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In June this year, we reported that the Australian government had agreed to spend AU$770 million (US$819 million) on its Solar Flagships programme. In recognition of this, the Dandiiri Contact Center, which receives all emergency calls from the police, ambulances and fire service, will be equipped with solar components from one of the largest solar plants in the state.
Conergy has been selected to convert this building, which is located just outside of Brisbane, into one of the most sustainable office blocks of the entire continent with a capacity of 400kW.
Nearly 1,300 Conergy PowerPlus modules on Conergy Suntop III mounting systems on top of the carport will generate solar power, with a further 500 Conergy modules in operation on the roof of the building. Overall, the flagship power plant will produce over 600,000kW hours per year – equivalent to that of the power consumption of an estimated 90 private households. In the process, the plant will prevent the emission of 600 tons of CO2 a year.
“We are very proud to have been involved in this award-winning showpiece project,” says Rodger Meads from Conergy Australia. “The car park is the largest Conergy PowerPlus plant of the country. The government is very clearly going for quality here – because that is the only way to ensure that the plant will still produce continuing high yields in 20 years. That will pay off – and it illustrates how solar energy can combine cost-efficiency, environmental protection, architecture and practical benefit.”
Conergy has been involved in many projects in Australia, including equipping Sydney Water Corporation with a solar plant, an installation on the roof of the Manly town hall in New South Wales and 240 Conergy PowerPlus modules producing about 80MW hours of solar energy per year. It is this project, however, that has earned itself six stars in the Green Star Rating programme and therefore Conergy demonstrates 'World Leadership' in environmentally sustainable design and construction.
Throughout the whole of Australia, only a handful of buildings has achieved this rating. With 92 of a possible 100 points, the Dandiiri Center received the highest number of points amongst the office buildings at the time of certification.
“Sustainability is also increasingly gaining in importance in politics and within the commercial business sector,” said Meads. “Ecology, design and practical benefit all play a part in this. With the Conergy PowerPlus equipped carport, we will be using the enormous energy of the sun in the region. With around 300 days of sunshine per year, the sun will enable the modules to produce excellent output – while the plant will simultaneously provide welcome shade at top temperatures of up to 36 °C.”
The Australian government’s climate targets have been set at 20% of the total energy demand to be from renewable sources by 2020. Experts expect an above-average annual growth of around 30% in Australia over the coming years
