Solar town to power thy neighbour

Border Tweed Mail
Thursday 26/6/2008 Page: 20

THE biggest roll-out of solar power systems in Australia's history has begun in Mullumbimby. Byron Bay - based company Beyond Building Energy has been flooded with orders since introducing their "solar neighbourhoods" program last year. The program works by getting a minimum of 50 houses in an area to sign up to solar, allowing the company to achieve much-greater economies of scale and reduce delivery and installation costs.

Australia has about 4000 houses installed with grid-interactive solar systems. Beyond Building Energy have more than 2000 houses signed up to its program, mostly around the NSW North Coast, but also in Melbourne and other parts of Australia. "We are able to buy container loads, rather than boxes of solar panels the same with inverters," said Mark Hickey, the company's technical and installation manager.

"The business model is based on high turnover and small margins. Traditionally, installers had low installation rates and high margins and might only do one per week. But we're doing 10 houses a week per team." Taking advantage of the Federal Government's $8000 rebate for solar power, the company had an introductory rate of $500 per installation for a 1000 watt system.

The price rose to $895 in February, but by way of comparison, other solar installers are offering similar systems for around $4700. More than 100 houses in Mullumbimby have signed up to the program, with installation of another 100 due to start in the village of Federal shortly.

From there, the company has solar neighbourhoods lined up in Goonengerry/ Rosebank, Bangalow, Lennox Head, Main Arm/The Pocket, Ocean Shores, Tyagarah/Myocum and Wilson's Creek. Mr Hickey said the grid interactive system was the equivalent of "spinning your electricity metre backwards."

"We actually use digital metres which record the input and output of energy. Your power company then pays you at the same rate as the electricity you use." He said the average house would save about one tonne of greenhouse gas emissions and $220 a year in electricity costs.