Rochedale Meals on Wheels

After recently moving into their new facility, Rochedale-Springwood Meals on Wheels decided to investigate whether solar would be worth the investment to reduce their high electricity bills. Brian O’Sullivan, the President of Rochedale-Springwood Meals on Wheels, stated, 

​“we wanted solar because we didn’t want to pay for electricity. We’ve got a big freezer, a big fridge, and air conditioning throughout the building”. 

As a non-profit organisation that relies on funding from federal/state governments and the generosity of volunteers, Brian needed to ensure that utility costs were as minimal as possible to allow their funding to be properly utilised for quality meals, transportation, and communication resources. 

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With operations running five days a week, solar was a clear choice for reducing rising electricity costs. The greatest power consumption for the facility occurs between the hours of 7:30am-12:00pm, when volunteers are using industrial ovens, stoves, mixers, air conditioning, and other kitchen equipment. 

Brian says he felt comfortable with their decision to proceed with solar after a comprehensive site inspection with Springers Solar director, Eddie Springer. 

​“During the first site inspection, [Eddie] was brilliant - he asked what we wanted, our goals, and completed an analysis of how much power we were using during our peak periods of operation”. 

Springer’s in-house team of engineers designed and installed a SolarEdge system with a total capacity of 28.12 kW. With 76 SolarEdge 370 W Smart Panels connected to a SolarEdge 30 kW Three Phase Inverter, the system will heavily offset intensive daytime power loads.

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The SolarEdge system also offers insight into the performance of the system via SolarEdge’s monitoring platform, which Brian and his team can access from their computer or mobile. Springers Solar will continue to monitor the system to ensure it is performing optimally, as part of Springer's ongoing after-sale support. 

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This solar system is set to produce 46 mWh of solar energy every year and reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 36 tonnes every year, which is equivalent to planting 1,685 trees. With ideal conditions, the system could save Rochedale-Springwood Meals on Wheels up to $10,900 off their annual electricity bill, which would reduce their pre-solar bill by more than 60%.

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Brian and his team have no regrets about choosing to install solar with Springers Solar, and Brian states that although he received a couple of quotes from different installers, they ultimately decided to proceed with Springers Solar as they 

​“came in with the best and most detailed quote, and they were also endorsed by the council, so they were the obvious choice”.​