The Clean Energy Council (CEC) has officially announced the winners of the 2020 Solar Design and Installation Awards.
CEC Chief Executive, Kane Thornton, said the 2020 winners set a stunning example of the innovative solutions being deployed in the commercial rooftop solar sector as more businesses look to reap the enormous benefits of solar.
“Whether it is the seamless integration of solar into a green roof or the deployment of new technology that could fundamentally change the commercial solar space, this year’s winners demonstrate the limitless possibilities as the solar industry continues to grow and mature,” Mr Thornton said.
“In years gone by, the designs and installations that we have seen in this year’s awards would have been considered too difficult or too expensive,” he said.
“However, as expertise has increased and prices have come down, designers and installers are coming up with increasingly innovative solutions that meet the more challenging requirements of some businesses.”
“As we can see from this year’s awards, this has resulted in some incredible installations.”
“I would like to congratulate all the winners and the finalists in the 2020 Solar Design and Installation Awards, and I thank everyone who took the time to submit an entry for this year’s awards. As always, I take great pride in the achievements of our industry and look forward to more ground-breaking installations in next year’s awards,” Mr Thornton commented.
Winners were announced across two categories: 30-240 kW and over 240 kW.
30-240 kW
Winners – Matthew Linney and Jarrod Shepherd
Working with Autonomous Energy, Matthew and Jarrod designed and installed a ground-mount solar system on a building in the Sydney CBD that is intended to allow for plant growth throughout the array and underneath the panels.
The system is a striking demonstration of how solar technology can be fully integrated into green spaces where both systems can function in harmony, and even in a mutually beneficial relationship.
Image courtesy of the Clean Energy Council.
Over 240 kW
Winners – Luke Butterworth, Marton Treuer, Alvin Lee, Tim Shield, Cameron Evans and Matthias Huchel
Working with Epho, Luke, Marton, Alvin, Tim, Cameron and Matthias designed and installed a 1.7 MW rooftop solar installation using Epho’s Bright Thinkers Power Station (BTPS) technology, which allows the energy generated by the system to be consumed on site or traded on the National Electricity Market.
The use of the BTPS technology allowed the installation to be twice as big as it would have traditionally been to off-set the on-site daytime power needs of the client.
2020 Finalists:
30-240 kW:
- Christopher Hackett (Gem Energy) for a 56 kW/138 kWh off-grid solar PV and battery storage system on a number of eco-cabins in the Brisbane/Gold Coast hinterland.
- Alvin Lee and Simba Kuestler (Solgen Energy) for a 99 kW installation in the shape of the Woolworths logo on the roof of the Woolworths store in Orange, NSW.
- Matthew Linney and Jarrod Shepherd (Autonomous Energy) for a ground-mount solar system on a building in the Sydney CBD that is designed to allow for plant growth throughout the array and underneath the panels.
Over 240 kW
- David Adams, Benjamin Murray,Damien Groves and Graeme Malone (AGL) for a 245 kW solar carpark shading system at Pernod Ricard Winery in South Australia.
- Matt Alexander and Xiaoxiao Fu (Smart Commercial Solar) for a 1.5 MW rooftop solar system on a warehouse in New South Wales that used a helicopter to lift materials for the installation onto the roof.
- Luke Butterworth, Marton Treuer, Alvin Lee, Tim Shield, Cameron Evans and Matthias Huchel (Epho) for a 1.7 MW rooftop solar installation using Epho’s BTPS technology, which allows the energy generated by the system to be consumed on site or traded on the National Electricity Market.
