Australia's Largest Solar Power System Opened

Installation of the solar panels and associated systems was managed by Built Environs in partnership with Solar Shop Australia. The entire project was completed within three months — two and a half months shorter than the original schedule.

“Having now installed the largest solar power system in Australia , we are hoping that more Australians will realize the benefits of solar energy and what it can do for the environment,” said Adrian Ferraretto, Solar Shop Australia’s managing director. “The Showground solar system is expected to produce around 1435 megawatt-hours (MWh) of electricity annually which is enough energy to power around 250 households.

The project features a rack-loading system that was built with the solar panels stacked on pallets, lifted onto the roof by crane and then distributed via trolleys on framing rails.

A clip-on extrusion framing system minimized the number of holes that needed to be drilled in the roof. To install the panels, drilling rigs were custom-made for each of the major roofs, while cloth and mesh screens prevented drilling waste from entering the Showground's stormwater collection system.