Nertherlands-based solar group, Photon Energy, has installed a 99kW solar system on an office building in Macquarie Park, Sydney, as part of a major renovation and energy efficiency upgrade.
The project required the solar arrays to be mounted on raised steel structures on the roof of the building, both to maximise generating capacity, and to create shaded space underneath the panels, to be used for other purposes.
“When buildings are renovated or newly built, it is an ideal time to integrate solar power, smart demand management and energy storage. This allows for optimum outcomes that deliver higher value and significant energy cost savings“, said Photon’s head of Australian operations, Michael Gartner.
“We have developed a standardised cost effective, high-quality and CEC compliant solar power package incorporating tier one solar technology combined with …leading protection, monitoring and PLC controls that are integrated into the building management system.”
The rooftop power plant will contribute to increasing the building’s NABERS and Green Star ratings while making use of the STC (Small-scale Technology Certificate) support scheme.
Photon’s focus in Australia has been on the larger end of the commercial solar market, where it is using its engineering capabilities to tackle complex and unique installations.
Last year, the company installed a large-scale solar plus battery storage hybrid power system at a telecommunications tower in New South Wales – an energy solution Photon says could be the fore-runner of thousands of such installations across the country.
The system, installed at a broadcast tower operated by BAI near Muswellbrook, provides 24/7 power through a 39kW solar array and a 215kWh battery storage installation. An 8kW diesel generator provides standby in emergencies.
Photon is also about to start work on a 347kW roof-mounted power plant in Canberra, another project that is part of a complex building renovation. The plant is expected to be commissioned in the third quarter of 2015.
Sophie is editor of One Step Off The Grid and editor of its sister site, Renew Economy. Sophie has been writing about clean energy for more than a decade.
