solar power initiative - frequently asked questions · infinite energy is a western australian...

Solar Power Initiative - Frequently Asked Questions

Contents:

1. About the offer

2. How to access the offer Page 3

3. About the Solar System Page 3

4. How you will be billed Page 4

5. Leasing or selling your home Page 5

R E S I D E N T I A L G R O U P

1. About the offer:

The offer is a net 40% discount for electricity you consume from a solar system installed on your roof, guaranteed for the duration of the solar Power

Purchase Agreement (solar PPA). The net 40% discount is compared to the amount Synergy would have charged if you had obtained that electricity

from the grid.

The offer provides a means for you to have a solar system installed at your home without having to pay the upfront cost to purchase a system, so you can

sti l l benefit from cheaper, greener solar electricity. Rather than paying outright to have a solar system installed, you wil l only pay for the electricity it

generates. This arrangement is called a solar PPA.

1.1 How does it work?

Infinite Energy wil l install the system free of charge and retain full ownership and all maintenance responsibil it ies for the duration of the solar PPA.

Every two months, you wil l receive a bil l from Infinite Energy for the energy produced by the solar system. You will also receive a bil l from Synergy for any

electricity you consumed from the grid, plus any of Synergy’s associated charges. It is l ikely that the grid electricity supplied by Synergy wil l remain the

primary source of electricity for your home.

At the end of the solar PPA, you wil l have the option to buy the solar system from Infinite Energy for a nominal fee, l ikely to be as l ittle as $1. From then

on, as you wil l own the system there wil l be no charge for the solar electricity you consume.

1.2 How much will I pay for the solar electricity?

For the solar electricity you consume, you wil l pay net 40% less than Synergy would have charged had you obtained that electricity from the grid. This

discount applies when you pay your bil l in full by the due date. Solar electricity wil l be charged to you by Infinite Energy. Any electricity you consume from

the grid (night-time consumption plus additional day consumption) wil l be charged to you by Synergy at the standard rate (known as the Synergy A1 tariff

rate – see Section 4.3 for more information).

For solar electricity you do not use and instead export to the grid, Infinite Energy wil l only charge you at a rate that is equal to the Feed-In-Tariff that

Synergy wil l pay you for solar electricity exported to the grid. This credit wil l be on your Synergy bil l , meaning the net effect wil l be that you wil l only pay

for solar electricity that you consume. Synergy wil l charge you a daily supply charge, however there is no daily supply charge with Infinite Energy.

1.3 How long will the discount last?

The solar PPA is for 10 years, which means you are guaranteed net 40% cheaper electricity when consumed from the solar system for that whole period,

unless you choose to exit the solar PPA early.

Throughout the solar PPA, you also have the option to purchase the solar system from Infinite Energy which wil l terminate the solar PPA. The indicative

buy-out price for each year of the solar PPA is outlined in the Buyout Schedule included in your solar PPA. To find out what happens when you sell ,

lease or leave your property, see Section 5.

1.4 What happens at the end of the 10-year solar PPA?

You will be informed before the solar PPA is due to expire and reminded of your options.

You wil l have the option to buy the solar system from Infinite Energy for a nominal fee, l ikely to be as l ittle as $1. From then on, as you wil l own the system

there wil l be no charge for the solar electricity you consume. You will then be responsible for the maintenance of the system.

If you no longer wish to have the system at the end of the solar PPA, Infinite Energy are able to remove the system at a reasonable cost to you.


1.5 During the course of the agreement, can the system be expanded to include more solar panels or a battery?

Infinite Energy has the option to expand the system if there is a need at your home for more solar electricity, and enough space to install more solar

panels and/or a battery. You wil l sti l l have the option to purchase this infrastructure at the end of the PPA.

1.6 What happens if I don’t use all the electricity that the solar system generates?


Synergy wil l pay you for solar electricity exported to the grid. This credit wil l be on your Synergy bil l , meaning the net effect wil l be that you wil l only

pay for solar electricity that you consume.

1.7 What if I go on holiday and do not use the power?

For solar electricity that you export to the grid, Infinite Energy wil l only charge you what you wil l receive back in a credit from Synergy The net result

wil l be that you wil l only pay for the solar electricity you consume. If you go on holiday, the net amount you wil l pay Infinite Energy wil l only be for the

solar electricity that your appliances consume while you are away from the home. Synergy wil l charge you a daily supply charge, however there is no daily

supply charge with Infinite Energy.

1.8 Is a solar Power Purchase Agreement (PPA) a sensible option for me?

A solar PPA is a means for you to have a solar system installed at your home without having to pay the upfront cost to purchase the system.

Rather than paying outright to have a solar system installed, you wil l only pay for the electricity it generates, so you wil l sti l l benefit from cheaper,

greener electricity. This arrangement is called a solar PPA.

Solar PPAs have been around for over a decade and are common in many countries. For example, in the US a large proportion of residential solar

systems are installed via a PPA provided by companies just l ike Infinite Energy. Solar PPAs are also a common way for businesses to access solar

energy without the upfront cost of install ing a system. For example, Amazon, Google, and Microsoft have all entered solar PPAs to help reduce the

amount they pay for electricity and their environmental impact.

Many businesses in Western Australia have already been able to enter solar PPAs. Recently, the Public Util it ies Office has made a change to the

State Government’s electricity retail ing rules to allow approved solar PPA providers, including Infinite Energy, to also offer solar PPAs to residential

properties. This is why The Amble Estate, in partnership with Infinite Energy, is able to be the first residential development in Western Australia to roll

out the proven model of solar PPAs.

1.9 Who is Infinite Energy and how experienced are they in providing solar PPAs?

Infinite Energy is one of Australia’s largest solar retailers and one of only a few Clean Energy Council Approved Solar Retailers, the peak body for the

clean energy industry in Australia. Since being founded in 2009, Infinite Energy has installed more than 11,000 solar systems on the rooftops of homes,

businesses, industrial sites and government facil it ies. Infinite Energy is a Western Australian company, with offices in Perth, Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane

and Adelaide. Infinite Energy is a preferred solar supplier for the Western Australian Local Government Association (WALGA) and pre-qualif ied

supplier of solar PPAs for NSW’s State and Local Government buildings.


2. How to access the offer:

2.1 How can I gain access to this offer?

Once you have chosen your house design, your builder wil l submit your plans and lot details to the Yolk Property Group to check they adhere to the

Design Guidelines. Once confirmed, the solar PPA will be finalised.

Four weeks before settlement Link Residential Group (Exclusive Sell ing Agent for The Amble Estate) wil l contact you and provide you with your solar

claim voucher. This voucher wil l need to be submitted to Yolk Property Group. All relevant information and instructions wil l be provided to you by Link

Residential Group.

2.2 When will the solar system be installed?

Once your solar claim voucher has been submitted, Infinite Energy wil l contact you to arrange a convenient time to have the solar system installed at

your new home. As soon as the system is installed, you can start accessing cheaper and greener electricity, guaranteed for the 10-year solar PPA.

3. About the solar system:

3.1 What will be installed at my home?

• Solar panels on the roof – to capture the energy from the sun

• Inverter box - to convert the power generated to usable power at your home

• Panel racking - to fix solar panels to the roof surface

• Electrical cabling in the roof cavity and walls - to transport the electricity from the system to your switchboard

• Meter - to measure the amount of solar electricity you consume and what is exported to the grid

3.2 Where will the system be installed?

The solar panels wil l be on your roof and the inverter is l ikely to be located in your garage. The Design Guidelines available on The Amble Estate

website also explain all other requirements. When you submit your plans to Yolk Property Group, Infinite Energy wil l check before confirming that your

home can benefit from solar energy and where the equipment wil l be located.

3.3 Who will install the solar system?

Infinite Energy or their approved subcontractors wil l install the system.

3.4 What happens if the solar system is damaged or stops working?

Infinite Energy wil l maintain the system entirely at their cost for the duration of the solar PPA, provided any damage is not caused by you or something

you could have prevented, in which case you would be l iable. Infinite Energy wil l monitor the system remotely, but it is your responsibil ity to make

sure the system is free from shade and remains switched on, and that you report any issues to Infinite Energy. If there is a system fault, your home will

automatically draw electricity from the grid so you wil l not be reliant on the solar system.

3.5 What are my responsibilities?

As the homeowner, you must not do anything or allow anyone else to do anything that would reduce the electricity output of the solar system. For the

duration of the solar PPA, you must ensure the system remains switched on and free from shade at all t imes. This includes the upkeep of trees, bushes

and hedges and any other structure which may shade the system. Although Infinite Energy wil l be monitoring the system remotely, you must report any

system faults or damage to Infinite Energy as soon as you identify them.


3.6 How long should the solar system last?

Infinite Energy wil l install a quality system that is low maintenance and reliable. The solar system is l ikely to have a useful l ifespan beyond the term of

the solar PPA. Quality solar systems, properly maintained, should last around 20 years. If you opt to take ownership of the system at the end of the

solar PPA, the remaining warranties wil l be transferred to you.

4. How you will be billed:

4.1 How will I be charged?

Every two months, you wil l receive a bil l from Infinite Energy for any daytime electricity generated by the solar system which wil l detail the amount you

consumed and the amount exported to the grid. For the solar electricity you consume, you wil l pay net 40% less than Synergy would have charged had

you obtained that electricity from the grid.


Synergy wil l pay you for solar electricity exported to the grid. This credit wil l be on your Synergy bil l , meaning the net effect wil l be that you wil l only

pay for solar electricity that you consume. It is l ikely that the grid electricity supplied by Synergy wil l remain the primary source of electricity for your

home. Remember, if you use more electricity than the solar system produces throughout the day, you wil l draw electricity from the grid and be charged

for this by Synergy at the A1 Tariff.

4.2 How will I know I am receiving my 40% discount?

Your bil l from Infinite Energy wil l outline how much solar electricity the system has produced, the amount you have consumed and the amount that has

been exported to the grid. For the solar electricity that you consumed, the invoice wil l show the Synergy A1 tariff amount, along with your 40% discount

so you can see how much money you have saved.

For solar electricity you do not use and instead export to the grid, Infinite Energy wil l charge you at a rate that is equal to the Feed-In-Tariff that Synergy

wil l pay you for solar electricity exported to the grid. This credit wil l be on your Synergy bil l , meaning the net effect wil l be that you wil l only pay for solar

electricity that you consume.

4.3 What is Synergy’s A1 Tariff?

The A1 tariff is the standard flat rate that Synergy charges households for electricity that is supplied from the grid.

4.4 What if there are changes to Synergy’s A1 tariff?

Should the Synergy A1 tariff change, the Infinite Energy solar PPA rate wil l adjust to the equivalent tariff.

4.5 What is Synergy’s Feed-in Tariff?

The feed-in-tariff is what Synergy wil l pay you for solar electricity that is exported to the grid and then can be used by other properties. Also known as

the Renewable Energy Buyback Scheme buyback rate.

4.6 Will the rate or cost increase during the term?

The solar PPA rate is l inked to the Synergy A1 tariff, so it wil l change as the tariff is adjusted by the State Government or Synergy.

4.7 Will the government provide me with a solar rebate?

No. As Infinite Energy owns the solar system, they wil l manage the process and retain any relevant rebates for the installation.


4.8 What if Infinite Energy changes ownership or their business closes?

In this case, the solar PPA can be sold to another solar investment holder. In the event of financial closure where the solar PPA is not sold to another

asset holder, the PPA will terminate and Infinite Energy may remove the system or transfer ownership to you, depending on what is agreed between the

parties. If you take ownership of the system you wil l no longer be required to purchase the solar electricity from Infinite Energy, which means you can

use your solar electricity at no cost.

5. Leasing or selling your home:

5.1 What will happen if I want to sell my home?

If you want to sell your home during the term of the solar PPA, you can either request the buyer to enter a solar PPA with the same terms, or buy out

the system and add the cost to your home’s sale price. If the new homeowner agrees to the solar PPA, the caveat wil l be removed and relodged into the

new owner’s name. The caveat is a simple legal document which explains that the property has the solar PPA attached to it. You wil l need to cover the

cost of this process, with quotes received in the vicinity of $350 in 2018.

In addition, your settlement agent wil l need to notify Infinite Energy and send all required paperwork for the new homeowner to enter the solar PPA

with Infinite Energy. The new owner wil l sign all relevant paperwork including a solar PPA for the remaining term (what is left of the 10-year term),

receiving the discount on the solar generated electricity they consume.

5.2 What do I need to do if I want to lease my property?

If you decide to lease your property you wil l need to compete the Intention to Vacate Notice available on the Infinite Energy website and return it to

Infinite Energy at least four (4) weeks prior to the day you vacate the property. You can choose to exit the contract by the Indicative Buyout Schedule

included in the solar PPA. If you choose to continue the solar PPA, future bil ls wil l continue to be sent to you, and you wil l remain l iable for payment and

all terms of the solar PPA.

You may wish to include in your lease agreement a requirement that your tenant respects any relevant clauses in your PPA. This may include an assurance

that the system will remain switched on and free from shade at all t imes, and a requirement that the tenant reports any faults or issues with the system as

soon as they are identified. Any arrangement wil l be a private matter between you and your tenant.

5.3 Can my bills be sent to my tenant?

No. Infinite Energy is not able to send bil ls directly to your tenant. As you wil l sti l l be l iable for the solar PPA, the bil ls wil l be sent directly to you.

However, if you complete the relevant section of the Intention to Vacate Notice, Infinite Energy can copy in your leasing agent on any bil ls emailed to

you. It is up to you to reach an agreement with your leasing agent on how the bil ls are then handled and paid.

5.4 What if my tenant doesn’t pay a bill?

If you have agreed with your tenant that they are responsible for paying the bil ls on your behalf and they do not pay, you wil l sti l l be l iable for payment.

You wil l receive any unpaid bil l notifications.

5.5 What if my tenant switches off or damages the solar system?

As you wil l sti l l be l iable for the solar PPA, you wil l be l iable for any noncompliance.


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