Commercial case study
97.94 kWp of rooftop solar for ARB Caloundra
A full export commercial system across two roof planes at a busy auto parts and 4x4 accessories store on the Sunshine Coast, designed to cut the store’s reliance on grid electricity through its trading day.
97.94kWp
Certified solar array
166modules
JA Solar 590 W n-type bifacial
81kVA
Three Fronius Verto inverters
140MWh/yr
Generated each year
The brief
Take a high consumption retail site off the grid through its busiest hours
Lighting, workshop gear, compressors and air conditioning all draw hardest between 8am and 5pm, which is exactly when a Sunshine Coast roof produces most. No battery, no interruption to trade.
Electrical and switchboard works
- Integration with the existing site main switchboard and distribution board
- Dedicated inverter breakers, isolation and protection
- Grid supply disconnect equipment installed to network requirements
- Network connection and disconnection arrangements completed
- Commissioning power quality and compliance testing
What made this one harder than a house
What the system does
Generation matched to the way the store actually trades
The system
166 modules, three circuits, one switchboard
Questions
Frequently asked questions
Commercial solar can be a worthwhile investment for businesses with significant daytime electricity consumption. By generating electricity on-site, businesses may reduce their reliance on purchased grid power and lower ongoing operating costs. The financial return depends on the system size, installation costs, electricity usage and applicable tariffs.
The right commercial solar system size depends on factors including electricity consumption, operating hours, available roof space, existing electrical infrastructure and network connection requirements.
ARB Caloundra's system was designed with 97.94kW of solar capacity, using 166 JA Solar panels and three Fronius Verto inverters.
Yes. Commercial solar can reduce electricity bills by allowing businesses to use electricity generated by their own solar panels instead of purchasing the same amount from the grid.
The level of savings varies depending on when electricity is consumed, how much solar energy is generated and the business's electricity pricing arrangements.
Yes. Open Electrical provides commercial solar and battery solutions throughout Brisbane, the Sunshine Coast, Gold Coast and surrounding South East Queensland areas, with tailored system designs and installations completed by our in-house electricians.
Delivery
How the project ran
Site and energy review
Load profile, switchboard capacity and roof space assessed against trading hours.
Engineering and certification
Design certification report prepared by Edison Engineering Pty Ltd with RPEQ sign-off, registration no. 17868.
Network application
Full export application lodged and approved on the design basis.
Installation
166 modules across two roof planes, 15 strings into three inverters, dedicated breakers and isolation.
Connection and commissioning
Grid supply disconnect equipment installed, power quality and compliance testing completed.
Handover and monitoring
Live monitoring handed over so the business can see generation against consumption.
The bill
What the store paid before, and what it pays now
The result
Cheaper trading hours and a smaller footprint
The array covers the bulk of the store's daytime consumption, with the surplus exported to the grid. The business can see it live, hour by hour, through the inverter monitoring.
Commercial solar
Thinking about solar for your own site?
Thinking about solar for your own site?
We assess your load profile, design to the network's requirements and handle the approvals, installation and commissioning end to end.
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