Charity group St Vincent de Paul Society has installed a 25kW rooftop solar system on its head office and Vinnies shop in Lismore, NSW, in an effort to save on energy and operating costs.
The installation of the 100-panel PV array follows a trial solar installation at a Vinnies shop in Casino a year ago – an exercise that cut the shop’s electricity costs cut by 70 per cent.
“Electricity is our second largest cost after waste expenses, said St Vincent de Paul Society executive officer Michael Timbrell.
“Our building in Lismore – which includes a retail shop as well as our head office – has had the largest power usage across the Lismore Diocese, which spans from Tweed Heads to Port Macquarie,” he said.
“By investing in solar, we have the ability to reduce our operating costs considerably – and in turn, this vital money can instead go towards helping people experiencing severe disadvantage in the local community.”
Timbrell told Echo NetDaily that the organisation would continue to look at initiatives to gain energy efficiencies at its retail shops and other office space around the Lismore Diocese.
“Our long-term goal is to install solar energy at all our properties when we undertake any future renovations and refurbishments,’ he said
Sophie is editor of One Step Off The Grid and editor of its sister site, Renew Economy. Sophie has been writing about clean energy for more than a decade.
