3225 Community Solar Program

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

My home or business or community organisation is not in the Borough of Queenscliffe, can we participate?

Absolutely. Our community solar program is open to anyone living or operating in the Geelong region -  you just need to book a consultation through our website, here.

What products are available as part of the program?

Solar systems, battery systems and heat pump hot water systems. 

Other electrification products like split systems or EV charging stations were not assessed as part of the scope of this program.

How was Vortex Electrical chosen as the provider for this program?

QCAN undertook a thorough selection and vetting process to select the delivery partner for this program. 

First, we researched the solar retailers operating in our region using the experience of previous programs, our members and fellow renewable energy groups in the region, particularly Geelong Sustainability. This enabled us to shortlist five reputable companies who we then invited to respond to a detailed EOI questionnaire which formed the basis of our evaluation. 

We reviewed the submissions from the shortlisted companies with the help of an independent renewable energy consultant (Wave Consulting Pty Ltd) and narrowed down the field to two companies. We then conducted in depth interviews with key staff and the owners of both businesses. We also undertook further due diligence and reference checks.

At the conclusion of this process our QCAN renewable energy team and the independent consultant from Wave Consulting were all in agreement on the final choice of Vortex as the delivery partner for the program.

What were the criteria used in the selection process?

The key selection criteria that we used were as follows:

  • The experience and qualifications of the team, including relevant industry accreditation status

  • The range, quality and pricing of the products on offer

  • Approach to customer - looking for a personal visit and customised product design process rather than ‘off the shelf’ quoting

  • Quality after sales service, including warranties on both products and installation

  • Preparedness to present at community information sessions

  • The capacity and ability to deliver on our solar penetration targets.

Although not the top priority, we also asked the shortlisted providers what they could give back to our community in terms of donated solar and or battery systems in return for the expected volume of sales that they could make by being chosen as the delivery partner for our program. 

How did Vortex Electrical come out on top as our preferred provider?

A number of factors - what we liked about them was:

  • A really well thought through range of top quality systems with the most competitive pricing of all the suppliers we evaluated in the EOI process.

  • Their commitment to personal on-site design focused on a positive approach to tailor a system for each customer’s requirements – both now and for the future

  • That they employ their own qualified and experienced staff to undertake installations rather than sub contract the work to other installers

  • Their passion for sustainability and renewables – demonstrated in their provision of a recycling service for old solar and battery equipment

  • Their generous add on benefits for customers and proposed donation back to our community.

Will this program offer me the cheapest deal?

QCAN is confident that the pricing on offer through this community solar program is competitive for the quality of products and installation work on offer but there may always be cheaper alternatives out there – especially for lower quality systems. Our strong recommendation is to invest in quality products that will last and that is what is on offer through this program.

How was the pricing for the various systems on offer set?

In the competitive selection process, the shortlisted providers were asked to specify their offered pricing for their proposed range of solar, battery and heat pump hot water systems.

It was made clear in the process that the pricing on offer was one of the most important criteria for selection, equal to the quality of products on offer.

We were able to compare the base pricing offered by the various providers on an ‘apple to apple’ basis by standardising the basis of comparison and ensuring the products on offer were the same or of a comparative level of quality.

Vortex’s pricing was the lowest of the shortlisted providers in the EOI process across the whole range of quality solar, battery and heat pump hot water systems. We also checked their pricing against two other providers operating  in our region whose pricing we were able to ascertain after the EOI process.

Some other points to note regarding the example pricing shown in Vortex’s program flyer:

  • The prices shown are before deduction of SolarVic rebate (and in the case of heat pump hot water systems, the VEEC rebate) that may be applicable. Many other solar retailers quote prices after deduction of rebates. 

  • The prices shown include all installation and connection work. They assume a simple installation – e.g. on a single storey pitched tin roof for a solar system. Installation costs will be higher for double storey houses or for flat roofs that require racking to hold the panels.

  • The proposed solar systems include consumption monitoring as standard – this is not normally offered by other solar installers but is important for maximising the benefits of solar power.

  • Component pricing may fluctuate depending on producer costs. For example the price for the Tesla Powerwall 2 battery reduced by $2,000 recently, partly due to a reduction in the wholesale price offered by Tesla. 

What else do I get by participating in this program?

Vortex are offering significant add-on services for participants in this program which include:

  • A 10 year workmanship warranty for installation work

  • After sales guidance on system monitoring and making the most of your solar system

  • A personal electricity plan check in 6 months following installation

  • A free panel clean and system audit 2 years after installation

  • A $200 discount for adding a heat pump hot water system for a solar or battery system customer.

What is the community donation?

It is common practice for community solar programs to request that companies putting themselves forward, offer a donation back to the community they are working with

Why? To demonstrate their commitment to the goals of the program and to the community whose trust they are being given.

The community solar program that Geelong Sustainability ran across the Geelong region in 2021/2, resulted in the Point Lonsdale Bowling Club being donated a 10kW solar system by RACV who were the partner for that program.

This community solar program has been organised and run by QCAN. Vortex is our delivery  partner and has agreed to provide a community donation based on the volume of sales at the end of the program. Vortex and QCAN will negotiate the best way to apply the donation - which comes in the form of donated solar and/or battery systems  - to support a community organisation in the Borough of Queenscliffe to transition to a renewable energy supply.  

How long does a solar system last and what happens to the equipment at the end of its useful life?

All of the solar panels on offer under this program have product and performance warranties of 20-25 years whilst inverters and batteries generally have 10 year product warranties. In practice the equipment could be expected to operate for longer than these warranty periods. 

Most financial analyses of solar systems assume a lifespan of 20-25 years; conservative analyses factor in the replacement of an inverter at year 10 or 12 though with high quality inverters such as Fronius, the lifespan is likely to be considerably longer.

Solar and battery equipment can effectively be recycled at the end of its life and Vortex uses Lotus Energy in Melbourne to recycle old equipment.

The recycling of solar systems is a rapidly changing space and will likely be more efficient and have greater capacity by the time the systems in this program are decommissioned.

What about heritage overlay restrictions – will that stop me from installing solar?

The short answer is no – in the vast majority of cases, buildings within the heritage overlay area of the Borough should be able to install solar. 

The Borough of Queenscliffe’s advice is: 

  • Solar Panels do require a planning permit in a heritage overlay where they are visible from the street only. 

  • If a planning permit is needed for a solar panel in a heritage overlay then that process can be a Vic Smart permit which is a fast track process (10 day turn around) and no public notice is needed. 

  • If a solar panel is visible from the street on a building in a heritage overlay that is not necessarily a problem but it will need to be considered on a case by case basis depending on the building type and panel location. Generally if the solar panels are flat on roofs or slightly elevated it is unlikely to be an issue.

You can contact the Borough of Queenscliffe’s Senior Planner Brydon King directly at townplanning@queenscliffe.vic.gov.au or (03) 5258 1377.

What savings will I make by installing a solar/battery system?

This will vary a lot depending on electricity consumption, the daily pattern of consumption and tariffs as well as many other factors. Vortex will review all of this to provide a customised  analysis of the savings you will make and payback projections when they design your system and present you with a proposal.

For most homes the annual bill savings from installing a solar system will be in the range of $800-$1,000 and will have completely offset the initial cost within 6 to 10 years. As the cost of electricity rises (as is highly likely) these payback periods will shorten. Quality systems will last for 25 years so the initial investment should repay itself a few times over providing  an attractive, reliable (and tax free) return on investment. 

Payback periods of combined solar and battery systems would be longer because of the relatively high cost of batteries at the moment. However, apart from pure savings in power bills and further emission reductions, the key benefit batteries also provide is some measure of grid independence and black out protection.

Electricity savings can be maximised with a specifically tailored solar solution and where self-consumption of your solar generation is achieved through understanding how your system works. Vortex will work with you after your system is installed to make this simple and easy for you.