Enervest builds Australia’s 500 kW floating solar array
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- Enervest began construction on a 500 kW floating solar array at the Brierly Basin reservoir in Warrnambool, Victoria, for the state‑owned water authority Wannon Water.
- The project will install about 1,200 bifacial PV panels on pontoons that can rise and fall with reservoir water levels, at a cost of AUD 2 million ($1.4 million).
- Wannon Water expects the array to generate more than 600,000 kWh of renewable electricity each year, delivering a net‑positive financial value of over AUD 500,000.
- The installation is projected to cut the authority’s greenhouse‑gas emissions by more than 600 tonnes per year and to lower evaporation and algae growth in the reservoir.
- Victorian government aims for all water utilities to reach net‑zero emissions by 2045, and this project will be the largest floating solar plant in Australia when completed.
- Bifacial modules are anticipated to boost energy production by roughly 20 % compared with conventional panels due to reflected light from the water surface.
- Gippsland Water’s 350 kW system at Drouin and a 50 kW system at Lardner Park illustrate earlier Australian floating solar installations.
Why it matters: Wannon Water will save over AUD 500 k annually and cut its electricity bill by generating 600 MWh of clean power, while slashing emissions by 600 t and reducing reservoir evaporation and algae. The project validates floating solar’s higher output and supports Victoria’s net‑zero water‑utility target, a boost for a market that has lagged behind global adoption.
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