Earlier this year, Commonwealth Bank partnered with Sydney Solar and Batteries, in conjunction with Australian Women in Solar Energy (AWISE), to help fund the installation of solar and battery at a Sydney women’s shelter. Through the bank’s proud energy partner, Amber Electric, we were able to provide access to wholesale energy prices and SmartShift with Amber.
The project was spearheaded by Lily Pejkic, owner and installer of Sydney Solar and Batteries and one of the founding members of Australian Women in Solar and Energy (AWISE).
“We approached the women’s shelter to see if they needed a solar and battery system installed to offset their energy needs," Pejkic said.
“This is where our conversation with the Commonwealth Bank came about, and we partnered together for the bank to fund the project. We installed 15KW of solar on the shelter with a Tesla Powerwall 2, and through our contacts at CBA we were able to set them up with an Amber Electric retail account.”
In addition to helping the shelter operate more sustainably, installation of the solar and battery is also helping to provide cost savings. Deputy Chair & Project Manager at the women’s shelter, Kylie Wilkinson, said the money saved by the solar installation will support with the ongoing operations of the centre.
“Community organisations like the women’s shelter rely heavily on donations and any money that we can save goes directly to helping women in need,” Wilkinson said.
“Our Shelter Manager and the Board are extremely pleased with CBA for providing the solar that will give us ongoing savings over many, many years to come.”
The donation is another demonstration of our commitment to help address domestic violence and financial abuse through CommBank Next Chapter, a program launched in 2020 that helps support our customers and community.
Head of Community Investment at CBA, Nathan Barker, said the donation to the shelter was a practical way for the women’s shelter to reduce their costs and in turn provide more services to the community.
“This is a really exciting way that we can bring together the work we’re doing as part of CommBank Next Chapter to support those impacted by domestic and family abuse and financial abuse, with the work we are doing in sustainability to help reduce costs for the shelter, provide more services, and help more women get the support they need,” Barker said.
CBA General Manager Strategy and Sustainability, Ben Morgan, said: “We’re committed to making a positive contribution to the communities we serve. We’re proud to support a project and work alongside two organisations that have an important social and environmental impact.”
Watch the video to learn more about the positive impact of the installation. For privacy reasons, the name and location of the women’s shelter have been withheld.
