Brimbank Council has continued to demonstrate its commitment to rooftop solar with a multi-deck in Sunshine now featuring a solar PV array and electric vehicle charging stations.
Situated just 20km from Melbourne’s CBD, the rising population in Sunshine has caused the Council to reconsider power sources and supplies to the area. As the metropolis’s second-largest municipality, it has already carried out several similar projects. This includes the 82kW solar array which now sits on top of a multi-deck carpark in the thriving suburb.
A keen eye on solar
This development comes as the latest in a string of developments from the Brimbank Council, which has its sights set hard on achieving its goal to source 100% of its energy for all council buildings and streetlights through renewable energies. The Council wants to fulfil this goal by 2021, alongside a reduction of greenhouse gas emissions by 50%, by the year 2023.
Georgina Papfotiou, Brimbank’s Mayor, said the development brings solar power generated by the panels across the carpark, then providing all electricity needed for the entire carp park itself. The array is forecasted to produce enough energy also to power the Council’s expansive fleet of EVs.
The development also contributes to the rising trend across Australia of shopping centres and carparks investing in solar-shaded parking. In Townsville, a 1.5MW installation spans across 500 car spaces at Willows Shopping Centre, for example.
And this trend doesn’t just stop at shopping centres. In 2019, Flinders University developed an array of 4,135 panels across its solar carport, designed and built by Solgen Energy and Tonkin Shutz respectively.
Historically, Brimbank City Council has seen a number of developments set themselves in place within the solar field. This includes arrays across 34 of its buildings, creating almost one megawatt of energy in total. This generation saves the Council approximately $270,000 a year on electricity costs.
More to come
But the Council’s sights on solar isn’t slowing down, with a Greenhouse Reduction Strategy already in place. It will utilise a further 1.5MW solar PV capacity across a number of additional Council sites. It will also help to achieve its 2023 target for emissions reductions. Additionally, the Council is looking to optimise any remaining capacity to help pay for itself over the next five years only.
