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Brisbane Airport Solar

Primo Smallgoods Solar – Company to install 3.2MW

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Primo Smallgoods are set to install Australia’s biggest commercial solar rooftop PV system with 3.2MW to go up at their Wacol, Brisbane plant in August. 

Primo Smallgoods Solar – Commercial Solar

Primo Smallgoods Solar Installation`
Primo Smallgoods Solar Installation (source: primo.com.au)

The installation will cut Primo Smallgoods’ reliance on the grid by 19 percent, according to chief operating officer Bruce Sabatta:

“JBS globally has set sustainability targets to achieve by 2020. These targets cover water, gas, electricity and greenhouse gas emissions amongst others,” he said.

“As part of the JBS business, Primo has a part to play in the reduction of our environmental impact in Australia,” Sabatta was quoting as saying back in June.

“With our new solar panel installation in place, we will use the power generated from the solar panels instead of solely relying on power from the electricity grid.

“We are making significant investments in energy efficiency to lower our carbon footprint and to continue to improve our efficiency leadership position in the industry,” Sabatta continued.

The solar array will be installed by CleanPeak Energy and Todae Solar, following a tendering process by Solar Choice in 2016. Todae are also responsible for the Brisbane Markets’ solar installation and the 12.3MW solar system Stockland are currently rolling out, so they have a lot of experience in these large-scale commercial solar installs. CleanPeak Energy was started by Philip Graham and Jonathan Hare, previously of Citigroup and Origin Energy, in order to work solely on commercial solar – so this job looks like a perfect fit.

“Our model is to effectively work with a customer to deliver a power solution that is renewable and cheaper than their current offer,” Mr Graham was quoted in the AFR.

“We are not looking at selling panels: we are looking at finding the best efficient distributed generation with panels and battery combinations and delivering an energy service to customers, and we are getting some good traction on that already.”

One Step Off The Grid are reporting that the Primo solar system will generate 4,869MWh of power in its first year – the equivalent of powering 20,032 homes for one year.

This comes at a time where private/commercial investment in large-scale solar is at an all-time high with companies like Hunter Douglas investing in 800Kw earlier this month. 

“This installation is notable for the cutting edge technology that we have chosen, and its cost effectiveness which will see it pay back the investment in a little over four years,” said Tony Politis, Hunter Douglas MD for Australia/NZ.

There are many other commercial solar installs on the books all across Australia, including:

Brisbane Airport are installing a huge 6MW solar array at multiple locations which they are hoping to have complete by the end of 2018. 

BlueScope Steel will buy 200 gigawatt-hours of electricity a year from the Finley solar farm.

Cannington Mine‘s owner, South32, will install a 3MW solar farm across six hectares – to supply the mine’s accommodation village and airport. 

 

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Solar for Businesses rising rapidly in Australia.

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As per the ABC, Byron Bay based energy consultants SunWiz have released statistics that show solar for businesses is on a strong upward trend in Australia, with commercial solar installs up 60% in the last year and a half. 

Solar for Businesses 

The number of businesses installing solar panels onsite has reached 40,736 systems in the last year and a half over 2016 and 2017, according to Sunwiz MD Warwick Johnston. Johnston was also quoted on the ABC website as discussing the rising electricity prices as an impetus for more and more businesses to look into renewable energy so as to minimise exposure to the prices: 

“It used to be electricity was comparably cheap for businesses when compared to residential electricity prices, but what we are seeing now is electricity prices for businesses really skyrocket and it’s started to become a significant expense.”

Business Solar Case Studies

Last year Infinite Energy installed a 312kW system at Broadway Fair Shopping Centre in Perth – with 948 solar panels and, according to Broadway Fair GM Paul Avon-Smith, saving the comple $20,000 per month in power bills. According to Aidan Jenkins of Infinite Energy, “Solar currently represents the cheapest way to generate electricity, so we will start to see these type of systems become the norm over the next couple of years.”

More recently, the Brisbane Aiport Solar System is set to top out at a massive 6MW (19,200 solar panels) when it is completed next year. The project is set to be worked on in five stages and is going to be created in conjunction with Epho and Shakra Energy. Oliver Hartley from Epho said, “The introduction of such a significant solar system is a prime example of how BAC is adopting world-leading technologies in harmony with its sustainability focus.” 

Office supply company Complete Office Supplies’ private solar investment in June this year was a massive $1m in rooftop PV solar at their Sydney, Brisbane, and Melbourne warehouse locations (the 611MWh solar systems installed by Sun Connect and account for 80% of COS’ energy requirements).

Solar for Businesses - Complete Office Supplies
Solar for Businesses – Complete Office Supplies (source:cos.net.au)

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Brisbane Airport Solar System – 6MW To Be Installed

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Brisbane Airport Solar System – the Brisbane airport have announced that they will install a massive 6MW PV solar array across six sites at Brisbane Airport (BNE). Huge news for commercial solar and renewable energy in general!

Brisbane Airport Solar

According to a spec sheet on the official BNE website, the Brisbane airport solar upgrade will be complete by the end of 2018. It’s already begun work and at the end of the project, six distinct sites across the airport will host 19,200 new solar PV panels generating 6MW per year. It’s to be created with Epho and Shakra Energy. Oliver Hartley from Epho said “The introduction of such a significant solar system is a prime example of how BAC is adopting world-leading technologies in harmony with its sustainability focus.” 

Once complete and fully operational, the new solar installation will account for 18% of BAC’s electricity consumption, or 6% of the airport’s total electricity usage. This may not seem like a lot, but it will reduce carbon emissions by 8000 tonnes per year – equivalent to 750 households. 

The project will be built in 5 stages, starting with stages 1a and 1b in 2017 – .26MW at Skygate, and 0.22MW at the Department of Immigration and Border Protection. The following stages will involve solar roof panels installed on the domestic terminal car parks (both P1 and P2), the International Terminal, and ground panels at Pandanus Avenue. 

GM of BNE, Krishan Tangri, at the Brisbane Airport Solar array.
GM of BNE (Assets), Krishan Tangri, at the Brisbane Airport Solar array.

The General Manager of Assets at the BAC, Krishan Tangri, was quoted on their website discussing the changes the BAC have made to try reduce energy consumption and increase renewable generation: “We are acutely aware of the increasing energy needs of running a major airport and since 2012 we’ve had an extensive energy reduction program in place resulting in the completion of 40 projects which collectively save more than 8 GWh per year.” Tangri also noted that “…with (solar) systems becoming more efficient and more affordable to install, it makes financial sense to invest in this readily available supply of renewable energy to save costs and decrease our carbon footprint.”

Always great to see more commercial solar investment – we’ll follow the project with interest and keep you updated on any changes to the Brisbane Airport solar array!

 

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