Under construction: Australia's largest single-building rooftop solar system

Property group Stockland has selected Todae Solar and Canadian Solar to install a 1.22 MW rooftop solar system on Stockland Shellharbour Shopping Centre in the Illawarra region of NSW. Once completed, the system will be Australia’s largest single-building rooftop solar system and one of the top 10 largest installed across the country.

Stockland’s regional retail manager for NSW South, Daniel Buchanan, said: “Since completing our $330 million redevelopment of Stockland Shellharbour in 2013 and receiving our 4 Star Green Star rating by the Green Building Council of Australia, we have continued to add initiatives to benefit our customers, the community and the environment.

“We have been considering large-scale solar for the portfolio for some time. While we have installed a number of smaller solar PV systems, and learned from the experience, it is only now that the economics and time are right for us to set a renewable energy target and commit to a range of projects across our portfolio.”

Canadian Solar will supply 3991 PV panels with a total surface area of 7658 m², which is expected to generate an average 4789 kWh per day - 28% of the centre’s daily base building power requirements. Canadian Solar Australia’s country manager, Daniel Ruoss, said the company was chosen due to its “extensive experience and expertise with commercial rooftop installations here in Australia, our excellent bankability and providing the industry’s highest power outputs per panel”.

Stockland has meanwhile appointed Todae Solar as the system’s project manager and system designer. Todae Solar CEO Danin Kahn said: “Being selected by Stockland for this project showcases our experience and capability in delivering large-scale projects of the highest quality. This project will hopefully make many other organisations out there sit up and take notice to start thinking about solar.”

Stockland expects the new system to be fully operational by the end of May 2015 and to generate sufficient renewable energy to offset approximately 1700 tonnes of CO₂ annually. The company has a target of 1.35 MW of installed renewable energy capacity in its shopping centre portfolio by FY17; this installation alone will have a capacity of 1.22 MW.