Sun Empire Solar Systems

The Government has brought the Solar Homes and Communities Plan (SHCP) $8000 rebate to an abrupt end and will only accept completed applications sent by Tuesday 9 June 2009. Refer to the joint media release from Peter Garrett and Penny Wong attached.

Click here for the media release.

The rationale for this drastic step is the recent surge in applications for the $8000 grant which will see the Government spend several hundred million dollars more than it had allowed for in the budget. The Government has advised that there are currently more than 63,000 applications in the pipeline that will be progressively installed over the next nine months or so.

The Government has also advised that it will bring forward the new “Solar Credits” scheme which will provide for five times the RECs for PV systems up to 1.5 kW. Only systems installed from Tuesday 9 June 2009 that are not eligible for the SHCP rebate will be eligible for Solar Credits.

The big problem however is that the legislation is still being developed and will not come into effect for some time. The Government has committed to release the legislation today and to introduce it into Parliament next week. However there is no guarantee that the legislation will sail smoothly through the Senate, instead it may get caught up for some time.

On the basis that the legislation does get through Parliament we will still not be able to create RECs for Solar Credits until the regulator has implemented a number of changes to the registry and advised what additional information is required on our assignment forms.

We will still be able to process “normal” RECs as normal for all systems. However, where the installation is eligible for Solar Credits, we can create the single RECs now and when the Solar Credits system is in place we will be able to create the additional RECs.

Key issues:

1. Systems that do not receive government rebates (eg businesses or customers with income of more than $100,000) will now be eligible for solar credits if installed from 9 June 2009.

2. Customers that have missed out on the SHCP rebate will now be eligible for Solar Credits from 9 June 2009.

3. We are still awaiting further details of how the Solar Credits Scheme will work in practice and whether systems installed under the Schools Program and the Remote Renewable Power Generation Program (RRPGP) will be eligible.

How Solar Credits Works

Additional RECs will be available for a PV, wind or hydro system installed on or after 9 June 2009.

· The additional RECs – also referred to as the “REC Multiplier” will be available for the first 1.5 kW and capacity above this will be eligible for the normal 1:1 ratio

· Initially the additional RECs will be 5 times the normal RECs reducing to 4 times for systems installed in 2012/13 and then phase down to no multiplier from 2015/16 onwards

· Solar Credits will only be available for the first system installed at the site and not for upgrades or extensions to existing systems

Our apologies to all those customers who have missed out on the $8000. For all of you the new"Solar Credits" program will be coming into effect after the 1st July pending on the legislation being passed this month by the government.

Click on the link below for more information:

Solar Credits

We have been given reports that Minister Peter Garrett has said that the Australian public has not supported the solar industry enough or shown enough interest. Sun Empire can categorically state with our experience over the last few years, especially the last two months, that the Australian public has overwhelmingly supported solar power in Australia. With Sun Empire's help many solar systems will be installed yet. As more information comes to light we will let you know.

With the end of the government's $8000 rebate many electricians and entrepreneurs have joined the solar industry to make a quick buck.

We have at least 2 security companies who thought that solar sounded like a good idea, and started almost overnight installing solar power systems. There are bankers turned "green experts" who have also cashed in. There are many internet based companies who sell their systems all over Australia without even seeing the clients home first and using random contractors the've never even met!

Many electricians are installing solar with little or no experience in design or install experience. Many companies have unqualified installers doing the work with the qualified installer/designer signing off on the job without ever even seeing it.

Many companies pitch themselves as "Bulk" buying groups. Whilst they can supply their products at a cheap and attractive price, there is a cost. Usually you will get a Chinese solar panel, re-badged as the companies own or even from a German owned company, but made in China. These companies use dozens of in-experienced solar installers accross the state to get their cheap systems installed. They pay these contractors peanuts because they have such low margins, and they expect miracles! Of course the customer expects a quality job, but they get a rushed, sloppy job from contracted installers trying to complete two 6 panel (1kW) jobs a day to pay their bills. These solar companies will never tell you all this, it is not in their best interest.

Continued... click on link below to read more.