Planet Childcare
Coledale
I wanted to do the right thing by our planet, as well as my hip pocket.
Susie Crick is heavily involved in Surfrider Foundation – a not-for-profit organisation that protects our oceans and coastline. She also happens to run a successful childcare business in Coledale on the beautiful South Coast of NSW called Planet Childcare.
| Previous electricity bill | Current electricity bill | Savings | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average consumption: | 35kWh/day | 10.8kWh/day | 24.2kWh/day |
| Average cost: | $450/qtr | $90/qtr | $360/qtr |
| Solar power system installed: | |||
| 12.4kW LG/Fronius system | |||
Overview
Susie was more interested in the environmental benefits associated with going solar than saving money, though she recognises she can achieve both by installing good quality equipment. She didn’t know much about solar to start with, but she’s learnt a lot along the way and is thrilled with the reduction in her company’s carbon footprint and their bills as a result of installing solar.
“We wanted a high quality, long-lasting product that wouldn’t rust. Something that’s durable. We were guided by Caro and the team at The Energy Experts about which panels would be the most suitable, given our proximity to the coast here,” says Susie Crick, Planet Childcare Director.
Susie ended up opting for a 16kW system using LG panels and a Fronius inverter, which has drastically reduced their quarterly electricity bill.
Susie says: “We wanted a system for the here and now, but also for down the track. We know it’s just a matter of time before electric vehicles become mainstream and we want to be able to give our staff the option of charging their cars here. This is why we chose to oversize our system.”
There’s loads of suitable roof space at Planet Childcare.
Director of The Energy Experts Carolyn Lee says: “I used to drive past Planet Childcare on Lawrence Hargrave Drive quite regularly and I couldn’t believe they hadn’t yet installed a system. It’s a massive north-facing roof that was crying out for solar. I decided to get in touch and Susie was very receptive to the idea of getting a system.
“We haven’t looked back since,” says Susie. “We’ve changed energy providers since getting our system installed, as the provider we were with didn’t have the best Solar Feed-In Tariff. Over summer, we don’t get a bill and the rest of the time, it’s really low. I feel like we’re doing our thing to protect our precious planet.”
Panet Childcare’s pre-solar Electricity Bill
