~ waynie ~

a little spot of random

[corenafund]

Good news! Our solar PV for project for Kuranda Neighbourhood Centre has been fully funded in just one month. Huge thanks to everyone who chipped in! :) If you still want to make a tax deductible EOFY donation, your donation will help fund Project 24, also in Queensland, solar PV for Marlin Coast Neighbourhood Centre. >> Best way to chip in (no fees) is via our website: https://corenafund.org.au/quick-win-projects/marlin-coast-neighbourhood-centre-qld/ OR >> Quick easy donation using card, ApplePay, or similar via Chuffed.org at https://chuffed.org/project/corena-quick-win-revolving-fund

[corenafund]

Almost there…

Want to make a tax deductible EOFY donation to help complete funding for Kuranda Neighbourhood Centre’s new solar installation?

This is people power in action, reducing carbon emissions for everyone’s benefit. You can see details and chip in at https://corenafund.org.au/quick-win-projects/23-kuranda-neighbourhood-centre-qld/

[corenafund]

A unique aspect of CORENA’s model is that we focus on empowering climate-concerned people to chip in and make a difference by supporting community energy projects, regardless of whether or not those projects are within their local community (and we’re continually amazed by the support of the CORENA community!).

But if our Quick Win projects also inspire the local community to fund part of their project, it’ll further help to accelerate the project - reducing carbon emissions sooner, and injecting more money into the revolving fund for future projects.

So, for QWP 22 at Engadine Flexicare, we’re trying something new!

We’ve partnered with Sunny Shire to launch a crowd funding campaign, with a 20% locally fundraised target, in parallel with CORENA’s normal fund raising. And in 5 days they’ve already hit 50% of their target! That has given a huge boost to QWP 22, which is already over 50% funded.

You can check out the crowd funding campaign and chip in here: https://chuffed.org/project/engadine-flexicare-solar. Or you can read the project details and donate at https://corenafund.org.au/quick-win-projects/22-engadine-occ-nsw/

Please share and let’s see how it goes!

[corenafund]

We’re delightfully surprised by how quickly donations have been coming in for solar at CERES Environment Park :)

Care to help us raise the last $1,342? Please chip in if you can, or share with your friends. See https://corenafund.org.au/quick-win-projects/21-ceres-environment-park-vic/

[corenafund]

A good-good-bad-good news story!

CERES Environment Park have been planning 3 new solar installations to add to their existing solar and wind generation, and we WERE going to be raising around $40k for one of the installations (the 20kW one on the chook house roof). But just the other day a very generous philanthropist offered to cover the cost of 2 of the installations (chook house + Merri), so we are now going to be funding the 3rd installation on the Human Powered Classroom instead.

We now have a smaller funding target of $24,176, and we are getting close! This will pay for a 9.24kW solar installation and also cover the cost of some rather expensive network protection gear that is necessary to enable these new installations to take place.

If you’d like to help us get this project over the line, please chip in at https://corenafund.org.au/quick-win-projects/21-ceres-environment-park-vic/

[corenafund]

Melbourne’s CERES Environment Park is a real sustainability pioneer, but they’ve expanded their community operations so much over the years that their existing solar panels and small wind turbines no longer come close to covering their electricity needs.

That is why CORENA is is very pleased to be fundraising to help CERES install a new top quality 20+kW solar installation. We will use newly donated funds and loan repayments from the 20 Quick Win projects we’ve completed already to give CERES an interest-free loan. They’ll be able to pay that back easily out of their savings on power bills, and as the money comes back to us we use it over and over again in similar future solar projects for other non-profit community organisations.

BUT this is a huge project, so please consider chipping in if you can. You’ll be helping to fund a whole string of future projects, not just this one! See project details and the donate button at

https://corenafund.org.au/quick-win-projects/21-ceres-environment-park-vic/

Please share widely. We think there must be lots of CERES supporters out there who will be happy to help CERES reduce their carbon footprint even further. :)

[waynie]

Please, vote yes.

[corenafund]

CORENA - Citizens Own Renewable Energy Network Australia Inc

Only 11 days left to purchase ticket’s in CORENA’s fundraiser as part of the People’s Choice Credit Union Community Lottery.

This fundraiser, along with membership fees and donations specifically sent to our administration account, cover essential administration costs associated with running CORENA. This includes costs such as insurance fees, web hosting / maintenance, and membership to relevant community bodies. We believe in transparency, and details of our expenses are outlined in our Annual Reports, with our 2016-17 report to be tabled at our upcoming AGM in just over a month’s time.

People’s Choice Credit Union are one of the good guys, who don’t invest in, or provide financial services to the fossil fuel industry. That’s why we’re more than happy to partner with them in this fundraiser.

Please support us in doing what we do best, and consider purchasing a ticket or two. Every dollar helps.

[corenafund]

Congratulations to Albert from Uralla, NSW! 

Albert is the first landlord to install solar PV on a rental property he owns under CORENA’s landlord-tenant solar scheme. He has installed a 4.62kW system using LG panels and an SMA inverter, with some panels flat and some on a tilt frame to achieve best orientation on a small gabled roof.

This scheme breaks the ‘split benefit’ barrier in cases where both the landlord and the tenant want solar. CORENA offers an interest-free loan to landlords to install solar PV. The tenant benefits from the resultant drop in electricity bills, but agrees to pay up to half the savings to the landlord via a small rent increase to help pay for the panels. Ultimately both parties win financially, and WE all win as a result of reducing the carbon footprint of rented accomodation.

See: https://corenafund.org.au/big-win-projects/current-breakthrough-projects/ 

[corenafund]

There is still a bit of matching potential left in our EOFY donation matching opportunity! Donations to CORENA projects will be matched dollar-for-dollar up to a max of $200 per donor, and amounts over $2 are tax deductible.

But apart from all that, you’ll be helping to avoid carbon emissions that otherwise would continue to exacerbate the climate emergency. That’s the real win!

See https://corenafund.org.au/

[corenafund]

Our friends at COREM are currently raising funds for two solar PV installations in Mullumbimby.

“We have another 2 projects ready to build as soon as we get the remaining funds together. As soon as we raise another $7,500 we can install solar on the Federal Community Hall and the Brunswick Valley Historical Society Museum. We have calculated how much carbon pollution is offset by your donation, so you know you are doing your bit to reduce your climate impact. You also are part of a bigger movement that gives community groups greater financial resilience and grows COREM’s Community Revolving Energy Fund where electricity bill savings from the solar installations continue to fund more projects.”

For information, or to contribute, please visit… https://www.chuffed.org/project/corem-renewable-community-power

[corenafund]

Thank you to everyone who chipped in to fund our most recent Quick Win project. While we sort out details of our next Quick Win project, why not check out the CORENA Big Win project!

There is so much happening in the community energy space, and so much potential for our Big Win project fund.

For more information about the fund, please check out the following web page… http://corenafund.org.au/big-win-projects-2/

[corenafund]

We’re now quite close to the target amount for installing solar PV for Tastex Knitwear and Uniforms, a non-profit org that provides meaningful work for people who have an intellectual disability. 

Tastex have raised $13,350 via donations directly to them, and we will be giving them an interest-free loan to cover the rest of the cost (it’s a 30kW installation, and they already had some funds to go towards it - total cost is $42,000).

Can you help us get over the line by the end of August? If so, please see http://corenafund.org.au/quick-win-projects/14-tastex-knitwear-and-uniforms-tas/

Or, do you know someone else who might like to help? If so, please re-blog this post!

[corenafund]

Just under $7,500 to go for our current project at Tastex in Tasmania.

Tastex’s founding purpose is to provide employment and training for people with intellectual disabilities and to be self-funding through its knitwear factory. Tastex is a “Special Work” of the St Vincent de Paul Society, and is an Australian Disability Enterprise.

[corenafund]

Thank you to eveyone who chipped in! Our 13th Quick Win community solar project is now fully funded. 

This means Kulchajam will soon be installing their 6kW solar PV system and all of us will benefit from their lower carbon footprint. :)

All funds will now be directed to Project 14! To find out more or chip in, click the following link: http://corenafund.org.au/quick-win-projects/14-tastex-knitwear-and-uniforms-tas/ 

[corenafund]

Apply for an interest-free loan to pay for solar installation and energy efficiency measures at non-profit community organisations. Loans are repaid from

Do you know any Not For Profit entities within Australia who own, or have a long term lease on their property, with a rooftop solar for a new solar installation?

If you do, you may wish to send them this link! 

Keep reading

[waynie]

Tim Minchin, amazing.