Halcol Comes Along to Power Students
Solar energy provider Halcol is spreading some sunshine into the lives of Queensland students with a unique new installation.
The 100kW system was recently installed across seven buildings in the Varsity Apartments complex in Sippy Downs, part of Sunshine Coast University’s student accommodation.
The new system comprises 370 270-Watt Canadian solar panels, which all have embedded optimisers that are connected to seven Tri-power Solar Edge inverters.
What makes the installation so special is that it was designed and built to strict zero-export requirements. This means that the system doesn’t send any of the power it generates back to the grid, it only serves its immediate users. Many solar power installations have a zero-export requirement as feeding back into the grid can sometimes cause problems within electricity networks. It’s an example of the evolving technology and expertise within the Australian solar power sector.
The Sippy Downs system is expected to produce around 153,000kW of clean, free solar electricity over its working lifetime – certainly enough for a few all-night revision sessions… In addition to the free electricity, the system will also save more than 3,600,000kg of carbon dioxide emissions from being pumped into the atmosphere.
