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Company profile

Product showrooms in South Gippsland and the Latrobe Valley

About Us P3

Why Solar Works for You P4 - P5

Solar Power P6

Solar Hot Water P7

P8Case Study - Sporting Legends Club

Case Study - The Vets

Case Study - Off-grid in Foster P9

Case Study - Moe/Newborough Leisure Centre

Our Installers P10

Our Commitment P11

TABLE OF CONTENTS

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ABOUT USFrom the beginning, operating out of our spare bedroom with a rusty old Hilux, to the present with two product showrooms and 16 staff members, two things have remained the same: an absolute commitment to reducing your electricity bills with the right advice, and a level of service and support that is unmatched anywhere in Gippsland.

We have over 100 years of combined experience, with ourin-house team working on domestic and large-scale projects all over Gippsland. With a combination of the highest quality products, backed up by old-fashioned customer service, we are able to provide a full suite of services for your home or business. Gippsland Solar have the knowledge and experience to design a solar solution that works for you.

Our approach to solar is simple: every home and business is different, and therefore requires a system specifically designed for its needs. Whether it’s Solar Power, Solar Hot Water or an off-grid solution, we sit down with you and analyse your energy costs, to design a system that suits your requirements.

The Home and Business solar experts

More than 100 years combined experience

Over 1,500 systems installed across Gippsland

Full project-management included, dealingwith retailers and distributors on your behalf

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WHY SOLAR WORKS

FOR YOU

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TERMS AND CONDITIONS: * 20 Years of Free Electricity: Subject to capital expenditure or finance required to obtain your Solar system and the productwarranty of the specific system installed. This does not take into account any maintenance or running costs of the system installed or changes in government policy over the lifetime of your system.

Reduce your electricity or gas billsGippsland Solar are passionate about reducing your energy bills. By focusing on premium quality products, with the greatest long-term efficiency, we are able to significantly reduce your ongoing electricity or gas costs.

Add value to your home or businessInstalling Solar Power, Solar Hot Water or Battery Storage is a fantastic way to increase the value of your home or business. With energy prices rising at an ever-increasing rate, investing in Solar will ensure that your home or business is more valuable, and provide a real point of difference if you choose to sell your property.

Up to 20 Years of Free Electricity*With the average solar system paid off in 5-7 years, and many solar product warranties now available at up to 25 or 30 years, you can essentially achieve up to 20 years of free electricity once your system is paid off. You can ensure that your home or is insulated against rising energy prices, while other consumers foot the bill.

Reduce Your Carbon FootprintWith climate change concerns and an increasing focus on renewable energy, installing Solar is a great way to directly reduce your carbon footprint. Use your appliances during daylight hours, and they are literally running off solar power. Do your bit for the Environment, and leave a better planet for future generations.

FRONIUS INVERTERS

Fronius is the one of the world’s largest inverter suppliers, and have been manufacturing electronics for over 70 years. Fronius inverters are produced in a world-class facility in Europe, and come complete with a full monitoring package. Gippsland Solar can monitor this system remotely, and we receive a text or email if there is an issue with the system output.

The main advantages of Fronius inverters are:European manufacturing - Fronius inverters are completely designed AND manufactured in a state-of-the-art facility in Austria. They employ over 15,000 staff, and they also manufacture every nut and bolt of the inverters themselves. This ensures a much higher standard on the finished product.

Rigorous real-world testing - Fronius also conduct their own rigorous testing in-house. This ensures that their inverters are designed to handle water and dust ingress, and also that they are suitable for coastal installation.

Fronius Service Partner – Gippsland Solar are also an authorized Fronius Service Partner, providing the ultimate peace of mind for you. In the unlikely event of an issue with the inverter, Gippsland Solar have the authority to replace an inverter on the spot! With other inverter manufacturers warranty policies, you must send the inverter back to them, wait for them to determine the problem, then they will install a new unit. Our ability to rectify any issues on the spot can save you money and hassle.

Remote monitoring with alerts – Fronius inverters have in-built WiFi monitoring, allowing us to track your inverter performance on our computer and smartphone. We can remotely track the performance, and even compare with the same time last year, or other similar systems installed across Gippsland. But the most valuable feature is the alert system, where the inverter will send our installers an email or text if the inverter drops out for any reason. This is critical to minimizing down-time, and protecting your investment.P6

REC SOLAR PANELS

REC Group are one of the world’s largest, and most trusted solar brands. REC solar panels are produced in a state-of-of the-art facilities in Norway and Singapore, they are one of the few solar panels not manufactured in China. If you are looking for a truly cutting edge solar panel, with a genuine performance advantage, look no further!

Some of the advantages of REC solar panels are:Vertically integrated company - REC manufacture every component of their solar module in-house, including polysilicon and silicon wafers. There is no out-sourcing to third parties, which ensures a far greater quality of the finished product. It is a widely accepted indication of a premium quality solar panel.

Fully automated production line - REC opened the world’s largest solar module production line in 2008. The facility is at the cutting edge of solar module production, and REC has over 50 patents. The entire production is fully automated, with no manual handling, which eliminates the risk of quality variation. Our staff have personally visited the Singapore plant, and we were blown away by the quality of the manufacturing process, and the attention to detail.

Independently tested as the world’s most efficient solar panel - REC solar panels were recently tested by the independent Photon Magazine, and were awarded the world’s most efficient solar panel. They performed considerably better than any other panel in these tests.

Guaranteed performance in low light conditions - REC solar panels come with a guaranteed performance in low light conditions, thanks to their patented production line. REC guarantees that your solar panel will produce 97% of the rated power output, with only 20% of the light output available! The low-light performance is the primary reason that we recommend REC solar panels for the Gippsland region.

SOL AR POWER

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APRICUS SOLAR HOT WATER

The Apricus solar hot water system is a high-quality, highly efficient way to generate hot water for your home or business. The Apricus system uses evacuated tubes to collect heat from 360 degrees, meaning they will produce more hot water in the early morning and late afternoon. The extra efficiency of Apricus evacuated tubes make them ideal for the Gippsland climate.

Some of the benefits of Apricus Solar Hot Water are:

Most efficient solar collector on the market - Apricus evacuated tube solar technology is becoming recognised as the most efficient choice for solar hot water systems. This is thanks to the round tube design that allows heat to be captured for more hours of the day and with better efficiency than standard ‘flate-plate’ collectors. At 9 in the morning, or 5 in the afternoon, the tubes are always taking direct sunlight, which is especially ideal for the colder climate of Gippsland. They also collect solar hot water from the roof sheets themselves, heating the back of the tubes all day long.

Hassle-free hot water all year round - Ideal as a pre-heater system for a Dairy, Commercial Building or Aquatic Centre, the Apricus system provides hassle-free hot water all year round, and staggering savings on your hot water bills. Available with electric, LPG or natural gas backup, we have a hot water solution for any application.

Frost protected - Apricus solar hot water systems have built-in frost protection – able to withstand Australia’s cold winter nights without damage. The tubes themselves have a small amount of anti-freeze glycol inside, providing peace of mind on those cold Winter nights.

Cyclone Rated Framework - The Apricus aluminium mounting frame was designed to meet cyclonic wind conditions. It is ideal for beachfront coastal regions or areas where corrosion is an issue.

After-sales Service – The Apricus service division includes licensed plumbers and industry professionals. They will offer support with advice, troubleshooting and product information. Combined with Gippsland Solar’s ‘old fashioned’ approach to high quality Customer Service, you can be sure you’re in good hands.

SOL AR HOT WATER

CASE STUDY - THE VETS - SALE (9kW SYSTEM WITH BATTERY STORAGE)

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CASE STUDY - SPORTING LEGENDS CLUB - SALE (100kW system)

Testimonial from SLC Treasurer Ian Bye. “Sporting Legends Club have been looking at going solar for some time, it just made sense for us with the amount of electricity we use during the day. Gippsland Solar were also able to refer us to a number of other businesses around Sale that they have installed solar for (Turnbull Toyota, Star Hotel, Laser Plumbing etc), and we found that they were all extremely happy with the results. This gave us the ultimate peace of mind to invest in solar power.” “The installation team and project managers at Gippsland Solar did an outstanding job. We were keen to ensure that the installation itself had no impact on the operation of the Sporting Legends Club, and we couldn’t be happier with how they managed the project. Their adherence to OH&S, professional conduct, and even keeping the site clean was very impressive. The electricians even came back on a Sunday evening, and worked through the night to ensure the system was connected to the Club before we started trading the next morning. Very happy with the overall result, cheers Andy.”

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CASE STUDY - MOE/NEWBOROUGH LEISURE CENTRE

Gippsland Solar are also “Your Local Solar Experts” for solar hot water systems.

Gippsland Solar were successful in a competitive tender to install Apricus Solar Hot Water systems at Moe/Newborough Leisure Centre, Hazelwood Caravan Park, and Lake Narracan Caravan Park. This tender was awarded by Latrobe City Council in 2013, and involved many challenges regarding project management, access and safety issues, and minimising interruption to hot water supply during the busy tourism season. The entire project was implemented without complication or hassle, and the finished product underlines the quality of our Commercial Solar Hot Water team.

Our Solar Hot Water team has installed large-scale systems for dairies, golf clubs, small businesses and over 500 domestic systems for Gippsland homes, In 2015, we also installed a 1600 litre (160 tube) Apricus system for South Gippsland Hospital in Foster.

CASE STUDY - OFF-GRID SYSTEM - MIKE IN FOSTER (8kW system)

In late 2014, Mike decided to build a new home in Foster, near Wilson’s Promontory. This property is over a kilometre from the electricity grid. The grid connection cost was over $50,000!The Gippsland Solar team designed a system comprising 32 solar panels (installed on a ground mounted frame), a SMA Sunny Island system with automatic generator backup, and a bank of 48v, 600ah gel deep cycle batteries. This system was installed in a purpose-built shed with ventilation, and the electricity was then trenched 80 metres up to the property.Mike is now running his home and the B&B’s completely off the grid, with absolute peace of mind that he has secured his ongoing electricity costs. Even with all the appliances running in the properties, and poor weather, he still hasn’t used his generator backup at all! “We are thrilled with our new Off Grid Solar system! Clean energy, no ongoing costs for connection and supply from the grid, and no aerial cables, poles and transformer to put up. The decision to go with Gippsland Solar and an Off Grid System was a "No Brainer" for us. Thanks Andy, Shane and the Team from Gippsland Solar :)"

The Vets contacted Gippsland Solar in early 2015, looking for a battery storage solution. They wanted to extend their existing Solar Power system, but also add battery backup. This allows The Vets to run the business ‘off the grid’ using solar and batteries at the most expensive time of the day, even in poor weather. The batteries are then recharged at cheaper off-peak rates. It also provides instant backup power, in the event of a grid outage.

Gippsland Solar conducted a detailed analysis of The Vets power bill, and provided some quotes with payback figures to illustrate the benefits.“We’ve been extremely happy with the crew at Gippsland Solar. Shane’s technical knowledge of battery storage was extremely useful for us, he was able to highlight the benefits with much more detail than other companies we had spoken with. He also added another 18 panels to our system, and incorporated this whole system through a bank of batteries. The guys that installed the system were very professional, liaising with us so that the installation didn’t affect the operation of the business. They explained everything in great detail once they were finished, and made us very comfortable all the way through the project. Andy even popped in with a bottle of wine once the project was complete, to say thanks and to make sure we didn’t have any further questions about the system. Overall, a great experience for us, and it justifies why we chose to go with a local provider. Regards, Jeremy.”

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OUR INSTALLERSGippsland Solar have always been committed to using the highest quality products available, but it’s the quality of our installation teams that set us apart from the competition.

We currently have 7 teams of solar electricians and plumbers working for us, and we take full responsibility for their work. We only use tradesmen that we are proud of, and we thoroughly (and regularly) audit the quality of our installations, to ensure they are in keeping with the high standards that we set ourselves. Further to this, we are one of the only solar companies that employs full-time solar electricians (5 of them!) instead of sub-contractors, which allows us to service our existing and prospective clients to the maximum extent. Gippsland Solar’s 10 year installation warranty fully covers our staff and contractors, so you know the buck stops with us.

Another area that we pride ourselves on is our project management. Many solar installations require multiple visits to site, liaising with external trades, minimising hassle and downtime on your business, and communication with the electricity authorities. These areas are where we can provide you with a genuine advantage. Our working relationship with the electricity retailers and Ausnet Services goes back many years, and we will manage the entire process on your behalf, saving you many hours of paperwork and confusion. We will also analyse your electricity contracts, and see if we can save you even more money by finding you a better deal on your future power bills. We have a number of ongoing supply contracts with some of Gippsland’s largest builders and architects, which require a great deal of planning and project management, so you know we are up to the task.

Lastly, we are able to provide a full suite of options for ongoing system cleaning and maintenance. We can provide remote data monitoring (to ensure your system is performing to expectation years into the future), provide options for ongoing solar panel cleaning, and system checks on a yearly basis. In an industry that has suffered its fair share of turbulence in the past few years, Gippsland Solar are here for the long-term, and we plan to be “Your Local Solar Experts” for a very long time to come.

“Since day one I’ve been committed to helping homes and businesses reduce their running costs, and their carbon footprint. Every project we undertake, I put my name on and treat it as my own – from day one of the project to the finish.”

Andrew McCarthy (Andy) Founder and Managing Director

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www.gippslandsolar.com.au or call 1300 447 765

South Gippsland showroom:

66 Ridgway, Mirboo North (main street, next to the Mirboo North Hotel)

Latrobe Valley showroom:

3/5 Rocla Road Traralgon East (cnr Princes Highway, next to the BP car wash)