Western Australian Solar Installer Donates System To Local Charity

Image : AYLA via Facebook

It’s always great to see Australian solar installation companies supporting the communities that help support them.

Charities and community groups can find it difficult at the best of times to make ends meet and electricity price rises are putting increasing pressure on many; leading to funds being diverted from delivering services to those they aim to help to paying bills just to keep the lights on.

For one charity in Western Australia, those worries look to be a thing of the past.

WA’s Cockburn Gazette reports West Australian Alternative Energy (WAAE) has donated a 10kw solar power system to Assisting Your Life to Achieve Inc (AYLA). A system of that size will put a significant dent in the group’s power bills.

WAAE is a commercial solar installation company that recently relocated from Busselton to Cockburn, and no doubt they’ve left some very good first impressions with their generous donation.

AYLA Inc. is active within the local community in providing a wide range of services including emergency food relief, clothing and furniture assistance, financial advice, life coaching and mental health services.

Solar power provides a great way for charities and community organisations like AYLA to slash electricity costs, but it can be challenging for groups to raise the up-front funds needed to acquire a system – or as in AYLA’s case, be lucky enough to have one donated.

While Australia’s solar subsidy for residential/commercial systems is also available to community groups and  can knock thousands off the cost of going solar, it still leaves thousands of dollars needing to be found.

Grants are available from time to time from State Governments, but can be easily missed and often require navigating a significant amount of paperwork. Solar finance could be an option, but may be difficult to secure and groups need to ensure the numbers stack up.

A fantastic initiative we’ve mentioned in the past is  Citizens Own Renewable Energy Network Australia (CORENA), which has been utilising people power to help community groups around Australia install solar since 2013. It provides interest-free loans for solar power system installations that are repaid over time out of savings on power bills.

Another group, Positive Charge, assists groups in Victoria and New South Wales identify funding opportunities and help with applications for grants, as well as  provide advice on fundraising and community engagement.