Australia’s first dual-axis solar tracker to power electric vehicles on Kangaroo Island off the South Australian coast will produce more than 100 Mw of electricity a year.
Built by solar-power-equipment supplier Ingenero, the A$500,000 ($452,000) system will produce enough solar power to handle the 1,701-sq.-mile (4,405 sq.-km) island’s EV requirement and offset 100% of the airport’s electricity use.
The island is a major tourist attraction and also is linked to the mainland by car ferry.
Ingenero National Sales Manager Patrick Greene says the company recommended the dual-axis trackers to the island council because it had seen from previous projects the trackers perform better than static panels.
“By following the path of the sun throughout the day, the panels are exposed to sunlight for a longer period of time, maximizing power production,” Greene says in a statement. “We expect the system to produce about 40% more energy than a fixed system of the same size over a full year.”
Greene says the solar photovoltaic system plus EV-charging network will maximize benefits to the Kangaroo Island community.
“Ingenero worked with council to deliver a solution that not only powers the entire airport but (also) reduces fuel costs and emissions – while also providing the island with another eco-tourism attraction,” he says
Kangaroo Island is Australia's third-largest island and lies 70 miles (112 km) southwest of Adelaide.
Visitors who travel through the island’s Kingscote Airport can see the council’s new solar-power system along with a monitor inside the terminal displaying readings from the system.
The project was funded by the South Australian Department for Manufacturing, Innovation, Trade, Resources and Energy.
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