Financing secured for biggest rooftop solar array for an Australian school

One Step Off The Grid

Canberra’s largest school will soon be solar powered, after financial close was reached on a deal to install a 600kW rooftop PV system on its roof – the largest roof-top solar array in the ACT, and approximately 2.5 times larger than the next biggest school PV installation in Australia.

The company behind the project at Canberra’s Amaroo School, Solar Choice, said they reached financial close on it this week, after signing a long term Roof Access Agreement negotiated with the ACT Government.

Solar Choice’s financial partner on the project is VivoPower, a subsidiary of ASX listed Arowana Capital.

The installation will be completed over the coming months by commercial PV specialists Todae Solar, using Canadian Solar 310W modules and SMA 25,000TL inverters. Commissioning is expected by December 2015.

Solar Choice’s Managing Director, Angus Gemmell, said the company first identified the site’s potential in October 2014.

“With very large north sloping skillion roofs on young buildings, the Amaroo School premises seem almost architecturally designed for photovoltaics. The array will be a majestic and inspirational example of clean energy for multiple generations of Canberra students.”

This article was originally published on RenewEconomy sister site, One Step Off The Grid. To sign up to the newsletter, click here.