02/02/2010 UCA Canberra Presbytery Letter Explaining the Group Concept by Peter Ellis

Faith Groups Solar Bulk Buy

27th January 2010 (updated 2 Feb 10)

FAITH GROUPS SOLAR BULK BUY

I am the UCA Presbytery of Canberra Region coordinator for a bulk buy of solar power systems. Please give this your consideration, and contact me for more information.

PLEASE NOTE that this deal is openly available to people who simply want to align themselves to our bulk-buy group.

Over the last several months a local community action group, SEE-Change, has been promoting its third bulk buy of solar power systems, this time reaching out to “faith groups” in the Canberra region.

SEE-Change (the ‘SEE’ in SEE-Change stands for Society, the Environment and the Economy) is a community, not-for-profit group that supports and inspires people to join together and act in a sustainable way. Its activities are practical, and based on local Canberra realities. In addition, its aim is to create workable project models to be picked up by other community groups Australia-wide. See more at www.see-change.org.au.

The SEE-Change Interfaith Committee has announced that six excellent proposals have been received from local renewable energy suppliers, both in terms of the prices for those installations and the strength of their ability to install your solar energy systems professionally and within a reasonable time frame.

The committee then selected three of these companies to outline the strengths of their proposals and to answer further questions posed to them by the committee. From these, a preferred supplier was selected:

Pyramid Power www.PyramidPower.com.au (Pyramid Power corporate brochure 160kB PDF) which began its corporate life in the Bega area of the Presbytery of Canberra Region, and has grown into the Canberra market in recent times. It employs some 65 people within area covered by the Presbytery, sources its product from acknowledged leading suppliers, trains local apprentices under its trades people, and now has three offices including Queanbeyan.

A meeting was held on Wednesday 27 January 2010, at the Wesley Music Centre, where SEE-Change and Pyramid Power presented the preferred supplier’s deal.

Please note that it is still possible for other interested potential customers (either households or faith communities) to join the bulk buy project.

At that meeting Pyramid Power presented its corporate credentials, discussed the market realities, and the deal: Pyramid_Power_SEA_form.pdf (265kB PDF) (PLEASE NOTE: Permission has been given by Pyramid Power to publish the deal here, or please send me an email to and I will forward the ‘deal’ form which sets out the scheme.)

Briefly:

* systems offered can be sized to suit any requirement, from domestic (home) up to industrial (eg church, nursing home, etc);

* the ‘basic’ unit is on a flat, ‘iron’ (steel) roof;

* a ’standard’ system would be a 1.5kW grid-connected solar system on a standard single storey iron roof, for $4,998;

* other options are:

2.04kW @ $7,335,

3.06kW @ $12,695,

5.1kW @ $22,680,

10.2kW @ 47,275,

30kW @ $139,316;

* extra cost is involved for: tile roof, clip lock roof, raked ceilings, inverter enclosure(s) (if the electronic system can not be sited in a shaded or under-cover area), multi-storey, tilt-frames (may be needed for a flat roof);

* an optional 12 month maintenance schedule is available for a fee (eg may be needed by people who are unable to access the roof to clean the panels.)

* Systems are built around the 2kW Sea Orion inverter (the unit that turns solar panel power into power able to be fed into the electricity grid; hence, systems are scalable to 2kW units, through adding extra 170W solar panels in vaious combinations;

* The inverter works best with either 8 or 9 panels in series (voltages adding), but will also work successfully at 2kW, based on the using a lower operating voltage with 2 sets of 6 in series;

* Examples of the various roof configurations — for panels, based on the1.5kW configuration — are given at this link.

Pyramid Power has asked for clients to supply pictures of:

• the proposed installation site from the ‘front’;
• the roof — taken from north;
• the power meter box and associated distribution boards.
• The UCA group coordinator can assist if you can not get photos yourself.
• Note: ACT customers must check that they have a meter box of a suitable size; the “shoe-box” variety is not suitable. The photos will also assist Pyramid Power to advise. A change-over to the modern meter box is at the customer’s additional cost.

Government Rebates and Feed In Tariffs

Pyramid Power is a registered broker in renewable Energy Credit (REC) certificates. You can assign your RECs at the time of purchase and get the system at the offered price. You can also deal with another RC broker, but at arguably a less advantageous price.

The 1.5kW system has a Federal Government subsidy. A larger system is more expensive proportionally as the subsidy only applies to the first 1.5kW.

The ACT and NSW Governments have schemes to paythe owners of solar systems a “Feed In Tariff” which, effectively, over time, pays for the initial cost of the installation; another way of looking at the tariff is as an income stream for the owner of the system. In essence, you get the difference between the tariff (50.5c/kWh) and the ‘buy’ cost of the power (13.4c/kWh); depending on usage, a 4kW or larger system may mean you may be paying nothing for your domestic power bill.

Hence, people may choose to pool small donations with Presbytery for the installation of a system at a site that will get a financial benefit, so you would be making a renewable energy and financial donation to a church organisation over a 25 year period.

The Deal Sweetener

Pyramid Power also disclosed a ’sweetener’ which SEE-Change had not been aware of during earlier discussions:

For every 30 systems a group can arrange within a 25km radius, Pyramid Power will offer a free 1.5kW system free for installation at a suitable, ‘qualifying’, community facility.

For the Presbytery of Canberra Region, this offers the opportunity of aggregating the various private UCA people and church systems, and achieving at least one, and potentially several, free systems for installations at places of Presbytery’s choosing.

The Request

Please:

1. Promote this among UCA people, relatives, friends, acquaintances, community groups, etc. The more the better! If at all possible, have them come under the ‘management’ of the Presbytery bid, to go for a total of 30/60/90/120/etc systems which will each mean a free system from this scheme.

2. Contact me indicating that you want to become part of the Presbytery of Canberra Region group; email .

3. Download, read, and complete the Self-Estimate and Acceptance Form Pyramid_Power_SEA_form.pdf (265kB PDF).

4. Check the criteria for a Federal Government-backed “Green Loan” (can be 4 years, interest-free.) Eligible?

5. OR… Send me an email to and I will forward the ‘deal’ form which sets out the scheme and allow you to enter a contract with Pyramid Power.

6. Take the pictures of the installation site (as required on the form), OR… contact me if you are unable to arrange this for yourself.

7. Submit the form and pictures THROUGH ME (contact me again when you have the form complete, and we’ll arrange to get it all to me.)

8. Then, enter into a contract with Pyramid Power, or proceed with the selection of another supplier of your choice.

9. Make a donation through the Presbytery.

10. Note the SEE-Change disclaimer: SEE-Change Inc. has established the link between vendor and potential purchasers to obtain an advantageous price for purchasers. See-Change Inc will not be involved further in any arrangements between purchasers and the vendor and is not responsible in any way for performance of any contracts that may result. See-Change Inc does not gain anything from any sales and has been involved in the negotiation only because of its interest in lowering the carbon footprint in our region.

As I said, “for your consideration”. So, please think — consider – and, if all is okay, act for the THE EARTH (environment), your conscience, and… your world.

Peter Ellis

Tel: 6254 0262

Presbytery of Canberra Region coordinator#

Member: Kippax Uniting Church

# If anyone else wants this task, you are welcome to it. And, I get nothing out of being coordinator, other than another thing to do in my busy life! (Also see the SEA form.)

# The Chair of Presbytery has asked for me to make a presentation on this matter at the next meeting, on 20 Feb 2010. Presbytery representatives can see me there with any questions.