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Tathra Community Solar Farm Performance

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Tathra Community Solar Farm – IMAGINE generating clean and green, renewable power!

The TCSF is a 30kW solar photovoltaic installation at the Tathra Sewerage Treatment Plant. It consists of 120 pollycrystalline 250W Trina solar panels and two 15 kW Fronius Symo 3 phase inverters grid connected. The panel elevation ange is 15 degrees.

In 2014 Bega Valley Shire Council (BVSC) formed a partnership with CEFE to develop one of Australia’s first community solar farms. Through organising multiple events and broader community engagement, CEFE has raised money over many years for local community organisations (e.g. RFS fire sheds, community halls, churches, surf clubs, preschools and a tourist venue) to install solar PV. To further this work CEFE approached Council to develop a joint venture which could be a beacon to other communities around Australia for climate change action. By combining passion and expertise, the Tathra Community Solar Farm project was conceived, built and opened in 2015. The project captures financial savings and reinvests these in other local solar projects – creating a win:win:win for CEFE, Council and the local community.

The project has received fantastic support from the local community and various organisations. Community donors, including local business, helped raise valuable funds for the project, while the Tathra Mountain Bike Enduro event provided significant support and funding to make the project a reality. The NSW Office of Environment and Heritage assisted and Bega Valley Shire Council contributed half of the project cost and project managed the design and construction.

In its first year of operation the savings in electricity costs amounted to $4379 This will be reinvested in further community solar projects.

20100310 Murrah hall goes solar

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he Committee extends a grateful thanks to the wonderful members and other locals who nominated the Murrah as their Community Hall of Choice in the recent Government offer for subsidised solar power units.

Further, the Committee also extends a big, big thank you to the indefatigable Prue Kelly for her efforts in initially getting the ball rolling for the Murrah through her work in Bermigui in bring to our attention and raising awareness of the Govt offer via Pyramid Power and Clean Energy for Eternity. She also consulted, as a point of contact for applicants, providing valuable assistance in the application process. Thanks Prue!

The committee would also like to thank Diana Stewart of Pyramid Power for her support and calm assistance in the liasing and processing of our own application, which, thanks to Derek of Pyramid, also negotiated and received important support from our Council.

Recently, Diana, informed Howard, our Secretary, that the processing of domestic applications was proceeding smoothly, although there is still a wait as the initiative proved to be so immensely popular, our Government brought forward the closing date and stopped offering any more (for the moment). Pyramid still managed to process more than 300 applications on the eve of the deadline.

She went to say that it looks likely the 2Kw solar unit will be installed later this year (maybe even before Member’s Night Sept 12th) and then a bit of a wait until Country Energy connect the unit to the grid. At the moment Pyramid are currently installing units on Community buildings in the southern parts of the shire.

When we are finally connected – we’ll party. And you, our members and supporters, are invited, because, after all, you put it there.