Renewable Energy Project: Solar Panels
Tulgeen Disability Services are located in Bega on the far south coast of NSW. Their services enhance the skills and lives of people with disability, enabling them to fulfil their greatest potential through Employment, In-home Support, and Training & Education services.
Project story…
The CORENA loan funded solar PV for their cheese-packing workspace and their TES day programmes building in November 2013. We’ll always be grateful that Tulgeen took a punt on us at a time when the CORENA funding model was as yet unproven. This project provided us with ‘proof of concept’ and our first case study, making all our subsequent projects possible.
It took 6 months to raise the $12,000 for this project, partly because we were doing something new and were not yet well known, and partly because we did not yet have earlier projects making loan repayments to help us reach the fundraising target. But after that everything went smoothly. Tulgeen not only added yet more solar PV but also managed to pay back our loan in 3 years. Their first 2 repayments were particularly welcome in helping us reach the loan target for our second project at Gawler Community House in SA.
This project has been fully funded – Thank you!
Status: Funded project – loan fully repaid
Loan amount: $12,000
Loan repayments: Instalments of $1,000/qtr over 3 yrs
Work details
Cheese packing workspace – 4kW of SolarWorld Polycrystalline 250 watt panels with a 5kW SMA Sunny Boy Tripower three phase inverter
TES day activities – 3kW of SolarWorld Polycrystalline 250 watt panels with a 5kW SMA 5000TL inverter
Cost: Total cost for both systems approx $18,000 ($12,000 loan from CORENA with remainder paid by Tulgeen themselves)
Expected savings:
Cheese packing workspace – 1,450 kWh/qtr, $522/qtr
TES day activities – 1,067 kWh/qtr, $387/qtr
Total savings – 10,068 kWh/yr; $3,636/yr (but Tulgeen chose to repay $1,000/qtr in order to pay off the loan in 3 years)
Reduction in carbon emissions/yr: Equivalent to 1.81 average households using renewable electricity instead of grid electricity
Progress report from Tulgeen CEO, April 5, 2015
Tulgeen added an extra 3kW of solar panels in April 2015. This makes use of the extra capacity in the two 5kW inverters installed as part of the original 7kW system installed with CORENA assistance in November 2013.
From Pete Gorton, Chief Executive Officer –
Tulgeen Disability Group has added 3kW of additional SolarWorld panels to its existing 7kW system, which was purchased with support from CORENA. The system has met its goals, demonstrating savings in CO2 emissions and dollar savings. We are able to provide increased support and service diversity from our limited amount of funding, as we are wasting less on purchasing energy, to provide support for its 50 people with disability. We are keen to add more, cost-effective solar generation in the future.
Honour roll
Thank you to the following people for donating to this project.
| Date | Name | Amount |
| 18/11/2013 | John Rolls | $202.26 |
| 17/11/2013 | CANWin group | $190.00 |
| 17/11/2013 | Melbourne rally donations | $80.00 |
| 17/11/2013 | Alan McMahon | $20.00 |
| 17/11/2013 | Jim Allen | $50.00 |
| 17/11/2013 | Anon | $23.20 |
| 14/11/2013 | Ed | $25.00 |
| 12/11/2013 | Charlene Grainger | $20.00 |
| 12/11/2013 | Adele | $50.00 |
| 12/11/2013 | Gregson | $8.00 |
| 11/11/2013 | Faye Adams | $25.00 |
| 10/11/2013 | raffle | $140.00 |
| 9/11/2013 | Anon | $5.00 |
| 08/11/2013 | Matthew Moate | $100.00 |
| 7/11/2013 | Robyn Erwin | $100.00 |
| 06/11/2013 | Philippa Rowland | $20.00 |
| 06/11/2013 | raffle | $100.00 |
| 05/11/2013 | Original Green Company | $600.00 |
| 05/11/2013 | Michael Rosenbrock | $10.00 |
| 03/11/2013 | Anne Gleeson | $16.00 |
| 03/11/2013 | raffle | $60.00 |
| 2/11/2013 | Gwen Marion | $10.00 |
| 31/10/2013 | Interest | $2.29 |
| 29/10/2013 | raffle | $100.00 |
| 28/10/2013 | Simon Jones | $100.00 |
| 28/10/2013 | Michael Benson | $100.00 |
| 23/10/2013 | Mavis O’Hara | $20.00 |
| 23/10/2013 | anon | $20.00 |
| 21/10/2013 | Bron | $200.00 |
| 20/10/2013 | Ben Elliston | $50.00 |
| 20/10/2013 | Raffle | $45.00 |
| 16/10/2013 | Gaby Jung | $20.00 |
| 16/10/2013 | Michael Kubler | $50.00 |
| 15/10/2013 | Ian Rose | $25.00 |
| 15/10/2013 | Dave Clarke | $310.00 |
| 15/10/2013 | Chris P | $5.00 |
| 14/10/2013 | Raffle | $45.00 |
| 13/10/2013 | Brenna | $150.00 |
| 13/10/2013 | DaveS | $100.00 |
| 11/10/2013 | Kate Read | $50.00 |
| 11/10/2013 | Marg and Jim | $50.00 |
| 8/10/2013 | Raffle | $90.00 |
| 07/10/2013 | Karen Buxton | $50.00 |
| 06/10/2013 | Ryan Kendrick | $25.00 |
| 2013-10-03 | raffle at conference | $40.00 |
| 2013-10-03 | Edward Cranswick | $10.00 |
| 2013-10-03 | Anon | $5.60 |
| 2013-10-03 | Kathleen Patitsas | $5.00 |
| 30/09/2013 | Interest | $1.80 |
| 2013-09-29 | Mark Parnell MLC | $20.00 |
| 2013-09-29 | Alan G. | $20.00 |
| 2013-09-29 | Bec | $5.00 |
| 2013-09-29 | Adrian | $5.00 |
| 2013-09-29 | Ruth | $20.00 |
| 2013-09-29 | Deborah | $10.00 |
| 2013-09-29 | Maureen | $5.00 |
| 2013-09-29 | B n’ B | $20.00 |
| 2013-09-29 | Paul | $10.00 |
| 2013-09-29 | Patrick | $5.00 |
| 2013-09-29 | Peter | $5.00 |
| 2013-09-29 | Andrew | $15.00 |
| 2013-09-29 | Anne | $5.00 |
| 2013-09-29 | Sandy E. | $20.00 |
| 2013-09-29 | Terry | $10.00 |
| 2013-09-29 | Bradley Poole | $50.00 |
| 2013-09-29 | Diane | $5.00 |
| 2013-09-29 | Manfred | $2.00 |
| 2013-09-29 | Corina | $10.00 |
| 2013-09-29 | Maxie | $20.00 |
| 2013-09-29 | Geoff | $10.00 |
| 2013-09-29 | Maureen | $5.00 |
| 2013-09-29 | Flipper | $50.00 |
| 27/09/2013 | Andrew Phillips | $10.00 |
| 24/09/2013 | make a difference | $50.00 |
| 18/09/2013 | Gaby Jung | $20.00 |
| 16/09/2013 | Michael Kubler | $50.00 |
| 06/09/2013 | John and Gae Rheinberger | $150.00 |
| 05/09/2013 | Jonathan Maddox | $550.00 |
| 05/09/2013 | Bill Gresham | $400.00 |
| 04/09/2013 | Amie B | $300.00 |
| 03/09/2013 | Meredith Green | $300.00 |
| 02/09/2013 | Deidre Knight | $200.00 |
| 01/09/2013 | Paul Harris | $400.00 |
| 31/08/2013 | Interest | $0.26 |
| 29/08/2013 | Peter & Gill Caunce | $100.00 |
| 27/08/2013 | Marg and Jim | $50.00 |
| 19/08/2013 | Gorton family | $600.00 |
| 18/08/2013 | Jillian | $25.00 |
| 13/08/2013 | M O | $50.00 |
| 06/08/2013 | Hender family | $600.00 |
| 06/08/2013 | Bill | $100.00 |
| 04/08/2013 | Paul Harris | $100.00 |
| 03/08/2013 | Corey Ander | $1,000.00 |
| 02/08/2013 | David Hart | $10.00 |
| 02/08/2013 | Michael Kubler | $60.00 |
| 31/07/2013 | Interest | $0.08 |
| 29/07/2013 | Catherine Money | $300.00 |
| 29/07/2013 | Anon | $50.00 |
| 29/07/2013 | AJNW | $10.00 |
| 28/07/2013 | Michael D | $100.00 |
| 28/07/2013 | Bro | $10.00 |
| 26/07/2013 | Mark Singer | $100.00 |
| 24/07/2013 | Gaby Jung | $20.00 |
| 22/07/2013 | Glynn & Liz | $100.00 |
| 20/07/2013 | Karin Peters | $25.00 |
| 20/07/2013 | Dave Clarke | $160.00 |
| 15/07/2013 | David King | $100.00 |
| 15/07/2013 | I will if you will | $20.00 |
| 09/07/2013 | Kathy Cauley | $500.00 |
| 30/06/2013 | Interest | $0.07 |
| 27/06/2013 | Kim.Jarrod | $60.00 |
| 26/06/2013 | Gaby Jung | $20.00 |
| 09/06/2013 | Chooks against GAS | $2.40 |
| 31/05/2013 | Interest | $0.04 |
| 28/05/2013 | Paul and Donnella Bryce | $100.00 |
| 18/05/2013 | Daniel Panek | $250.00 |
| 11/05/2013 | Jonathan Maddox | $50.00 |
| 11/05/2013 | Bro & Beck | $10.00 |
| 11/05/2013 | J&P | $50.00 |
| 10/05/2013 | gaby jung | $10.00 |
| 09/05/2013 | Bill | $100.00 |
| 09/05/2013 | Denece and David Clarke | $100.00 |
| 09/05/2013 | Hope this helps | $10.00 |
| 09/05/2013 | Deidre Knight | $416.00 |
| 08/05/2013 | The Jones-Joneses | $100.00 |
| 08/05/2013 | Go People Power!! | $240.00 |