Polyglot Group is a multi-national and cross–cultural HR & Payroll, Recruitment, Language & Business consultancy with six offices in Australia, two in Europe and a network of partners across the globe.
Polyglot’s Glebe premises experienced high energy bills; much of which were attributable to heating and cooling the office during the day.
The company’s Manager for Renewable Energy and Engineering, Jan Rieche, worked closely with Energy Matters, Yingli Solar and Enphase to design a system to help rein in power costs.
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Project overview
Location
Glebe, New South Wales
System Size
14.4kW
Estimated Annual Production
20 MWh
Estimated Annual Carbon Offset
17 Tonnes
Solar Panels
Yingli Solar Panda & YGE
Solar Inverter
56 x M-215 Enphase micro-inverters
Mounting System
SunLock
Completion Date
August 2014
The end result was a solar panel system utilising four different rooftop orientations and using two different 60-cell modules – the Yingli Panda and Yingli YGE series.
Yingli Panda monocrystalline solar panels featured n-type solar cells with average efficiencies above 19.5% and an overall module efficiency of 16.5%. The YGE series was a polycrystalline module with a panel efficiency of 15.3%. The reasoning behind combining the two different technologies was to maximise output in low-light conditions.
56 x M-215 Enphase micro-inverters were also used in the installation. Microinverters operate at the panel level; one of their advantages is that, unlike a traditional string inverter in a solar array, a failure of a single micro-inverter only affects the output of its connected panel – not the entire string.
The panels and inverters were mounted on SunLock framing – a racking solution developed by Energy Matters’ sister company, Apollo Energy and made in Australia.
The 14.4kW system paid for itself within approximately 4 years, providing an estimated 60% saving on the Glebe office’s electricity bills.
Results: Energy efficiency and sustainability achieved
Following the installation, Polyglot Group began to experience immediate benefits:
- Electricity bill savings: Up to 60% reduction in the Glebe office’s annual power costs.
- Return on investment: System payback period estimated at around 4 years.
- Energy production: Approximately 20 MWh per year, enough to power multiple office operations.
- Environmental impact: Annual CO₂ savings of 17 tonnes, helping the company meet its sustainability targets.
“We have every confidence that this Yingli solar system is offering us fantastic energy yields for the long term. I cannot speak highly enough about the whole process, and we are enjoying some great energy savings,” said Jan Rieche, Manager for Renewable Energy and Engineering at Polyglot Group.
Considering a commercial–scale solar project? Contact us today, and we can begin to build your system together.
