The Gippy Bulk Buy community benefit donation, a 4.4 kW system, was installed last week on the Loch Sport Public Hall.
An essential site for the community, Alan Hall Mayor of Wellington and a Loch Sport resident said, “what a great result it was for [their] vibrant and engaged local community.”
“With the reduced operating costs, greater community benefits can flow which underpin a whole raft of community activities week in week out, along with the ability to provide major activities during peak holiday seasons.”
The hall provides a valuable place for people to meet and enjoy activities such as creative workshops, ballroom dancing classes, yoga classes and music practice. It is also a hub for groups such as the Lions Club and Senior Citizens Club.
The energy bills for the site are paid for by the volunteer Committee of Management. President Bill Klein said, “because of this, we are going to save about $1, 400 per year, which will give us a chance to put more money back into the Hall.”
The bulk buy offered quality and cost price solar PV and hot water services for both residents and businesses.
Local Gippsland installer, Trent Nielsen from A1 Solar and Electrical, partnered with the program from the beginning and undertook the install on Wednesday the 18th of March.
“It’s great that from the success of the Gippy Bulk Buy Program the people of Loch Sport will benefit from this solar system for years to come”, he said.
An estimated combined $128,000 in yearly savings are predicted for the households and business who took up the offer. Over 500,000 tons of CO2 will also be avoided over the next 30 years by the uptake of this clean energy.
Round one was supported by the Wellington Shire, Latrobe City Council and Baw Baw Shire and the not-for-profit Yarra Energy Foundation. Round two will be launched soon, so stay tuned to learn more about who we are partnering with, potential tendering opportunities and what will be on offer.
Click HERE to watch a short video of the install in action.
