Environmental Upgrade Agreements
GV Community Energy in partnership with the Greater Shepparton City Council have enabled Environmental Upgrade Agreements (EUA) to be delivered in the municipality.
An EUA is an agreement between a building owner, a bank and the building owner’s local council that facilitates a building upgrade to improve environmental performance. Various types of renewable energy (e.g. solar panels) and energy efficiency projects (e.g. lighting upgrades) are available.
Greater Shepparton City Council have enabled Environmental Upgrade Agreements to be delivered in the municipality, to assist businesses undertake energy efficiency projects and save on costs.
What is an Environmental Upgrade Agreement?
An Environmental Upgrade Agreement (EUA) is an agreement between a building owner, a bank or lender and the building owner’s local council that facilitates a building upgrade to improve environmental performance. Many commercial tenants are unable to make changes to the building that they lease -EUAs make this possible. Many landlords are hesitant to improve their building because of upfront costs – EUAs provide owners with incentive to improve the value of their property.
What types of projects are eligible?
Various types of renewable energy (e.g. solar panels) and energy efficiency projects (e.g. lighting upgrades) have been pre-approved. A separate list of building upgrade works is also provided for works that will require approval from an Independent Expert Reference Panel.
How do EUAs work?
A finance lender provides a loan and the building owner pays it back through Council (like Council rates). Council’s involvement in this process ensures that the loan is highly secure and the lender will provide better terms. The tenant can use a portion of the energy savings to contribute to repayments. There is no upfront capital required.
If you are a commercial property owner or tenant, contact us to assess whether a EUA is appropriate to save you money and improve the environmental performance of your building.
Domestic and Commercial PV
GV Community Energy specialise in solar PV systems for both commercial and residential buildings. GV Community Energy have installed over 3,000 domestic solar PV systems, and are increasingly installing commercial scale systems (15-99kW) in the Goulburn Valley. GV Community Energy provide impartial advice to ensure you get the most out of your solar system.
GV Community Energy is a leader in the design and installation of solar PV to suit both domestic and commercial purposes.
Is my home or business suitable for solar power?
What size solar PV system do I need and how much will I save?
This is determined by how much power your household uses during the day, and in particular during the peak solar generating hours of 10am and 4pm. Installing solar PV is most attractive in situations where most electricity is used during the day.
The following factors can greatly influence reduced energy consumption on your power bill once a solar PV system is installed:
- When power is used within the home – mostly during daylight hours (solar power) or outside daylight hours (grid electricity)
- Number of people living in the house
- Size of the home and how energy efficient it is,( eg. are there gaps and leaks where heat/cool air can escape)
- Appliances used in the home,(eg. plasma TVs will use much more electricity than LCDs; electric hot water systems vs gas)
Will I receive a government solar rebate?
The Australian Government solar rebate scheme ceased on 1 January 2013, however Small Scale Technology Certificates (STCs) will apply when you purchase a solar PV system. This is a type of carbon trading, free market mechanism that reduces the cost of renewable energy. One STC is equivalent to 1MWhr of electricity generated by your solar PV system. The price of STCs changes according to market conditions.
When negotiating solar PV package prices with our suppliers, GV Community Energy obtains a fixed price for these STCs and this will be detailed in your quote. STCs applicable in the current pricing package equate to discounts of between $470 and $5,493, depending on the size of system purchased.
Solar 'Zones' explained
Zones are determined by the Federal government based on your postcode and will relate to how many STCs you will receive for your solar PV purchase.
How much electricity will a solar power system produce?
How much will I be paid for an excess solar power produced?
The ‘feed-in tariff’ offers a minimum of 5 cents per kWh for excess electricity fed back into the grid. All electricity retailers with more than 5,000 customers must offer a minimum 5c per kWh for excess electricity fed into the grid, and they may offer different packages and terms and conditions. Some electricity retailers may offer a higher rate but are not obligated to do so.
The rate for the feed-in tariff is currently under review by the Essential Services Commission and may change in 2017.
Will I need a Smart Meter?
Households installing solar PV will require a Smart Meter so that the power in and out of your home can be accurately measured. Connection of your Smart Meter will be organised by your electricity distributor. Solar customers will be charged approximately $340 (Powercor) or $240 (SP AusNet) for the connection of Smart Meters, where a Smart Meter has not already been connected as part of the National roll out of Smart Meters. If you already have a smart meter it may need to be reconfigured which will still attract a cost of approximately $270.
Home Energy Assessments
Home Energy Retrofits
GV Community Energy have retrofitted over 1000 homes with energy efficient products to reduce energy consumption and costs, and increase comfort levels.