The project
The 50 kilowatt (kW) solar photovoltaic (PV) system, featuring 288 solar panels, is installed on the Adelaide Central Market’s roof and will reduce the market’s carbon emissions by approximately 70 tonnes each year.
The installation of the PV panels to the Market was designed by Adelaide Solar City consortium member BP Solar.
The solar energy system’s installation involved the use of tilted frames due to the flat roof structure of the Market.
The installation was launched on 8 April 2011 by the Lord Mayor Stephen Yarwood and Ms Kate Ellis, Minister for Employment Participation and Child Care, Minister for the Status of Women and Federal Member for Adelaide.
Not just solar
The Market is also employing a range of other renewable energies and sustainability measures.
These include having traders diverting 90per cent of their waste from landfill each year and purchasing 50 per cent ‘green
power’ for the Market, and the recent installation of two of the world’s first fuel cell-powered electric car charging stations.
Merging the old with the new
Dario De Bortoli, Adelaide Solar City Program Manager from Origin, said that the installation shows how solar technology can successfully integrate with historic buildings.
“This is a prime example of how innovative PV technology can be sensitively integrated into an historic building without detracting from the historic values of the facade.
“This key solar project is a result of another successful collaboration between the Adelaide City Council, BP Solar and the Adelaide Solar City project,” he said.
Energy purchase and supply
Power generated from the project is used to offset onsite energy consumption, and will operate intermittently.
The Market’s solar energy system is connected to the local network, owned by ETSA Utilities.
Funding arrangements and acknowledgements
The system was jointly funded by the Adelaide City Council and the Australian Government through the Adelaide Solar City Project.
Adelaide: a solar city
This installation builds on the extensive portfolio of Adelaide Solar City projects. These include installations at the Watershed Sustainability Centre, the Adelaide Central Bus Station, the Golden Grove Recreation and Arts Centre, the Aquadome at Elizabeth Way, and the MTU Detroit Diesel Australia facility at the Keylink Industrial Estate.
Adelaide is one of several regions in Australia specially chosen for the Australian Government’s $94 million Solar Cities trial.
The six-member Adelaide Solar City consortium, led by Origin, includes ANZ, Big Switch Projects, BP Solar, Delfin Lend Lease, and the City of Salisbury in association with Adelaide City Council and the Cities of Tea Tree Gully and Playford.
Adelaide Solar City consortium is one of seven consortiums in Australia specially chosen for joint funding of community-based energy efficiency trials, through the Australian Government’s $94 million Solar Cities program.
To read more about other Adelaide Solar City projects, visit http://www.adelaidesolarcity.com.au
