Case study: Elis Off-grid Savings
Bill and Robyn Spence live on a grazing property at Elis, an hour drive from Muttaburra in Central Queensland. This remote property relied on a diesel generator costing around $26,000 annually to meet their electricity needs. The nearest electricity grid node is 16km away which would cost them between $200-300k for a connection.
The Spences decided to invest in an 8kW solar photovoltaic system and 16kW battery whilst keeping the diesel generator as back up. The entire system cost $57,000 including upgrading to a more efficient air conditioning system.
The system easily meets the needs of their two-person family with the backup generator only kicking in occasionally. It paid for itself in around 2 years and increased the value of the property.
This case study is part of a series of case studies that have been developed as part of the Queensland Communities in Transition project. It was prepared by The Ecoefficiency Group as part of the Clean Growth Choices Consortium with funding from Queensland Department of Environment and Science.