A collaborative project driven by Sydney Theatre Company (STC) Artistic Directors Cate Blanchett and Andrew Upton, the project employed some of the latest solar photovoltaic (PV) technology developed locally and internationally by the University of New South Wales (UNSW), Suntech and SMA, and was supported by private companies and donors, State and Federal government and was approved by the NSW Heritage Council.

The 380 kilowatt (kW) solar installation, which includes 1,902 Suntech PV panels with Pluto cell technology and 30 SMA SUNNY MINI CENTRAL 11000TL inverters, was launched in November 2010. The system will generate approximately 405 megawatt hours (MWh) of electricity per year, between 50 and 70 per cent of the STC’s electricity needs.

To install the system, STC worked with the Government Architect’s Office, NSW Public Works, DCM Solar, Landis+Gyr, and Tropman & Tropman Architects to ensure the placement of the panels was sympathetic to the building, which has historical significance dating back to the maritime trade in NSW just before and shortly after World War One.

Options for the solar array were tested and heritage architects worked as part of the team to ensure that the location and fixings for the panels minimised impact on the heritage fabric of the building.

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Chris Wilson, Electrical and PV Engineer with the Government Architect’s Office, NSW Public Works comments on the challenges overcome to erect the array.

He says that despite the building’s heavy timber construction, its Oregon roof trusses and purlins had to be inspected and, where necessary, repaired to ensure the PV array could remain undisturbed for over 25 years.

He adds that at 380 kW capacity, the system was classified as an embedded generator, located in the heart of Sydney’s CBD. Extensive consultation resulted in the system being split across two separate supplies into the EnergyAustralia network.

DCM Solar Project Manager and Design Engineer Graeme McMullan says the project provided the industry a unique opportunity to utilise state-of-the-art components from SMA, including inverters and mounting stations through to data capture and monitoring systems with custom-designed racking systems, and solar panels from Suntech.

Suntech’s high efficiency Pluto technology panels were developed in collaboration with the UNSW in Sydney. The solar cells boast efficiencies of over 19 per cent and the panels sit sleekly on the four faces of STC’s double gable roofs and shore shed roofs.

The system incorporates 30 SMA SUNNY MINI CENTRAL 11000TL inverters mounted within the valley of the roof across five SMA SUNNY TOWER ST6s.

Mr Wilson says locating the inverters, which achieve efficiencies of 98 per cent, within the valley and therefore out of sight, meant that the impact to the highly sensitive heritage building was minimised.

“The use of SMA SUNNY TOWERS allowed inverters to be grouped within the Tower’s 3-phase AC terminals, significantly reducing the amount of cabling normally required,” says Mr Wilson.

The SMA Power Balancer technology allows the inverters to communicate across the different phases so that if an inverter fails across one phase, the inverters across the other phases automatically reduce their power output or disconnect. This prevents unbalanced loads, which Mr Wilson says is particularly important given the size of the installation.

“Theatre has always been a place to stimulate visionary conversations and practical action. We hope this solar array here at Sydney Theatre Company’s home-base, The Wharf, will become a 21st Century symbol of which Sydney can be proud,” said Andrew Upton and Cate Blanchett.