473 households in Central Victoria have installed a MASH solar PV system as of 27 May, 2016, making it one of the biggest and most successful community solar bulk-buys currently running in Australia. These systems have all been installed since September 2014, through two major rounds:
- MASH 1 = 230 new solar rooftops.
- MASH 2 (round 2 which finished Autumn 2016) = 243 solar rooftops.
Around 300 of the installations are in Mount Alexander Shire with most of the others in Macedon Ranges.
Widespread benefits
MASH has benefited households, community groups, the local economy – and the environment – in the following ways:
- Household electricity bills cut by over $380,000 each year.
- CO2 emissions cut by a whopping 2600 tonnes annually, equal to 525 cars off the road.
- More local jobs – for solar installers PLUS 7 new roles with the Hub Foundation (currently recruiting), as well work for local freelancers and businesses.
- 4 new community solar PV installations worth $23,000 – delivered free to the communities of Mt Alexander Shire and Macedon Ranges.
MASH is now in the ‘Megawatt League’
In terms of size, the MASH program is now in the megawatt league with over 1.7MW of solar capacity installed (that’s almost half the size of Hepburn Wind). Over 6,600 panels have been installed.
What next?
MASH3 will launch this July in Mount Alexander Shire, Macedon Ranges Shire and the City of Greater Bendigo. It will offer households:
- High quality solar PV systems at discounted bulk-buy prices.
- Battery storage – both for homes without solar and those wanting to add storage to existing systems.
- Plus free community bonus systems for every 100 installations completed in the Shires where MASH3 is active.
To receive information about MASH3 when it starts, sign up for the launch email.
