SA Water is making steps towards a zero cost energy future with the implementation of a major solar power system. With an even bigger installation coming soon, they’ll be making quite the dent in their goals.
Solar Energy Powering the Swan Reach Pipeline
In April, SA Water announced that they had finished installing 7,300 solar panels, which are now powering the Swan Reach Pipeline. This pipeline covers over 50 kilometres inland from River Murray to Barossa Valley to deliver drinking water to their Barossa customers. Such a large pipeline requires a significant amount of energy.
This solar power system was installed at the Swan Reach Pipeline’s second pump station. The next solar power system will be installed at the first pump station, and it will contain 16,000 solar panels.
The total capacity of these solar farms wasn’t provided, but SA Water did say that this solar array would produce 5,224 megawatt-hours (MWh) annually. What’s more is that all this new solar energy will mean they reduce their emissions by 2,240 tonnes every year.
Solar Panels in Adelaide
These major solar power systems aren’t the only installations that SA Water has undertaken. Earlier this year, they installed 266 solar panels at Lobethal’s sewer pump station in the Adelaide area. With those solar panels, they were able to produce 160 MWh of clean energy while reducing 68 tonnes of emissions annually.
Zero Cost Energy Future
SA Water has been doing all of this while working towards their Zero Cost Energy Future project. This initiative has already seen more than 30 solar sites containing more than 360,00 solar panels in total at the following locations.
As SA Water’s costs reached approximately $86 million in the last fiscal year, they’re hoping that their current and continued installation of solar power systems will significantly reduce these costs without compromising their performance. In that vein, we’re likely to see many more solar farms being installed in the future.
Reduce Your Own Energy Costs with Solar Power
Solar energy isn’t only a cost-saver for large businesses — having solar panels installed is a cost-efficient decision for both commercial and residential use. If you’re thinking about switching to solar power for your home or business, get in touch with Arise Solar.
We install solar panels in South Australia, Western Australia, New South Wales, and Queensland. Contact us today and we’ll be happy to answer any questions you have about the cost or efficiency of using solar energy.
