303 SunPower solar panels have been installed across eight buildings at the zoo, including on the elephant barn, the reptile enclosure and the education classrooms.
In order to maximise the solar generation capacity amongst the mature trees of the historic botanical garden at the zoo, the 90.9 kilowatt (kW) installation is strategically divided across several rooftops with good solar access, and is expected to produce over
120,000 kW of energy per year.
According to Western Australian Environment Minister Bill Marmion, the solar panels are Stage One of a two-stage $2.7 million solar installation project at Perth Zoo, jointly funded by the state and federal governments.
Preliminary site work for Stage Two has already commenced; the main focus is on a solar pergola on the northern perimeter of the zoo near the visitor reception building. Stage Two will proceed in 2012, and the completed project is hoped to provide approximately one quarter of the site’s total energy needs.
Solar footprint
Perth has approximately 300 sunny days a year, which makes it an ideal solar city. A 1.5 kW system, which many households have installed, saves approximately 3 tonnes of carbon dioxide per year, a similar amount to the emissions produced by driving a car 40,000 km.
The system at Perth Zoo is expected to reduce greenhouse gas emissions at the site by 142 tonnes.
The zoo states that it is committed to invest all savings realised by the solar installation in the development of further clean energy and environmental programs onsite.
Additionally, visitors to the zoo can learn of the environmental benefits and impacts of this type of technology through educational programs, informational placards and the highly-visible public display that demonstrates real-time performance of the system. Perth Zoo expects approximately 630,000 annual visitors, making it an ideal site to showcase sustainable ways of living, with onsite educational material.
The Sun City
Mr Marmion says that the Perth Zoo was chosen as one of five sites to showcase major solar installations as an environmentally-sustainable source of energy as part of the Perth Solar City program.
The program is part of the Federal Government’s $94 million Solar City initiative; a partnership between all levels of government, industry, business and local communities to trial solar energy.
