capacity. Whereas about 5 years ago home owners would generally install a 1.5kW system, but today that average capacity has more than quadroopled with today’s average residential solar panel installation being approximately 6.6kW.

The major benefit, nationwide, is that solar energy is taking pressure off the grid and far fewer outages are being seen. The popularity of solar power is such that, with home solar panels and solar farms combined, 11% of NSW’s power was created with renewable energy. Solar power is making great inroads in energy production.
Solar is clean, renewable, safe for the environment, cost effective and, above all, becoming more and more popular.

Why Solar Power?

by | 3 Jul 2018 | Solar Warehouse Australia Blog

The Benefits of switching to Solar Power

In Australia, we are beginning to see properties, infrastructures and even vehicles become saturated with solar panels. This is proof our nation is following the renewable energy trend. However, unfortunately there are still some sceptics around.

The biggest reason for solar power; Environmental benefits.
Governments are constantly worrying over our nations finite resources like coal and natural gas. These are expensive, harmful to the environment and are dependent on their availability. On the other hand, solar power has the opposite effects.

The costs involved to install solar power at your home or office is relatively low. Of course, the panels and associated equipment are not free but once in place, the source of the energy (the SUN) costs absolutely nothing. Sunlight is plentiful, doesn’t hurt our environment and is free. It’s a green source of energy leaving no carbon footprint. Using solar power makes you feel good as you’re helping the planet.

 

Then we have the Financial Benefits.

If you’re paying an energy company today for gas and/or electricity, you won’t need to be told that power bills are expensive and getting more expensive. Once your solar panels are up and running, your power bills are greatly reduced or, in many cases, non-existent. Solar saves you big bucks. What’s not to like about that?
You can become energy independent. If your property is connected to the electricity grid, you are dependent on that grid operating at full capacity whenever needed. The grid comes under great pressure in severe weather conditions such as heatwaves and cold snaps. If the grid fails, you’re out of gas, or electricity. With solar & battery backup technologies you can be self-sufficient and grid independent in the event of a grid outage. In some situations it is a much more feasible solution to install a complete “Off-Grid” solar and battery solution to a rural property than to pay for the charge for the initial mains power connection.

 

Don’t Forget Solar Power is Flexible.

It doesn’t have to be panels on your roof. If you have space on your property, solar panels can be located anywhere the Sun does shine. We have solutions for mounting solar on a ground-based mount. Best suited for larger properties with ample land and open areas.

Solar energy is the future, It Makes Sense.