Innaloo Sportsmen’s Club were aware of the benefits of commercial solar PV for a number of years prior to making the decision to invest in a 30kW system. A significant reduction in the cost of solar PV panels, coupled with increasing electricity costs, saw the systems at their most viable stage and that helped club secretary Murray Ryan to make the decision to invest.
Like most bowling clubs in WA, the steady daytime refrigeration and lighting electricity load made Innaloo Sportsmen’s Club an ideal candidate to benefit from the daytime production of solar PV electricity.
The club was one of the first in WA to install an outdoor covered structure to allow their members to bowl all year round. This structure helped enormously when it came to the installation of the solar panels. Ample roof space with an East/West orientation and a low pitch allowed for an easy installation which is aesthetically pleasing.
The split East/West orientated design allows for a steady solar PV production throughout the day which fitted well with the consumption pattern at the club. The approximate $1,100 per month savings attained in the first few months after installation, combined with the energy reduction of 125/kWh per day are in line with the projected savings provided by Solargain.
The success of the system to date has been a good point of reference for many of the other bowling clubs deciding to make the investment in solar. The solar PV system comprises 120 x 250W ReneSola panels and 2 x SMA 15000TL Sunny Tri Power inverters. It is split across and
flush mounted to the East/West orientated roof with 15kW
on each side.
