The solar panel system installed by Energy Matters at the Tathra Sewage Treatment Plant on the South Coast of New South Wales was one of Australia’s first and largest community-owned solar farms.
It was a unique installation, with 120 Trina Solar Honey panels arranged to spell ‘IMAGINE’ – making it Australia’s first solar sculpture.
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Project overview
Location
Tathra, New South Wales
System Size
30 kW
Estimated Annual Production
34 MWh
Annual CO2 Savings
500 tonnes
Solar Panels
Trina TSM-250-PC05A
Solar Inverter
2 x Fronius Symo-15.0-3-M
Mounting System
Chiko Ground Mount Framing + Mega Anchor Footings
Completion Date
March 2015
The word was clearly visible to aircraft flying along the flight path to Merimbula Airport.
Community groups, businesses, and individuals in the Tathra region and beyond funded panels for the IMAGINE solar array. The project marked Australia’s first community-council partnership of this kind.
True to its name, the project captured the public’s imagination. More than $55,000 was raised in just 12 months, enough to build the facility and well ahead of the original three-year plan.
Energy Matters was selected to complete the iconic installation and to provide all engineering, procurement, and construction (EPC) services for the 30 kW project.
The ground-mounted solar panel array generated approximately 34 MWh of clean electricity annually and contributed around 50 per cent of the sewage treatment plant’s power needs.
This significantly reduced the plant’s annual electricity bill of $30,000, with some portion of the savings reinvested in solar panels for community buildings across the Tathra region.
The official opening of the IMAGINE solar power plant occurred on Tuesday, 24th March 2015.
In addition to demonstrating environmental stewardship, commercial solar can make good financial sense. Considering a commercial–scale solar project? Contact us today, and we can begin to build your system together.
