Timber pallet maker installs 100 kW solar system

Yingli Green Energy Australia has installed a 100 kWp solar PV system at Fisher’s Group through its installation partner Gippsland Solar.

Having adopted a policy against the burning of waste, the large-scale producer of timber pallets for the timber industry has continued to look for new ways to re-use waste products including its pallet-recycling program as part of The National Timber Product Stewardship Group.

To support this initiative, Fisher’s Group turned to Yingli Solar’s 250 W high-efficiency polycrystalline panels to supply enough solar energy to offset 80% of its power usage throughout the year. Comprising 400 Yingli Solar panels, this system will allow Fisher's Group to reduce its carbon footprint by 150 tonnes a year, while seeing a financial payback within four to five years.

Daman Cole, managing director for Yingli Green Energy in Australia, said, “It is great to see local businesses including Fisher’s Group begin to understand the significant role solar can play in reducing costs and sustaining long-term green initiatives. It’s hard to come by business investments that provide a guaranteed 20-25% return per year so we’re excited to see yet another organisation realise the full business potential of sustainable energy.”

Fisher’s Group founder and Managing Director Lewis Fisher said, “Fisher’s Group have had a longstanding commitment to the very best environmental practices; our passion for sustainability and ethical business underpins everything that we do. We also have a passion for utilising local suppliers whenever we can. Installing a solar power system was the next logical step to reducing our carbon footprint and our businesses’ running costs.

“Combined with the reliability and long-term yield of Yingli solar panels, we are convinced that this will prove to be a very wise investment.

“We were very comfortable using Gippsland Solar for this project. Having a trusted local company with local workers, who will be there well into the future to support their system and installation, gave us the ultimate peace of mind into the future. The installation went very smoothly; from adherence to OH&S during the installation, communication with us throughout the project and the professionalism of the installation team, our solar power installation went in without a hitch.”

Yingli Solar is a founding member of the Australian Solar Council’s Positive Quality Program and the first solar PV manufacturer to receive the Positive Quality certification.