Solar Project
Solar in Blueskin is taking off!
We are SOLAR POWERED!
BRCT thanks Bendigo Valley Foundation for contributing towards the cost of the equipment, Enasolar for providing a cool new interactive inverter, SolarCity for providing discounted panels and racks, Jenna Packer for providing valuable rewards, and to all those who have made a tax-deductable pledge on our 'Turn on the Sun' campaign. The BRCT office is now energy positive with a 1.5kW solar PV array. Will you help spread the word about community led energy transition?
Energy produced in the last 7 Days
The graph to the right shows the electricity generated each hour in the last 7 days. Thanks to the generousity of the community we are covering our own energy use and contributing the surplus to the school.
Background
Interest in community solar has grown as our work on developing community wind has progressed. In 2012 BRCT began work to facilitate the uptake of solar in Blueskin alongside community wind development.
On the 4th of Feb 2013, a public meeting on solar was held. The majority of those present liked the idea of arranging our own community purchase of a container of PV panels from China and fixing the solar equipment in local teams. Since then, a lot of work has been done to find out how we can go about getting low cost solar systems into the community because it makes sense to harness the power of the sun. We didn't 'buy a container of solar from China' but solar installations have been progressing steadily ever since.
Our leaflet (click here) illustrated different options and you can contact us for further information.
What is the difference between Solar PV and Solar Thermal?
Solar PV: You can generate renewable electricity from the sun using photovoltaic (PV) systems. PV systems convert sunlight into electricity. A system is usually made up of one or several PV panels, an inverter (DC to AC), a racking system that holds the solar panels, electrical interconnections, and mounting for other components. Solar panels with micro-inverters are also available. Grid-tied systems (you buy and sell electricity from/to a retailer) and off-grid systems (stand alone, often with a battery bank) have some different requirements but the principle of turning your home or building into a mini power station is the same. The cost of photovoltaic panels has dropped dramatically in recent years and now many people are wanting to 'go solar'.
Solar Thermal: You can heat your water using the sun's heat. Solar thermal refers to the technology for capturing thermal energy (heat) from the sun. Solar thermal is a very efficient conversion of the sun's energy into something very useful - hot water (a thermal panel converts over 50% of the available solar energy into heat, while a good PV panel won’t get much more than 15%). Hot water is both for domestic supply and can also be used for space heating (radiators and underfloor heating). Solar thermal installations while more efficient in terms of energy tranformation, are usually more complex than PV systems to install as they involve plumbing, as well as electrical work and must interact with other household technologies (hot water cylinders).
If you are interested in receiving emails about solar action contact us.