Hervey Bay Hospital to install Queensland’s largest hospital solar power system

A hospital in the Sunshine State is making the most of the weather to cut costs and reduce carbon emissions.

The Hervey Bay Hospital will install a 266 kW roof-mounted solar panel system later this year that will save an estimated $20,000 on electricity costs and reduce carbon emissions by around 400 tonnes annually.

ABB was awarded the contract by Queensland Health to design, supply and install the photovoltaic (PV) system, worth $1.3m, in the Fraser Coast hospital. The system will generate 385 MW hours of renewable energy each year.

“The hospital project is a personal favourite of mine,” said the Hon Stephen Robertson, Queensland Minister for Energy. “The hospital is probably the biggest user of electricity on the Fraser Coast and the environmental savings from this initiative forms an important step in our target of creating a greener, clean energy future for Queenslanders.”

The hospital is understandably keen to share the project’s success with the public. The system will include an interactive web kiosk and large-screen television that displays the system’s performance data as an education tool in the hospital’s foyer.

“When complete, this will become the largest rooftop PV system at any hospital in Queensland and will mark a significant milestone for ABB in Australia,” said Jason Venning, ABB’s power generation manager in Australia.

It also represents a move forward for the hospital’s green focus. “The hospital has already reduced its energy consumption significantly by implementing a number of energy-efficiency initiatives,” adds Venning, “and with the addition of the renewable energy from this system, they will become more self-sufficient.”

The solar panels for the system will be manufactured in Australia by Silex Solar. ABB’s scope of supply encompasses the whole project, from site and project assessment to design, engineering, installation, commissioning, service and maintenance. The system includes electrical meters, low-voltage DC isolation equipment and inverter technology all made by ABB and specifically designed for solar applications.

The PVS-300 string inverters will cost-effectively convert the direct current generated by the solar panels into high-quality alternating current, making it suitable for the hospital’s electrical system. “Drawing from our global expertise in the solar industry gained by our involvement in many of the world’s largest turnkey solar projects and coupled with our innovative technology enables us to provide a solution which operates at high efficiency, providing a lower cost per kilowatt production,” said Venning.

The project is expected to be complete by mid-2012. No doubt patients and staff alike hope the Sunshine State will stay sunny in the meantime.