Crown Melbourne installs largest CBD rooftop solar project

May 09, 2018

In their commitment to sustainability, Crown Melbourne has installed a 300-kilowatt PV solar power system, consisting of nearly one thousand solar panels.

This initiative is estimated to produce over 400,000 kWh of renewable energy annually, equivalent to the power consumed by over 70 homes. It will reduce annual CO2 emissions by over 460,000 kg, comparable to the planting and growth of 12,000 trees. 

Crown Melbourne complex recently commissioned Beon Energy Solutions to design and install the 300-kilowatt system. It is currently the largest rooftop solar system in central Melbourne.

Crown Melbourne engineering manager Jeremy Sampson said "each year more than 21 million people pass through the building. Open 24 hours a day, the Southbank venue’s energy costs are substantial. The company was constantly on the hunt for energy conservation opportunities and had been looking at solar options for a while, and the business case for a solar installation made sense. Crown chooses projects that are guaranteed to provide positive value, and it was the right decision to proceed.”

As part of the project, 923 photovoltaic panels were installed on top of Crown’s administration building on north-orientated 10-degree tilt frames.

“While similar panels are commonly installed on metal roofs, the concrete surface posed a new challenge for the installation team. Any fears of teething issues were quickly allayed. The system also needed to integrate with Crown’s co-generation plant, which provides standby emergency power and heat capacity” said Sampson.

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Content & images: crownmelbourne.com.au and ecogeneration.com.au