The bulk-buy program was officially launched by Kevin Anderson, NSW Parliamentary Member for Tamworth, who spoke about how significant solar power was becoming for the region — especially given the recent news of another utility-scale solarfarm at the White Rock project near Glen Innes. The community bulk-buy is being coordinated by Farming the Sun, Australia’s most diverse community solar energy collaboration and is coordinated by local rural sustainability charity Starfish Initiatives.
“Farming the Sun began in 2008 and at that time was Australia’s largest community solar power bulkbuy”, said Project Director, Adam Blakester. “Today’s launch is the first time a community bulk-buy has been made available to the greater Tamworth and New England region. It is especially exciting given that Tamworth was Australia’s first ‘city of electric light’!”
Bulk-buying of solar power systems is a strategy which has been widely used by community energy groups around Australia as a way of significantly increasing the affordability and take up of solar power.
“This new bulk-buy is offering high quality, Tier 1, solar power systems at discounts of 20-30% below retail,” continued Blakester. “Renewable energy credits are in addition to this saving, which means that some residents and businesses can reduce their up-front investment by nearly half!”
There are environmental benefits from going solar too. Nicky Chirlian from Save Our Soils Liverpool Plains also spoke at the launch. “97% of residents and farms surveyed across the greater north west region are opposed to mining,” said Chirlian. “Renewable energies such as solar are essential to protecting our food, water, soil and habitat, as well as to reducing our greenhouse gas emissions.”
Farming the Sun achieves its success through large-scale collaboration. More than a dozen local organisations are program partners, including solar specialist Eco Energy & Solar Solutions, Armidale Tree Group, Liverpool Plains Land Management, North West Alliance, Regional Development Australia Northern Inland, Save our Soils Liverpool Plains, Southern New England Landcare, Sustainable Living Armidale, TAFE New England, Walcha Together and Z-NET Uralla.
“To realise these savings, we need to bulk order a shipping container of solar panels at one time, which is around 200kW in total,” continued Blakester. “Our project goal is to install solar for an additional 1% of residences throughout the region, which is similar to what we achieved with the first bulk-buy back in 2008. Business uptake will be in addition to this target.”
Stephen Griffith, Z-NET Uralla Coordinator, spoke at the launch in regard to the business benefits of solar. “Recent research conducted by Regional Development Australian Northern Inland identified that our region spends $410m per year on energy, and that this is largely electricity with a little gas,” said Griffith. “Businesses are finding that their return on investment from solar can be very compelling, particularly if they mostly use electricity in the daytime and seven days per week.”
The bulk-buy offer is available to residents and businesses throughout the Tamworth, Liverpool Plains, Gunnedah, Armidale, Uralla and Walcha regions. Full details can be found on the project website at www.farmingthesun.net or by contacting Starfish Initiatives.
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