Australian Solar Hot Water Diverter Company Scores Grant

The Victorian Government recently announced a $100,000 grant for a local producer of hot water diverter devices to assist it in increasing production.

Australian Wind And Solar’s SunMate enables the redirecting of surplus renewable energy, such as that from a home solar power system, to heat water.

The company currently produces around 500 units of its SunMate device a year. The funding, along with a $398,000 investment from the company, will see a facility built to design and assemble the SunMate locally in Victoria and production boosted to more than 1,000 units annually.

The funding was announced last week by Minister for Energy, Environment and Climate Change Lily D’Ambrosio as part of the second round of the Government’s $20 million New Energy Jobs Fund (NEJF) grants. The initiative provides businesses with grants of up to $1 million to support projects that boost access to renewable energy and reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

“Projects such as this illustrate how the Andrews Labor Government’s New Energy Jobs Fund is helping create jobs and improve renewable energy capabilities,” said Minister D’Ambrosio.

If you’re interested in solar hot water diverters, SQ blogger Ronald has recently published a number of posts on these types of devices and water heating generally that are well worth checking out:

• Comparing Solar Hot Water Diverters Available In Australia
• Solar Hot Water Diverters Beat Batteries On Energy Storage
• Is The Most Efficient Hot Water System A Solar PV Powered Heat Pump?
• Will A Solar Hot Water Timer Save Or Lose You Money?
• How To Use a Fronius Smart Meter To Solar Power Your Hot Water
• Conserving Hot Water Gives A Better Return Than Any Gadget

SolarQuotes also recently released a PV hot water diverter comparison table that enables viewing of specifications, features and pricing of various diverter models available in Australia side-by-side.

Another NEFJ-related announcement last week was a grant for the Australian Vietnamese Women’s Association (AVWA), which is collaborating with the Yarra Energy Foundation on a project to increase uptake of renewables by the state’s Vietnamese community.

“This project combines the AVWA’s expertise in translation and community engagement with the Yarra Energy Foundation’s track record in delivering solar projects,” stated Minister D’Ambrosio.

There were 21 successful applicants under the second round of the New Energy Jobs Fund and 24 successful applicants under the first round.

The third round of the NEJF should open soon. Further information on the Fund can be viewed here.