18-Jan-2010
Local Business Leading the Way in Sustainability
Local Punchbowl business Barbehire is reducing its carbon footprint
having just installed a 9.8 kilowatt grid connect solar electricity
system with SolarSwitch.
“Along with our
rainwater tank, which we installed in 2008, it makes us feel that we are
doing what we can for the environment” said Barbehire Managing
Director, Phillip Combe.
The 56 panel
installation is split in two sections with 20 solar panels on the
showroom roof and 36 on the rear factory roof.
The $50,000
investment (after rebates) will pay for itself in just over 5 years and
then generate 20 to 30 years worth of free electricity. With
electricity prices set to rise more than 60% over three years Barbehire
Managing Director Phillip Combe believes that’s a wise investment.
“I’m very pleased
to say that on the first full day of operation the system generated in
excess of 58 kilowatt hours (kWh) of power. Putting this into
perspective, our most recent power bill shows our average daily
electricity usage, was 47.4 kWh. So not only did we produce the
equivalent of all our own power, but we also powered some of our
neighbours too” said Mr Combe.
The system will
generate around $9000 worth of electricity per year which will more than
cover Barbehire’s current annual electricity bill and return thousands
of dollars in income to the business. Companies can also depreciate a
solar electricity system.
This fantastic
return is thanks to the introduction of a new solar electricity buy-back
scheme or gross “feed-in-tariff” in NSW in January. Anyone with a
solar electricity system will be paid 60cents per kilowatt hour for all
the electricity their panels generate provided they use less than 160
Megawatt hours per year. This great incentive applies to homes as well
as businesses.
“This is the most
generous feed-in-tariff in Australia. Your average 1.5kW home solar
electricity system will generate around $1400 of electricity per year,
which will more than cover many household power bills. “ Said Adam
Tesoriero Director of SolarSwitch.
The new incentive
is limited to the first 50 Megawatts installed in NSW, of which more
than 20 MW have already been snapped up.
Barbehire also
received the new solar electricity rebate, offered as a $14,000 point of
sale discount by SolarSwitch. The new “Solar Credits Scheme” is not
means tested and is open to everyone.
Barbehire’s 9.8kW
installation is one of around 2000 systems installed by SolarSwitch.
“We are getting
more and more enquiries from businesses wanting to install 10kW systems
like Barbehire. Now that the solar electricity rebate is open to
businesses and the feed-in-tariff has been introduced business owners
feel it is within their reach to do their bit for the environment” said
SolarSwitch Director, Mr Tesoriero.
For more
information about installing solar electricity on your home or business
contact SolarSwitch here
or on (02) 8985 9945.
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