Brisbane’s newest pedestrian bridge, the world-first Kurilpa Bridge, provided an opportunity to highlight the capabilities of photovoltaic solar power – while putting extra electricity back into the grid to boot.

The Kurilpa Bridge is a $63 million pedestrian and bicycle bridge in Brisbane, connecting Kurilpa Point in South Brisbane to Tank Street in the Brisbane CBD. Construction of the bridge began in December 2007 and was completed in October 2009.

Stowe Electrical was enlisted to design, develop, install and maintain a photovoltaic (PV) generation system to meet up to 100 percent of the electricity needs of the bridge.

The scope of works for this project included electrical and PV design development, selection of the PV panel and inverter manufacturers, installation of the inverter and PV panels, testing and commissioning, acquisition of renewable energy certificates and facility management training – among many others.

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Selecting the PV equipment to use was perhaps the most difficult challenge, particularly given the tight timeframes Stowe was working towards. Procuring materials and services always involved obtaining at least three quotes before selection.

Sunpower was ultimately selected to supply the PV panels for the project, with installation taking place between July and October 2009.

Since the practical completion of the solar PV generating system, it is performing exactly to its original design, reducing electricity consumption and CO2 emissions.

The result is a 470 metre footbridge, featuring an LED lighting system which can be programmed to produce an array of different lighting effects. The system is powered almost completely by 84 integrated solar panels which produce an average of 100 kilowatt hours a day. And because the system is connected to the grid, the bridge can get power when needed or give power back to the grid when a surplus is generated.

Kurilpa Bridge is now one of Queensland’s healthiest structures, modern in its design, services and attitude. The bridge sets a leading example in renewable energy generation, providing Brisbane with a solid example of leadership in sustainability.