Reducing its reliance on diesel has saved a tropical resort near K’gari more than $300,000 per year in running costs. 

That’s according to the Project Manager at Lady Elliot Island Eco-Resort, Robert Thomas, who says the venue was one of the first in Australia to implement a hybrid energy system and become self-sustaining.

The system, which has almost 20 times the solar capacity of a typical home, powers the island’s whole population of around 200 people (including the resort) as well as the resort’s nursery with thousands of trees.

For a place as pristine as Lady Elliot Island, churning through hundreds of litres of diesel to power noisy generators for their guests was less than ideal, and the owners of the resort knew there had to be a better solution.

For years, the island’s only power source was diesel arriving by barge from Gladstone – 15 hours away by boat – meaning that if a cyclone threatened and the barge got suspended, the island could be left in the dark.

Of course, ferrying diesel across the ocean also brought another very real danger of potential oil spills within a highly protected ‘Green Zone’ and marine sanctuary for over 1,200 species of marine life including manta rays, turtles and unspoiled coral reef.

“We wanted to do something more in line with our focus on being eco-friendly,” says Robert. “Lady Elliot Island Eco Resort was one of the first to do this, and others have definitely tried to follow,” he continues.

SMA’s hybrid system solutions are designed to be modular, allowing for easy expansion as the resort grows. Additionally, the backup system ensures that in the event of any potential threat to the main energy source, there is a secondary source to prevent power outages.

Robert says the system has 189 kilowatts (kW) of solar capacity and 617 kWh of usable battery capacity. “If the weather is fine, we run 100 per cent on the solar and batteries.

“On average for the year, we get around 80 per cent of our power from solar with the rest coming from the diesel generator.”Patrick Duignan, SMA Australia’s Vice-President Home Commercial & Industrial, says: “The harsh working environment many kilometres out at sea means that ocean and salt can create rust, yet our product has continued to work reliably well for the past 15 years.

“This is because our inverters undergo rigorous tests enduring temperatures from -40°C to +90°C, so they are equipped for the most challenging conditions.”

Robert says switching to solar power makes clear financial sense.

“Because fuel keeps going up in price, the cost of electricity from diesel generators keeps increasing. “However, for us the cost of solar and batteries keeps falling. Although we did start from a very high price, we  are in this amazing situation where our electricity costs are in fact decreasing over time.”