The Arkaroola Microgrid Project: Successful Remote Solar Install with PVKIT®

Maximising Roof Space and Minimising Freight Costs with a Rail-Less PV System.

Location Flinders Ranges, SA, Australia

Industry Commercial

Customer Arkaroola Wilderness Sanctuary

The Challenge

To power the sanctuary throughout its high season, it was important to cover the entire roof space with as many solar panels as possible, thereby maximising solar generation capacity. In addition, the Mawson Lodge presented a challenge to installer APEX Energy due to the age and engineering of the substructure—it was not ideal for the adherence of a traditional racking solar system.

This made it critical for the solar mounting solution to be strong yet lightweight to withstand potential wind uplift and minimise stress on the building structure. Any materials transported to the site needed to be compact, lightweight and reliable enough to stand the test of time, as future replacement or maintenance would carry a high cost.

Project Stats

The use of native timber and natural moss rock is harmonious with the rustic mountain rural and local architecture. Corten steel (sometimes known as weathered steel) also provides a rustic appearance to the building exterior. The office features a pre-painted Galvalume® Drexel Metals 24-gauge, low-gloss black PVDF standing seam roof supported by hand-peeled log trusses and was rollformed onsite using a New Tech Machinery roof panel machine.

420

PVKIT solar mounts

360

RibBracket attachments

Buildings powered

The Solution

Installer APEX Energy utilized the S-5! PVKIT® – a rail-less solar mounting solution – along with the RibBracket™ attachment, providing a simple, secure method to direct attachment onto the ribs of the metal roof.

Providing a faster and easier installation than a traditional rail system, S-5! turns the roof into a canvas, allowing panels to be installed anywhere on the roof.

The compact and lightweight nature of the S-5! mounting solution reduced the load on the roof by 750 kilograms compared to traditional racking.

61.6 kWp

Project size

100 %

Renewable energy

7.3 %

More solar capacity