S-5! has announced that its solutions are being used for the Arkaroola Wilderness Sanctuary Microgrid in the northern Flinders Ranges, South Australia.

Designed and installed by off-grid specialist Apex Energy, the microgrid provides critical energy security to power decades of global science and environmental research at the multi-award-winning site, slated for the UNESCO World Heritage Listing.

Backed by a $1.3 million grant from the Australian government and located 600km north of Adelaide, the entire microgrid project will power the eco-tourism hot spot, a landmark of global significance within the global science community. Arkaroola showcases unique wilderness, almost two billion years of geological history and world-class dark skies for astronomical observations, with a joint US-operated observatory at the site.

The Arkaroola microgrid will be powered in part by a 61.6kW (peak) rooftop solar system on the sanctuary’s Mawson Lodge. In planning and designing the solar system, Apex Energy carefully considered the need for a strong yet lightweight mounting system, which would both protect the ageing sub-structure of the building and be reliable enough to stand the test of time, as future replacement or maintenance at the remote site would carry a high cost.

The selection of the S-5! PVKIT rail-less solar mounting system was the obvious solution, cutting installation costs by 25%.

“We’re proud to have partnered with S-5! for the Arkaroola Microgrid solar installation,” APEX Energy project manager Sean LePoidevin says.

“The S-5! PVKIT offered the perfect solution for the Arkaroola Microgrid. The ability to install this rooftop system without rails meant lower freight costs, (a systems savings of 750kg), maximising the available rooftop space for solar, an easier installation, and ultimately a reliable and better-looking, low-profile rooftop system that blends with the stunning natural landscape.”

Providing a faster and easier installation than a traditional rail system, the S-5! PVKIT along with the RibBracket attachment turn the roof into a canvas, allowing panels to be installed anywhere on the roofing sheet, not just on roof purlins. The ability to design a landscape-oriented system enabled Apex Energy to maximise the roof space and meant the array could be expanded by 7.3% to an impressive 61.6kWp of generation capacity.