The massive 1.17MW addition to Adelaide Airport’s rooftop solar capacity has been completed and is now generating electricity, supplying just under 10 per cent of the major airport’s energy needs.
The new system, installed on the roof of airport’s short-term car park brings the airport’s total solar capacity to 1.28MW – adding to panels installed on the domestic and international terminals in 2007.
The short term multi-storey car park system – which ranks as South Australia’s largest rooftop solar install and Australia’s largest solar car park – is expected to offset 100 per cent of the car park’s electricity consumption, with excess power to be consumed within the main terminal.
Solgen Energy Group executive general manager David Naismith said Solgen worked with the unique specifications and stringent financial criteria to design a 1.17MW solar power system under a competitive bid process.
“Through incorporating leading technologies, vigorous design and engineering principles, the system that Solgen delivered represents an optimal solution to site constraints such as shade from other existing and potential infrastructure while ensuring financial and environmental goals are exceeded.
“Working with the fabric of the building, the additional electrical infrastructure, including the first installation in Australia of SMA’s Sunny Tripower 60 inverters, was comfortably integrated into the car park. With these inverters, Solgen completely customised the solar distribution board and inverters into a single room on the top level of the car park, ensuring that valuable car parking space was not lost,” Naismith said.
“Almost 4,500 Trinasmart solar panels were installed with the unique capability of mitigating the effects of shading across the array from existing and potential infrastructure. In addition, a remote single switch will allow immediate shut-down at panel level which enhances the overall safety of the system in the event of an emergency.”
Sophie is editor of One Step Off The Grid and deputy editor of its sister site, Renew Economy. Sophie has been writing about clean energy for more than a decade.
