After a successful installation of a 100kW system at Kmart’s Jankadot Distribution Centre in WA, Todae Solar will install another 100kW commercial solar system for Kmart at their new site currently under construction in Port Macquarie. Todae Solar was selected based on the success of the first project for Kmart as well as our extensive experience in delivering solar installations for construction projects. All of this will be invaluable as the project is already in progress with strict timelines to ensure completion before the end of 2016.

This initiative is a part of Kmart’s commitment to becoming more energy efficient and will help drive energy reductions for the company. The system will be amongst the dozens of 100kW systems Todae Solar has installed and is expected to generate approx 148,000 kWh per year. Over the course of its lifetime, the system will also reduce Kmart’s carbon emissions by 2,366 tonnes – the equivalent of taking 789 average cars off the road.

Kmart is amongst the many retailers we have completed challenging, time-sensitive installations for. Other successful installations include a 1.24MW system for Brisbane Markets and a 1.22MW system for Stockland. Todae Solar commends Kmart on taking another step to reduce their carbon emissions and reducing their dependency on the grid.

For a Free Consultation & Feasibility Study Click Here >

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Multi-national pharmaceutical giant AstraZeneca has selected Todae Solar to install a 100kW commercial solar system. AstraZeneca is one of the largest pharmaceutical companies in the world and produces drugs to treat diseases in a range of areas including cancer, cardiovascular and inflammation. The system will be installed at the company’s manufacturing plant in North Ryde and is expected to annually produce around 149,100kWh of energy and 2,844 tonnes of carbon abatement.

AstraZeneca is committed to minimising the environmental impact generated by their business and are aiming to source 100% of their electricity from renewable sources by 2025. The installation of this system is one of their first steps toward reaching this goal and will have the added benefits of cutting energy costs and reducing their dependency on the grid and exposure to ever-changing energy prices.

The viability of solar has never been better, making this a good time to install and take advantage of the environmental and financial benefits that comes with a commercial solar system. Congratulations to AstraZeneca for taking their first solar step and we encourage other organisations to follow inspirational industry leaders like AstraZeneca with exemplary renewable energy goals.

For a Free Consultation & Feasibility Study Click Here >

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The installation of a 40kW commercial solar system at Royal Wolf Containers in WA has been completed. The system ordered in late June is now operational and is supplying clean, renewable energy to the market leading shipping container provider. Congratulations to Royal Wolf Australia and we thank them for choosing Todae Solar.

Click here to see the system details.

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A 100kW commercial solar system is now operational at the Historical Aircraft Recreation Society (HARS). In October 2016, Todae Solar completed the installation for the popular specialist not-for-profit museum located within the Illawarra Regional Airport in Albion Park, NSW. HARS is home to Australia’s biggest collection of historical aircraft, particularly those of significance to Australian Aviation history. The most recent addition to the Society was a Boeing 747-400 known as The Canberra, the oldest aircraft in Qantas’ fleet. It is a popular destination that has received a Certificate of Excellence on Tripadvisor.com.

Historial Aircraft Restoration – Commercial Solar

The system is expected to produce approximately 134,000kWh of electricity per year and cover 62.9% of the organisation’s electricity bill. It is also expected to offset 2,549 tonnes of carbon emissions over its lifetime. As HARS is located within an airport, our engineers and installers had to take extra care to ensure the operations of the airport were not disrupted which involved ensuring compliance with the rules and regulations set out by the Civil Aviation Safety Authority (CASA) and Airservices Australia. In particular, a reflectivity and glare study was conducted to ensure the panels did not affect pilots approaching or leaving the airstrip. Todae Solar has significant experience in conducting reflectivity studies, which can often be quite onerous and challenging, having completed them in the past for installations in near airports in both Canberra and Bankstown.

Despite the additional challenges, airports are great locations for commercial solar systems. They are typically situated on open landscape with minimal shading from nearby buildings or trees. Apart from rooftops, they also have un-utilised land by the airstrip that is perfect for low profile ground-mounted solar systems. Airports also typically have very high operating costs which a solar system can help drastically reduce. Todae Solar congratulates HARS for their new system and hope it becomes an example of the significant environmental and financial savings organisations can leverage through solar.

Click here to see the system details.

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In the latest data released by Sunwiz Consulting, Todae Solar has continued as the #1 commercial solar installer in 2016 (to date)*. This comes on top of Sunwiz Consulting ranking Todae Solar as the largest commercial solar installer in 2015. 2016 has been a big year for solar as organisations across the country continue to invest in commercial solar power at an increasing rate.

Organisations continue to choose Todae Solar based on industry leading experience, innovative and high quality solutions and national coverage.

Todae Solar has installed solar in 2016 for organisations like:

• Aegis Care
• Brisbane Markets
• Kmart
• Australian Vintage
• Royal Wolf Containers
• Numerous local Governments and Schools
• Over 100 SME’s

To find out how your organisation can benefit from solar – contact us here.

*Sunwiz Consulting has ranked Todae Solar as the largest commercial solar installer to date (October 2016) based on commercial solar installations between 30-100kW.

For a Free Consultation & Feasibility Study Click Here >

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St Vincent’s Health Australia has selected Todae Solar to design and construct a 2.708MW commercial solar system across 16 sites in New South Wales, Victoria and Queensland. With 27 facilities across New South Wales, Victoria and Queensland, St Vincent’s Health is the largest Catholic not-for-profit provider of health and aged care services in Australia. An estimated 9,180 solar panels will be mounted during the installation and will annually produce approximately 4.11GWh of electricity for the 16 hospitals and aged care facilities. The project is expected to be completed by the second half of 2017.

As one of the largest solar rollouts for any organisation nationally, this initiative will help contribute to St Vincent’s Environmental Sustainability Strategy. Matt Power, Group Manager – Energy and Environment, has stated “St Vincent’s proud to be partnering with Todae Solar” for this rollout and they hope the partnership will be able to “demonstrate the impact that this technology can have on making healthcare more sustainable” as well as its “increasing viability as an alternative to fossil fuel based electricity which has both health and environmental impacts.”

Todae Solar congratulates St Vincent’s for being an industry leader in energy efficiency and sustainability practices. We look forward to helping St Vincent’s achieve its energy goals and hope their leadership inspires other organisations to consider solar as a way to reduce their carbon footprint.

*Images for illustration purposes only

For a Free Consultation & Feasibility Study Click Here >

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Healthcare organisations need to sit up and take notice as leaders in the industry start to embrace solar on a large scale level. The past couple years saw a steady flow of pilot projects within the industry including 100kW systems for Sydney Adventist Hospital at Wahroonga, NSW and Ramsay Healthcare’s Hollywood Private Hospital in Nedlands, WA.

More recently, Concord Hospital joined these innovative healthcare providers with a 100kW pilot project earlier this year. West Gippsland Health raised the bar further with the installation of a 289kW system on the roofs of West Gippsland Hospital, Warragul Community Health Centre and three other sites in Victoria.

Reviews from these hospitals have been overwhelmingly positive and all were very happy with the design and installation process as well as the quality of the final product. Of particular importance was the way Todae Solar accommodated the extra sensitivity that hospitals have towards service disruptions. Constant communication ensured the hospital was always up to date on progress and scheduled shutdowns, and allowed queries and issues to be resolved quickly. Todae Solar also minimises physical disruption. Logistics were organised so installers did not get in the way of hospital staff and just-in-time inventory management reduced the amount of space required for equipment storage.

A representative from Concord Hospital said in a testimonial they were “very pleased with the result, particularly the excellent workmanship… and the quality of the system installed”. Professionalism, project management and communication skills were vital to ”ensure that there was minimal disruption to the day to day operation of the Mental Health Unit” which operates 24 hours a day and is particularly sensitive to disruption from construction work.

St Vincent’s Health, has taken the lead within the healthcare sector and has committed to what will likely be a game-changing solar rollout for the industry. A 2.7MW solar system will be installed across 16 sites in NSW, VIC and QLD. With the announcement of this landmark project, we expect other healthcare organisations to take notice and see the multi-faceted benefits of solar.

Solar is not limited to the large healthcare organisations as Todae Solar has installed solar for a number of  SME healthcare providers such as Bulli Medical Practice, Warragul Family Medicine and Central Coast TCM. Solar for SME’s in healthcare can have a dramatic effect on overheads with all of the aforementioned SME’s covering around 50% of their energy costs.

We expect to see this trend grow as more healthcare providers follow the lead of trailblazers like St Vincent’s Health. Contact Todae Solar to find out more about these projects or how your organisation can take advantage of our innovative solar solutions.

For a Free Consultation & Feasibility Study Click Here >

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Todae Solar will be installing a 30kW commercial solar system for Withcott’s Shopping Centre in Regional Queensland and a 68kW system for Bernini Stone & Tiles in Western Australia in the coming months.

For Withcott Shopping Centre, rising electricity rates were becoming a concern and was looking for ways to reduce their monthly electricity bill while becoming more sustainable. Bernini Stone & Tiles were also similarly looking for ways to reduce their daily operational costs due to ever increasing competition and contracted Todae Solar to install a solar system at their manufacturing site in Malaga, WA.

Simultaneously installing solar systems at sites in different states presents many challenges which Todae Solar has unrivalled experience in overcoming. An example of this leading experience was the concurrent construction of QLD’s and NSW’s largest rooftop systems for Brisbane Markets (1.24MW) and Stockland Shellharbour (1.22MW). Installing commercial solar systems for Withcott and Bernini on opposite sides of the country is all in a days’ work for Todae Solar’s team.

For organisations like these, turning a previously unproductive roof into a value-adding asset will always make for a robust and safe investment, especially considering the rapidly declining costs of solar components and the day 1 positive cash flow options we offer.

For a Free Consultation & Feasibility Study Click Here >

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Todae Solar is delighted to announce that we have been chosen by Charles Sturt University (CSU) to install a 1.77MW commercial solar system. CSU was declared Australia’s first carbon neutral university by the Minister for the Environment and Energy back in July after years of investment in environmental sustainability and carbon emission reduction. CSU will be joining a number of government agencies and education institutions to take advantage of commercial solar.

The installation of this system at CSU Wagga Wagga is the next step in the university’s environmental and sustainability strategy. It demonstrates their commitment to achieving their own sustainability goals while inspiring and encouraging regional and national organisations to achieve the standards required to do their bit to support the planet.

The system will use 6,012 solar panels spread across 11 buildings, making it one of the largest rooftop solar systems in Australia. The system is expected to annually produce approximately 2,620,000kWh of electricity which will be enough to power approximately 420 homes per day. In addition, it will provide almost 50,000 tonnes of carbon abatement over 20 years. That is equivalent to taking about 833 cars off the road each year. The system is expected to cover approximately 20% of CSU Wagga Wagga’s electricity bill and will be a hedge against rising electricity prices. Installation is expected to be completed by March 2017 and fully commissioned shortly after.

Through an innovative financing solution, Todae Solar was able to offer CSU a lower $/kWh electricity rate despite the campus already enjoying existing low electricity tariffs. The university will be able to install the system and enjoy cheap power in the first year without having to undertake any significant capital fund raising. Put simply, financially viable commercial solar is available now and we hope more organisations follow CSU’s leadership in reducing energy costs and environmental impact.

For a Free Consultation & Feasibility Study Click Here >

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The simple answer is yes. This was a question recently raised after a severe thunderstorm swept through North-West Victoria in November 2016. Golf-ball-sized hail, 100km/h winds and heavy rain battered the communities caught in the storm’s path causing 20-30 homes to lose their roof.

The storm passed through the Mildura region where Todae Solar was putting the finishing touches on a 821kW commercial solar system for Australian Vintage, one of the largest vineyard owners and managers in Australia. The image below was taken the day after the storm and as you can see, the panels remained firmly in place and were not damaged by the cyclonic winds or the hail travelling in excess of 80km/h.

Australian Vintage ground mount system after the storm

This is not the first instance where Todae Solar’s installations have endured extreme weather. In 2013, one of our clients in Northern Queensland also experienced heavy storms and hail. While they had damage on their metal roof, their system was similarly undamaged – showing the resilience of solar panels.

How Do Solar Panels Survive Hail?

Solar panels are designed to withstand extreme weather conditions, not just hail. While the silicon cells are quite fragile on their own, they are protected with laminate and 3.5mm toughened glass which shields them against strong winds and impacts from objects such as hail and tree branches. Solar panels installed at angles will also take glancing blows from hail rather than direct hits, further minimising the chances of potential damage. They are durable and it is rare that hail will cause damage to them.

The Tier 1 solar panels that Todae Solar uses are all certified according to standards set by the International Electrotechnical Committee (IEC). These standards establish specific test sequences to ensure the continued performance of photovoltaic (PV) panels after prolonged exposure to a variety of standard climate conditions.

For example, to ensure the PV panels are properly insulated and can withstand wet conditions like rain, fog, dew and melted snow, manufacturers will submerse the entire module in a water bath solution before applying a test voltage. In addition to insulation resistance tests, panels are subjected to hot-spot endurance, UV preconditioning, thermal stress, humidity and mechanical load tests.

Photo Courtesy of TUV Rheinland: TUV employee conducting hail impact test

Hail impact is tested after the panel has been subjected to all the previously mentioned conditions. Ice balls (typically ranging from 25mm in diameter to golf-ball sized 45mm diameter ice balls) are launched at velocities of 82.8-100.52km/h to impact 11 specified locations on the PV panel. The panels must meet performance requirements after these tests in order to be certified.

While this may sound like a lot to put a panel through, this is actually not a complete or comprehensive list of tests administered by manufacturers. Some manufacturers will also test for resistance to ammonia, salt-mist and sand corrosion. The solar panels that Todae Solar uses are tough as evident from the recent storm. With a 25 year warranty, solar panels are designed to last.

For a Free Consultation & Feasibility Study Click Here >

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Education institutions are turning to the benefits of solar with increasing frequency. Recently, Todae Solar has been selected by St Martin’s College and Northholm Grammar School to install a 30kW and a 97kW system respectively.

Following the lead of Charles Sturt University (CSU), St Martin’s College recently selected Todae Solar to install a 30kW system on the roofs of three of their college buildings. St Martin’s College is a student residential college located on CSU’s Wagga Wagga campus and they have been interested in solar for some time. The College Board was waiting for CSU to make their decision in the hope of linking the projects together. The 30kW system will be installed in conjunction with CSU’s 1.77MW system and a special Bi-Direction meter will be installed so that the college can be credited for unused electricity by CSU.

Seeing the success of St Pauls Grammar School’s 88kW system, Northholm Grammar School decided to re-investigate solar power and chose Todae Solar to expand their existing 3kW system to 100kW. The system will be installed on the gymnasium roof and high efficiency panels will be used in order to maximise the available space.

St Martin’s College and Northholm Grammar will be joining educational institutions like Charles Sturt University, University of New South Wales, Amaroo School and the dozens of schools that were a part of the National Solar Schools Program and Catholic Education Office Solar Rollout to take advantage of solar power. The upward trend of solar adoption amongst education institutions is very encouraging and we hope it inspires the next generations to think more seriously about renewable energy.

For a Free Consultation & Feasibility Study Click Here >

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ACT Largest Rooftop Solar Installation

Todae Solar has completed the installation of ACT’s largest rooftop system for Amaroo School in November 2015. The system is also Australia’s largest school solar system.

The challenging installation was completed in only 2 weeks to ensure it did not affect the school term. The complex installation required 11.3 kms of cable to link up the 1935 310W solar panels.

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System Size: 43kW

Click here to see the client testimonial

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NSW’s Largest Rooftop Solar Installation

System Size – 1.22MW (1,220kW)

Annual Output – 1,740,000kWh

Stockland has been a prominent real estate owner, manager and developer since 1952. Their vision is to “not merely achieve growth and profits but to make a worthwhile contribution to the development of our cities and great country.” This installation contributed a large portion to Stockland’s 1.35MW renewable energy goal for fiscal year 2017.

A notable challenge on this project was the coordination of almost 50 installers on site moving 3,991 PV panels over 7,658 square metres without disturbing the operations of a busy shopping centre.

Click here to see the client testimonial

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If you are considering installing a solar PV system under 100kW, then you should read the below explanation on how you much you could lose out on government rebates if you wait to install the system after this calendar year.

Let’s start with a quick explanation of where the government incentive comes from.

Explanation of the Renewable Energy Target

The Renewable Energy Target (RET) is a government scheme that encourages the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions while incentivizing renewable energy generation. It allows owners of small scale systems and large generation plants to create certificates for every megawatt hour of energy they produce. Electricity Retailers are mandated by the RET to buy a certain number of these certificates every year, determined by the Renewable Power Percentage, and give them to the Clean Energy Regulator. The Renewable Power Percentage is determined annually so this is an estimated value in the Electricity Cost Spreadsheet. The end goal is to achieve 33,000 GWh of renewable energy by 2020. At the time the RET was made the 2020 goal was 41,000 Gwh but the target was adjusted in June 2015 (www.cleanenergyregulator.gov.au).

The formula to calculate the value of STCs issued for one system is the following:

Upfront STCs = Size of the System(kW) x Postcode Multiplier x Deeming Period  x Spot STC Price

The postcode multiplier is a value supplied by the Clean Energy Regulator. See a list of postcode multipliers here.

STCs are created upfront for a 15 year deeming period OR however many years are left before 2030. Now that we are in less than 15 years from 2030, the deeming period will decrease to 14 years for systems installed in 2017 and 13 years the following and so on. Therefore, from this year forward, under 100kW systems will lose out on upfront STCs.

To simplify things, see the example of a 100kW system installed in Sydney below.

• STCs for a 100kW in Sydney = 100kW x 1.382 postcode multiplier x 15 years x $37.48/STC = $77,546
• For installs after December 31: 100kW x 1.382 postcode multiplier x 14 years x $37.48/STC = $72,374
• That is a difference of over $5,000 – >5% of the Net.

To find out more about the rebate changes contact us to speak with one of our consultants.

For a Free Consultation & Feasibility Study Click Here >

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Geelong High School has contracted Todae Solar to install a 100kW system on their rooftop in the coming months. The system is expected to produce 128,956kWh of energy in the first year of production and will cover approximately 32% of the School’s electricity bill. This system will help the School save hundreds of thousands of dollars over the life of the system and will join the dozens of installations Todae Solar has completed in Victoria.

The installation of this system will undoubtedly pique the interest of students and encourage learning and discussion on renewable energy and sustainability.

It will also will help the State move towards meeting the Victorian Renewable Energy Targets (VRET) of 25 percent renewable energy generation by 2020 and 40 percent by 2025. Todae Solar takes pride in enabling organisations to produce sustainable energy and look forward to more future projects in Victoria.

Todae Solar would like to congratulate Geelong High School on taking the first step to harnessing the benefits of solar.

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The benefits of solar energy have dawned on the Heart Research Institute (HRI) as they will be tapping the sunshine to power the state-of-the-art research labs and support facilities at their headquarters in Newtown, NSW. Todae Solar will be designing and installing a 100kW commercial solar system that will help the scientific staff shed some light on heart diseases.

The system will feature 384 photovoltaic panels expected to annually generate 128,518kWh and reduce the facility’s carbon emissions by 2,451 tonnes. Todae Solar’s extensive experience and expertise with 100kW systems and tricky installations will be invaluable to the project as it is important to preserve the original façade of the 1931 Telephone Exchange in which the HRI is housed.

The HRI adds to the list of health and social organisations that Todae Solar has assisted with the installation of solar. Some of these organisations include: St Vincent’s De Paul, West Gippsland Health, Concord Centre for Mental Health, Australian Academy of Science, SDN Children’s Services and Priority Health. We’re proud to be partnered with these organisations who are making a real difference to the lives of Australians across the country.

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QLD’s Largest Rooftop Solar System

System Size: 1.24MW

Brisbane Markets is one of the largest wholesale produce markets in the country and their 37 buildings across 77 hectares result in substantial electricity requirements. The company recognised the need to reduce their dependency on grid electricity and exposure to volatile energy prices and embarked on this iconic project with Todae Solar to install a 1.24MW solar power system.

It is the largest commercial rooftop solar system in Queensland. A total of 1056 Jinko Solar Panels were mounted to deliver a range of environmental and financial benefits to the organisation. Andrew Young, CEO of Brisbane Markets, hopes that this installation will inspire others to consider commercial solar.

Click here to see the client testimonial

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Todae Solar has been selected to design and install a 30kW commercial solar system on the roof of the Brookfield Place skyscraper in Perth, Western Australia. At its highest point, the building stands 244m tall and the solar system to be mounted on the roof will likely be the highest in the southern hemisphere, if not the world.

The height of Brookfield Place presents a range of unique design, logistical and installation challenges. While commercial skyscrapers typically have significant energy usage, there is often minimal room for solar arrays as the space is already occupied with equipment such as cooling towers and antennas. Todae Solar has designed a system featuring highly efficient Sunpower 327w panels and a special angled mounting system to make the best use of the available roof space while being robust enough to withstand the higher wind loads expected from tall buildings with low parapets.

Todae Solar’s innovative engineers and installation team have plenty of experience in designing and creating resourceful, quality solutions within tight deadlines for complicated projects like this. Other complex projects include the installation of a 1.22MW system for Stockland, a 535kW system for Baxter Healthcare and a 100kW system for Concord Hospital. This experience will be invaluable on the second highest building in Perth.

Todae Solar looks forward to delivering this iconic project for BHP and Brookfield.

For a Free Consultation & Feasibility Study Click Here >

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WA’s Largest Aged Care Solar Rollout – 3.24MW over 26 sites

System Size: 3.24MW

In 2016, Todae Solar completed the largest aged care solar rollout in WA with the installation of a 3.24MW commercial solar system across 26 sites for Aegis Aged Care. The challenging project required extensive planning, coordination and care to complete within tight deadlines and with minimal disruption to the residents of the facilities.

Michael Cross, CEO & Proprietor of Aegis Aged Care, stated that Todae Solar was chosen for their “experience in the WA market,…ability to deliver multi-site projects…and expertise across all facets” of the design and installation process. Speaking on behalf of Aegis, Michael said “we have been extremely pleased with how the systems have been designed, managed and installed, coming in ahead of schedule“.

Click here to see the full testimonial.

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