Renewable Energy Project: Solar Panels
Camden Community Centre worked closely with local residents for many years and included a child care centre, men’s shed, an op shop, and a community garden. It provided lunches and activities for the elderly and hosted a range of classes and activity groups.
Project story…
A CORENA loan funded a solar installation for their main building and another one and some energy efficiency measures for the child care centre in May 2015, but unfortunately the entire centre folded in early 2019. At that point $7,805 of their $17,900 loan was still outstanding. Loan repayments stopped during the winding up process and handover to new NFP owners, but as per our loan agreement, we received payment in full of the remaining amount (plus interest on the amount owing during the delay period) after handover in October 2019.
We were sad to see such an old established community centre fold, but the unscheduled lump sum repayment has already been put to good use in helping to fund three 2019-20 projects: Woden Valley Child Care Centre, Ballina-Byron Child Care Centre, and Tarremah Steiner school.
This project has been fully funded – Thank you!
Big Win donations that were temporarily used for this project then later repaid to the Big Win funding stream where they helped fund the Enova Community Generator project:
Status: Funded project – loan fully repaid
Loan amount: $17,900
Loan repayments: $673/quarter
Work details
7.8kW Solar PV installed on 2 separate circuits with 30 x 260W Trina Honey panels with Enphase micro-inverters ($14,250)
2 x input-output meters ($1,300)
Electrical upgrade work required in order to enable solar installation ($2,000)
LED lights and downlight covers to replace 4 existing downlights ($350)
Total cost: $17,900
Expected savings: 11,731 kWh/year, $2,692/year
Reduction in carbon emissions/yr: Equivalent to 2.11 average households using renewable electricity instead of grid electricity
Note: The cost of this project was high for a 7.8kW system due to several atypical factors. It is really two separate systems, one for the child care area and one for the main office area, meaning two new input-output meters were required. Micro-inverters, which make the project a bit more expensive, were used so that the inverters are well out of reach of the children, and some extra electrical upgrade work was required to enable solar to be installed. Despite this, we expected the project to pay for itself in 6.9 years.
Thanks to Tom and Rachel of Down to Earth Sustainable Solutions. They provide environmental and energy efficiency services in SA, and generously volunteered their time to assess requirements, seek quotes, and organise work details for this project.
Honour roll
Thank you to the following people for donating to this project.
| Date | Name | State | Amount |
| 07/04/2015 | Patricia Kelly | Qld | $250.00 |
| 07/04/2015 | Pete Gorton | NSW | $77.59 |
| 07/04/2015 | Michael Childs | NSW | $100.00 |
| 07/04/2015 | Jack Rees | Qld | $399.04 |
| 07/04/2015 | tengwirda | Vic | $50.00 |
| 07/04/2015 | davidd | SA | $190.00 |
| 07/04/2015 | Barb Frey | WA | $8.00 |
| 07/04/2015 | Laquorious Dee | SA | $10.00 |
| 07/04/2015 | Jacinta Green | NSW | $5.00 |
| 02/04/2015 | Wayne Stanford | SA | $50.00 |
| 02/04/2015 | Simon Payne | ACT | $100.00 |
| 02/04/2015 | Dave &Denece Clarke | SA | $210.00 |
| 01/04/2015 | Peter Wade | Qld | $11.00 |
| 01/04/2015 | Hoadie | Vic | $25.00 |
| 01/04/2015 | Harvey Family | SA | $50.00 |
| 31/03/2015 | ww | Qld | $50.00 |
| 31/03/2015 | forum donation jar | SA | $215.50 |
| 31/03/2015 | Interest | $2.29 | |
| 30/03/2015 | Barb Frey | WA | $8.00 |
| 30/03/2015 | Laquorious Dee | SA | $10.00 |
| 30/03/2015 | Camden CH jar | SA | $68.15 |
| 28/03/2015 | John Rolls | SA | $45.00 |
| 27/03/2015 | Jonathan Doig | NSW | $10.00 |
| 26/03/2015 | Wayne Stanford | SA | $25.00 |
| 26/03/2015 | Anton Maurus | Vic | $35.00 |
| 25/03/2015 | Peter Wade | Qld | $11.00 |
| 25/03/2015 | Hoadie | Vic | $25.00 |
| 25/03/2015 | Original Green Co | SA | $1,000.00 |
| 23/03/2015 | Barb Frey | WA | $8.00 |
| 23/03/2015 | Laquorious Dee | SA | $10.00 |
| 23/03/2015 | Mackenzie Davey | $10.00 | |
| 22/03/2015 | Dandenong Fest jar | Vic | $30.00 |
| 20/03/2015 | David Lloyd | SA | $25.00 |
| 18/03/2015 | Christine Anderson | SA | $500.00 |
| 18/03/2015 | Peter Wade | Qld | $11.00 |
| 18/03/2015 | Hoadie | Vic | $25.00 |
| 17/03/2015 | Sarah and Steven McCabe | WA | $20.00 |
| 17/03/2015 | Jean Pierre Redestorff | $19.18 | |
| 16/03/2015 | Barb Frey | WA | $8.00 |
| 16/03/2015 | Laquorious Dee | SA | $10.00 |
| 16/03/2015 | Jonathan Maddox | NSW | $50.00 |
| 16/03/2015 | Marty Booth | NSW | $60.00 |
| 16/03/2015 | Jonathan Prendergast | NSW | $5.00 |
| 16/03/2015 | Frank Lin | Qld | $10.00 |
| 13/03/2015 | Stu (JM Powershop referral) | Vic | $75.00 |
| 13/03/2015 | Gabriel Noronha | NSW | $10.00 |
| 12/03/2015 | Wayne Stanford | SA | $25.00 |
| 11/03/2015 | Peter Wade | Qld | $11.00 |
| 11/03/2015 | Hoadie | Vic | $25.00 |
| 09/03/2015 | Barb Frey | WA | $8.00 |
| 09/03/2015 | Laquorious Dee | SA | $10.00 |
| 04/03/2015 | Peter Wade | Qld | $11.00 |
| 04/03/2015 | Hoadie | Vic | $25.00 |
| 04/03/2015 | Jacinta Green | NSW | $5.00 |
| 03/03/2015 | Trish | Qld | $250.00 |
| 02/03/2015 | Barb Frey | WA | $8.00 |
| 02/03/2015 | Laquorious Dee | SA | $10.00 |
| 28/02/2015 | John Rolls | SA | $45.00 |
| 28/02/2015 | Interest | $2.98 | |
| 27/02/2015 | Jonathan Doig | NSW | $10.00 |
| 26/02/2015 | Wayne Stanford | SA | $25.00 |
| 26/02/2015 | Anton Maurus | Vic | $35.00 |
| 25/02/2015 | Peter Wade | Qld | $11.00 |
| 25/02/2015 | Hoadie | Vic | $25.00 |
| 23/02/2015 | Barb Frey | WA | $8.00 |
| 23/02/2015 | Laquorious Dee | SA | $10.00 |
| 23/02/2015 | Mackenzie Davey | $10.00 | |
| 20/02/2015 | David Lloyd | SA | $25.00 |
| 20/02/2015 | Tulgeen repayment | NSW | $1,000.00 |
| 20/02/2015 | Gawler repayment | SA | $2,119.45 |
| 18/02/2015 | Peter Wade | Qld | $11.00 |
| 18/02/2015 | Hoadie | Vic | $25.00 |
| 17/02/2015 | Sarah and Steven McCabe | WA | $20.00 |
| 17/02/2015 | Jean Pierre Redestorff | $19.18 | |
| 16/02/2015 | Barb Frey | WA | $8.00 |
| 16/02/2015 | Laquorious Dee | SA | $10.00 |
| 16/02/2015 | Jonathan Maddox | NSW | $50.00 |
| 16/02/2015 | Marty Booth | NSW | $60.00 |
| 16/02/2015 | Jonathan Prendergast | NSW | $5.00 |
| 16/02/2015 | Frank Lin | Qld | $10.00 |
| 16/02/2015 | Michael | NSW | $100.00 |
| 13/02/2015 | Big Win loan | $7,000.00 | |
| 13/02/2015 | Gabriel Noronha | NSW | $10.00 |
| 12/02/2015 | Wayne Stanford | SA | $25.00 |
| 12/02/2015 | Margaret Penfold-Newton | SA | $200.00 |
| 11/02/2015 | Peter Wade | Qld | $11.00 |
| 11/02/2015 | Hoadie | Vic | $25.00 |
| 09/02/2015 | Barb Frey | WA | $8.00 |
| 09/02/2015 | Laquorious Dee | SA | $10.00 |
| 05/02/2015 | Nick Cumbo | Vic | $5.00 |
| 04/02/2015 | Peter Wade | Qld | $11.00 |
| 04/02/2015 | Hoadie | Vic | $25.00 |
| 04/02/2015 | Jacinta Green | NSW | $5.00 |
| 02/02/2015 | Barb Frey | WA | $8.00 |
| 02/02/2015 | Laquorious Dee | SA | $10.00 |
| 02/02/2015 | William Weerts | Qld | $50.00 |
| 31/01/2015 | Gift Marina Etherington | NSW | $30.00 |
| 31/01/2015 | John Rolls | SA | $45.00 |
| 31/01/2015 | Interest | $3.10 | |
| 29/01/2015 | Wayne Stanford | SA | $25.00 |
| 29/01/2015 | Jonathan Doig | NSW | $10.00 |
| 28/01/2015 | Peter Wade | Qld | $11.00 |
| 28/01/2015 | Hoadie | Vic | $25.00 |
| 27/01/2015 | Barb Frey | WA | $8.00 |
| 27/01/2015 | Laquorious Dee | SA | $10.00 |
| 27/01/2015 | Anton Maurus | Vic | $35.00 |
| 23/01/2015 | Mackenzie Davey | $10.00 | |
| 23/01/2015 | Bill Gresham | ACT | $400.00 |
| 22/01/2015 | Mike Craddock | NSW | $100.00 |
| 21/01/2015 | Peter Wade | Qld | $11.00 |
| 21/01/2015 | Hoadie | Vic | $25.00 |
| 20/01/2015 | David Lloyd | SA | $25.00 |
| 20/01/2015 | Stu (Tim H Powershop credit) | Vic | $50.00 |
| 19/01/2015 | Barb Frey | WA | $8.00 |
| 19/01/2015 | Laquorious Dee | SA | $10.00 |
| 19/01/2015 | Sarah and Steven McCabe | WA | $20.00 |
| 17/01/2015 | Jean Pierre Redestorff | $19.22 | |
| 16/01/2015 | Jonathan Maddox | NSW | $50.00 |
| 16/01/2015 | Frank Lin | Qld | $10.00 |
| 15/01/2015 | Wayne Stanford | SA | $25.00 |
| 15/01/2015 | Tim H | Vic | $50.00 |
| 15/01/2015 | Gabriel Noronha | NSW | $10.00 |
| 15/01/2015 | Marty Booth | NSW | $60.00 |
| 14/01/2015 | Jonathan Prendergast | NSW | $5.00 |
| 14/01/2015 | Peter Wade | Qld | $11.00 |
| 14/01/2015 | Hoadie | Vic | $25.00 |
| 12/01/2015 | Barb Frey | WA | $8.00 |
| 12/01/2015 | Laquorious Dee | SA | $10.00 |
| 07/01/2015 | Peter Wade | Qld | $11.00 |
| 07/01/2015 | Hoadie | Vic | $25.00 |
| 05/01/2015 | Barb Frey | WA | $8.00 |
| 05/01/2015 | Laquorious Dee | SA | $10.00 |
| 05/01/2015 | Jacinta Green | NSW | $5.00 |
| 02/01/2015 | Wayne Stanford | SA | $25.00 |
| 31/12/2014 | Peter Wade | Qld | $11.00 |
| 31/12/2014 | Interest | $2.43 | |
| 30/12/2014 | Anna Childs | NSW | $50.00 |
| 29/12/2014 | Barb Frey | WA | $8.00 |
| 29/12/2014 | Laquorious Dee | SA | $10.00 |
| 29/12/2014 | Original Green Co | SA | $500.00 |
| 29/12/2014 | Jonathan Doig | NSW | $10.00 |
| 29/12/2014 | Anton Maurus | Vic | $35.00 |
| 29/12/2014 | Catie | NSW | $100.00 |
| 29/12/2014 | Nick Cumbo | Vic | $70.80 |
| 28/12/2014 | gift for Paul & Adam | SA | $100.00 |
| 24/12/2014 | Peter Wade | Qld | $11.00 |
| 23/12/2014 | Mackenzie Davey | $10.00 | |
| 22/12/2014 | Gift for Wayne Stanford | SA | $50.00 |
| 22/12/2014 | Matt Farrell | SA | $50.00 |
| 22/12/2014 | David Lloyd | SA | $25.00 |
| 22/12/2014 | Barb Frey | WA | $8.00 |
| 22/12/2014 | Laquorious Dee | SA | $10.00 |
| 22/12/2014 | Bill Gresham | ACT | $100.00 |
| 22/12/2014 | Chris Simmons | SA | $100.00 |
| 18/12/2014 | Wayne Stanford | SA | $25.00 |
| 17/12/2014 | Jean Pierre Redestorff | $19.22 | |
| 17/12/2014 | Jack Rees | Qld | $3.87 |