Capral Aluminium has partnered with Sydney-based clean-tech company Green Energy Systems (GES) to supply low-carbon aluminium extrusions for a modular solar deployment system designed to fast-track utility-scale solar projects worldwide.
GES’s flagship technology, Solar Waves, uses 20 custom aluminium extrusions from Capral’s LocAl Green range, produced in Australia with significantly lower embodied carbon than the global average.
The system is built for rapid deployment, with fully prewired modules designed to be installed across land, water and agricultural sites.
“The Solar Waves system is designed to be fast to deploy [and] easy to relocate, and acts more like a fully functioning appliance,” Green Energy Systems founder and Managing Director Glenn Carless said. “At end of life, it can be 100 per cent recycled. It’s a smarter way to approach utility-scale solar deployment.”
The system’s aluminium frame eliminates the need for traditional fasteners by using a patented slide-together design. This allows components to be robotically assembled in-factory and delivered to site ready for simple ‘plug-and-play’ installation.
According to Carless, the aluminium’s unique properties made it a clear choice.
“Our primary focus was to use aluminium as the core material in our system because of its high strength-to-weight ratio and its capacity to be extruded into components with fine engineering tolerances at no additional cost,” he said.
GES specifically chose Capral’s LocAl Green aluminium, which has a certified carbon footprint of 8kg kilograms of CO₂ equivalent or less. The material’s recyclability and local production credentials made it a strong match for GES’s closed-loop sustainability goals.
“When Leanne from Capral introduced us to LocAl and highlighted its lower embodied carbon, we knew it was exactly what we were looking for,” Carless said.
“It aligned with our sustainability goals and business aspirations.”
Capral’s low-carbon aluminium stewardship initiative certification, which ensures ethical and environmentally responsible sourcing, was also a key factor in the partnership.
“Knowing that Capral’s aluminium meets ASI’s [Aluminium Stewardship Initiative] stringent standards gives us confidence that we are sourcing material from a supplier who shares our commitment to ethical production and environmental stewardship,” Carless said.
The Solar Waves system has been selected for a high-profile pilot in the US state of California, where it will be deployed over irrigation canals in a project backed by the California Department of Water Resources, University of California Merced, and other partners.
“Being selected as only one of two final options is a significant step forward,” Carless said.
“This trial gives us an opportunity to demonstrate what Solar Waves can do – generate clean power, conserve water, minimise land use, and deliver all of that at an affordable cost, in one package.”
To meet anticipated global demand, GES plans to scale up automated manufacturing in Australia and the US, using Capral’s extrusions as a foundation for its export strategy.
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