Solar Design and Installation Awards finalists announced

The Clean Energy Council (CEC) has announced the finalists for the Solar Design and Installation Awards.

CEC Accreditation Manager Sandy Atkins said the high-calibre field of entries this year had made it difficult for the award judges.

“As always, it is inspiring to see such remarkable projects spanning an interesting range of installations. These awards are really about highlighting the work of individual installers and the amazing solutions they find to address daily challenges,” Atkins said.

“As the solar industry continues to evolve, there are always solar installers who are helping to redefine the industry’s idea of best practice through the diligent and innovative way they approach their work.

“The Clean Energy Council would like to thank everyone who took the time to submit an entry to the Solar Design and Installation Awards this year, and we wish the finalists luck when the winners are announced at the ATRAA Dinner in Melbourne next month,” he said.

Award finalists were named across four categories: Grid-Connect 15 kW–100 kW, Grid-Connect over 100 kW, Stand-Alone Power and Battery Back-Up. The entries were independently judged by a panel of solar industry experts.

The winners of the CEC Solar Design and Installation Awards will be announced at the ATRAA Dinner on Tuesday, 4 October, a feature event of the All-Energy Australia Exhibition and Conference in Melbourne.

All-Energy Australia is being held in partnership with the CEC and runs from 4–5 October. Entry to the main conference and exhibition is free, and tickets to the ATRAA Dinner are available for purchase.

The full list of finalists is as follows:

Stand-alone Power

• Tomislav Dretvic, Angus Quirk and Jonathan Pye, Smart Commercial Solar, for an installation at the Nyngan Waste Depot
• Marcus Edwards, Ed’s Marine Electrical, for a 2.5 kW installation for a remote community in North East Arnhem Land
• David Feeney for an installation of solar flowers at Europa Studio Australia

Grid-Connect 15 kW–100 kW

• Peter Baker, Eco Power & Lighting, for an 84.24 kW installation for a fruit store designed as a large cool room at Arnold’s Fruit Market
• Peter Harrison, Tintagel Systems, for a 33.28 kW installation at Goolabri Country Resort
• Graham McMullen, Energy Action, for a 99.91 kW installation at the 18-storey commercial building Collins Square at Docklands

Grid-Connect over 100 kW

• Tamun Davidson and Karl Tunnicliffe, CPS National, for a 1.8 MW installation at Ayers Rock Resort, Yulara
• Dimitar Iliev and Jeff Hoare, GEM Energy, for a 517 kW system at Dobson Spring and Suspension that addresses a highly fluctuating load
• Jeremy Tranter and Paul Jones, Tranter Engineering/CSA Engineering, for a 636 kW solar car park roof at The Pines shopping centre

Battery Back-Up

• David Feeney and Stefan Koefler, Unlimited Energy, for a 20 kW residential system
• DimitarIliev and Kurt Elvery, GEM Energy, for a 194 kW solar system with 252 kWh of storage at the Bundaberg Christian College
• Peter Libretto, Enertech Solar, for a 37 kW residential system optimised to time of use
• Wilson Yuan and Hamed Ghate, Water Stone Energy, for a 7.5 kW combined solar and wind system