The good folk of Newcastle, Lake Macquarie and Maitland told their councils they want solar and batteries for their homes, but three things are holding them back: the high upfront cost, being overwhelmed by the choice and complexity of buying solar systems, and being unsure who to trust.
So City of Newcastle, Lake Macquarie City Council and Maitland City Council joined forces to develop a community program that makes solar and batteries simple. Following an extensive tender and due diligence process, they selected 1KOMMA5˚ to deliver Solar Neighbourhoods, supported by a network of trusted Hunter tradies.
In the first round of Solar Neighbourhoods, 203 households signed up in only 11-weeks. Together, they installed 158 solar systems, 168 batteries and 11 EV chargers – cutting their cost of living, increasing their energy resilience and doing their bit for the environment. The program was so successful, it received the Local Government NSW Excellence Award for Environmental Leadership (population over 100,000).
1KOMMA5˚ Is an award winning, top Australian solar and battery company.
1KOMMA5˚’s vision is for Australians to live on sunlight and wind forever, by providing access to the cleanest and most affordable electricity possible. The name says it all, translating to 1.5 degrees and speaking directly to the Paris Agreement’s climate goal to limit global temperature increases to 1.5 degrees.
1KOMMA5˚ Australia’s CEO, Luke Stronach, is a born and bred Novocastrian. All Solar Neighbourhoods installations will be performed by 1KOMMA5˚’s network of trusted Hunter tradies.
All the hard work and guess work was taken out of the process. 1KOMMA5 were great to work with and quick to answer any questions at any time.
The most significant change I’ve experienced since having my new system installed is more independence from the grid.
Our consultant was knowledgeable, the quote was comparable to other quotes and covered our needs.
Well packaged making decisions easy.
Good quality hardware. Friendly and available salespeople.
The process was all organised and coordinated for you.
Communication by 1KOMMA5 was excellent. Paperwork all very smooth. Installation stress free.
Solar Neighbourhoods saved me time and effort.
They provided information and packages for consideration that appeared well researched and carefully selected hardware, suppliers and installers.
Council vetting the provider and products gave us the confidence to finally go ahead.
We’d been considering solar and a battery for a while but researching products and installers was time consuming and it was difficult to get a handle on the best options. The $1,250 discount and knowing Council had vetted the provider and products made the decision easy. 1KOMMA5 delivered excellent service with quality products and friendly, professional installers, and the difference to our bills, and our awareness of our power use through the app was more or less instant. Solar Neighbourhoods is a great practical initiative that has genuinely benefited our household and helped us take a tangible action that helps the environment.
The installation was smooth, professional and very well communicated.
The whole Solar Neighbourhoods process has been great. The team at 1KOMMA5 gave me all the information I needed to make an informed decision. The installation was smooth, professional and very well communicated. I’m really happy with the result and confident this will have a positive environmental impact. I’d thoroughly encourage others to join the program. It’s good for you and the planet.
